Fort Wayne, IN – The old sports truism, especially in college basketball goes, “It’s hard to beat a team three times”. Any person, or collection of persons, from a team can get hot on any night. A team can shoot 60% from the floor against Butler, and hit 10 first half three-pointers en route to their first ever conference championship, but sometimes that same team just can’t buy a bucket when it matters the most. From the tip to the first 90 seconds, Purdue Fort Wayne and their fans knew this was going to be a different game than the Horizon League Semifinal played at the Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis earlier this month. The W-L result may end up the same, but no way was Coach Chris Kielsmeier allowing his team to be embarrassed again by this Mastodon squad by 28 points.
First Quarter: Right out of the gate, the teams traded baskets. Jordana Reisma started the game with a basket down low for Cleveland State, but Jazzlyn Linbo returned the favor with a post shot of her own on the next possession. Mickayla Perdue retook the lead for Cleveland State with a three and a look and words to the PFW bench. Sydney Freeman responded with a blow by layup on the other end – oh boy. We’re just getting started. Who would tire, and who would be able to throw the last punch?
The teams continued to trade baskets all the way up to the media timeout, and no lead was ever larger than 3 points. Out of the timeout, Macey Fegan of Cleveland State missed her free throw for the chance at an old fashioned three-point play, and the Mastodons moved the ball the length of the court in under 3 seconds to the hands of Freeman wide open on the right wing for an uncontested three-pointer.
Cleveland State looked to add to their now four point lead at the end of the quarter inbounding the ball with the shot clock off, but Tia Morgan had other ideas. The Mastodon guard locked up Horizon League Player of the Year Perdue for nearly 25 seconds of stellar on-ball defense. Perdue gave the ball over to Destiny Leo for the shot, but Leo was called for a travel with 1.5 seconds left in the quarter. The ‘Dons would inbound, but the half court heave wouldn’t find anything on the other end. The Vikings would take a 24-20 lead into the break.
Second Quarter: The second quarter appeared to be more of the same trading blows… until it wasn’t…. until it was again…
Audra Emmerson buried a deep three-pointer from the WNIT logo with the shot clock running down on the first possession of the quarter to bring the Mastodons within one point. It then became the Sara Guerreiro and Leo show as the two would combine for 9 points, and the Mastodons would not get a single good look to fall. The shots were there, and they were shots the Mastodons had hit every game leading up to this point, but to much despair, the shots just weren’t falling. Marchesano called a timeout after the last Guerreiro basket to reset her team. Amellia Bromenschenkel would finally hit a three-pointer in the corner to give the ‘Dons some life, but just as quickly Perdue and Leo would each tack on a basket bringing the Cleveland State lead all the way to 11.
The game would then go scoreless on both sides for the next 2 minutes of play. Each team played stellar defense knowing how important the “middle 8” minutes of the game are to the outcome. The nation’s best three-point shooter, Ross, would break the drought and hit a three-pointer from Reid to bring the Mastodons back into a single digit deficit.
Reid would hit a pull up jumper from the free throw area on a pass from Bromenschenkel, and then Bromenschenkel would get her turn to score after Reid would force a steal from Guerreiro, and Bromenschenkel would lay-in the ball giving the Vikings the ball with no shot clock. The ‘Dons would bunker down and play impressive defensive to hold the Vikings scoreless for the last 4:57 of the half and claw their way back into the game. The Vikings were now only leading 37-33 heading into the halftime break.
Third Quarter: The Mastodons extended their run on their second possession of the half with a great feed from Freeman down low to Linbo, and then Audra Emmerson tied the game at 37-37 with a floater in the paint. Cleveland State would end their 6 minute scoring drought with a basket on a cut from Fegan. The teams would trade leads from this point as Bromenschenkel would nail a three-pointer from the left wing eliciting a rare double “BANG!” from commentator John Nolan, but Mickayla Perdue would throw up a prayer with the shot clock expiring that would bank off the glass hard and find the bottom of the net. However, this would be the final moment that the Mastodons would be within striking distance.
The Vikings would get a quick four point swing when Ross would be called for contact on the face of Guerreiro granting her two free throws, and the Vikings would use the ensuing possession to get another two points from Reisma downlow from Fegan.
Cleveland State would then score a few more times to mount a 16-1 run on PFW over a stretch of 5 minutes. The dagger would be a transition layup from Leo that would force head coach Maria Marchesano to call her second timeout of the game. Out of the timeout, the ‘Dons would go into their 1-2-2 full court press that has rattle opponents in the past. It did not rattle CSU, as Guerreiro would nail a midrange jump shot as soon as the ball crossed the half court line.
The Mastodons got some juice in the last minute of the quarter from two of their season newcomers. Reid would hit her patented turn around jumper at the elbow, and then Reid would get a steal on the other end and take it all the way to the hoop with a eurostep around a defender. Freeman capped off the quarter with a floater at the buzzer to head into the final quarter down by ten, 57-47.
Fourth Quarter: The Vikings’ game plan out of the break appeared to be simple – limit the number of possessions in the quarter. Cleveland State ran the shot clock all the way down to its end before firing up a shot, but Fegan grabbed a much needed offensive rebound for CSU to run off more time.
The Mastodons still were not going down easily as Ross hit a wide open three-pointer in transition, and Freeman hit a three-pointer from near her hometown of Albion, Indiana.
Guerreiro would deflate the sails a little with a three-pointer of her own on the other end, but Linbo hitting what some analytic say is the “worst shot in basketball” with her heels on the three-point line would get some sparks back. Unfortunately for PFW, Mickayla Perdue would hit a nearly identical shot as Linbo to put the Vikes up by 10.
Tempers would flare between these well-known foes midway through the fourth quarter as Freeman would try to get the ball from Fegan. Words were exchanged, but it was quickly intervened by the officiating crew. On the next CSU possession, Fegan would be assessed an intentional foul as she would fully extend her arm to the face of Ross. Ross would go to the line and nail both free throws hitting nothing but net. On the Mastodons’ possession after the free throws, Linbo would put Reisma in a spin cycle down low to put the Mastodons within six. Reisma would get those two points back down low on a feed from Perdue on the next long CSU possession.
The nail in the coffin would be a Leo three pointer at the top of the key on an inside-out pass over the outstretched arms of Reid closing out. Leo would be literally picked up and tossed around by a celebrating Guerreiro as PFW would call their final timeout with 1:15 remaining.
Where most teams would quit, the Mastodons wouldn’t go away quite yet. Lauren Ross would hit a left corner three-pointer to bring the game back to a single-digit deficit, but the game of catch up was just too much for the Purdue Fort Wayne squad. The two teams would trade free throws in the last minute of the game, but ultimately it was the Cleveland State Vikings emerging victorious by a score of 76-65.
Stats and Leaders: Cleveland State was led offensively by a three-headed attack from Leo, Perdue, and Guerreiro. Leo led all scorers with 22 points, and Perdue was right behind her with 21 points. Guerreiro earned Player of the Game honors with her double-double (19 PTS, 11 REB). Reisma was two points shy of a double-double (8 PTS, 13 REB). Fegan also added 8 rebounds for the Vikings (5 OREB, 3 DREB).
Cleveland State easily won the rebounding battle 44-26 behind the efforts of Reisma, Guerreiro, and Fegan. The Vikings shot a combined 28-54 (51.9%) from the floor and 8-17 (47.1%) from 3PT. They were also nearly perfect from the free throw line, only missing 1 going 12-13 (92.3%) from the stripe.
Purdue Fort Wayne had four scorers in double figures. Ross led the way for the Mastodons with 14 points. Freeman and Bromenschenkel both ended with 13 points, and Linbo had a productive night downlow with 12 points of her own. Reid provided a solid 8 points off the bench for the Mastodons as well. Five Mastodons were tied for the team lead in rebounds with 4 (Linbo, Bromenschenkel, Ross, Reid, and Sydney Graber).
The Mastodons took care of the ball well, but they just couldn’t get the shots to fall that were falling last week against Butler, or the shots that were falling all season. And that’s just basketball. Purdue Fort Wayne forced Cleveland State to cough up the ball 10 times into the hands of a Mastodon player and 16 times overall while only committing 6 turnovers all game offensively. The Mastodons shot an uncharacteristic 4-8 (50%) from the free throw line.
The Mastodons end the season with a program record 27 wins after setting the record for most wins last season with 23 wins. To put this in perspective of how monumental this season was for the ‘Dons, to get 27 wins before Marchesano’s tenure – you would have to go all the way back to November 19, 2025 when the (then IPFW) Summit League Mastodons under Head Coach Chris Paul defeated Kent State at home by a score of 86-68. Yes, it took the Mastodons nearly a decade to accomplish what Marchesano has done this season alone. This season has been a true testament to the players buying into Marchesano’s mission and values.
