Fort Wayne, IN – In the matinee showing of the ‘Dons doubleheader on Saturday, the Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball team (2-2) took the floor at the Hillard Gates Sports Center just days removed from arguably the most memorable program win in history. Looking to shake off the awe and wonder of the moment, the ‘Dons played host to their first mid-major opponent of the year in Southern Illinois (1-1). The Salukis, out of the Missouri Valley Conference, were on their first road trip of the year, and they ran into the buzzing Mastodons who continued their hot shooting and suffocating defense en route to an 85-60 victory.
How it happened: New game, same Jordan Reid. Reid picked up right where she left off from Wednesday night, starting the game with a mid-range jumper for the first basket of the night. SIU’s Alayna Kraus responded on the following possession with a basket of her own, but a layup from Alana Nelson of PFW put the ‘Dons in the lead for good and started an 11-0 run for the Mastodons. SIU tried their best to stay remotely close in the first quarter, but a three-pointer by Ella Riggs reminded the Salukis who they were playing against. Riggs’ three-pointer doubled up SIU 18-9.
The Mastodons would not settle for just doubling up SIU in the opening quarter. In the remaining three minutes of the frame, the Mastodons went on a 10-3 run capped off by Rylee Bess receiving a pass at the left wing three-pointer line, getting her defender in the air with a pump fake, taking one step in, a step back — bang. Sound familiar, Boilermaker fans? The Mastodons held a convincing 28-12 lead after 10 minutes of play.
The Salukis wouldn’t lose any ground in the second quarter, but they wouldn’t gain any either. SIU was able to muster some offense up in the second frame with the help of 10 points in the paint — the most of any quarter for the Salukis. The Salukis also did not allow a single bench point from the Mastodons in the second quarter. However, four of the five starters did score in the quarter. 15 of the Mastodons’ 18 points in the second quarter were scored by either Reid or Nelson. The fifteenth through eighteenth point for the Mastodons came via yet another near buzzer beater three-pointer, this time by Reid. When the buzzer did sound, the Mastodons enjoyed a comfortable 16 point lead at the half, 46-30.
Nelson led all scorers at the break with 17 points. As a team, the Mastodons used 16-of-34 (47.1%) shooting from the floor and five made three-pointers to build the lead. Additionally, PFW attempted 13 free throws in the first half. Seven of those free throws were from Nelson, and she made all seven. At the half, the rebounds for each team were identical – six offensive and 13 defensive rebounds for both teams. A glaring difference in the stat sheet: PFW did not allow SIU to hurt them with the six offensive rebounds. The Salukis had zero second chance points compared to the Mastodons’ nine.
It took the Mastodons less than two minutes in the third quarter to get back into the groove they had in the first half. Nelson buried a triple off a pass from Bess, and a possession later she would score her 22nd and final points of the afternoon with a midrange shot. Unfortunately for SIU, Reid and Riggs weren’t done scoring for the afternoon. Reid ended the quarter with perfect 4-of-4 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 from the charity stripe for 10 third quarter points. Riggs added nine points, with a triple and three more buckets. Avery Wagner scored two of her career high eight points on an incredible give-and-go play with Lili Krasovec at the top of the key for an easy layup.
The 27 point lead entering the fourth quarter allowed for the young players of Purdue Fort Wayne to get some very valuable developmental minutes. Freshmen Wagner and Destiny Macharia each logged 11 minutes of gameplay. Redshirt sophomore Hillary Offing played 10 minutes, and freshman Bailee Duck played 9 minutes. Boilermaker-slaying Bess has the most minutes of the talented freshman squad this year, adding to that total with 19 minutes in this game. Wagner, playing behind Reid, Nelson, and Krasovec in the Forward/Center position, may not see many minutes this season, but she is proving to be a valuable resource off the bench should the Mastodons find themselves in a pinch.
On the game, Purdue Fort Wayne shot a very respectable 32-of-63 (50.8%), making more shots than they missed. The efficiency and volume of shots from behind the arc are down from last year, but that was to be expected with the comparison between personnel. However, the ‘Dons can still sling it. Their 8-of-22 (36.4%) shooting from three combined with 46 points in the paint can combine to a very dangerous and lethal offense. If there was one thing offensively to improve upon as a team, it would be free throws. The Mastodons are only shooting 58.6% from the line as a team. This is nearly 20% lower than last year’s mark of 75.9%. They did slightly improve their team average by shooting 13-of-20 from the stripe against the Salukis.
The Mastodon faithful could be in for another treat of a season if Nelson and Reid play the game of “Who can have the best 20 point performance?”. Saturday, the honor went to Reid. Reid finished with 23 points on nearly 77% shooting, four steals, and five rebounds. Nelson was a tick behind her with 22 points, two steals, and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line. Riggs was the only other Mastodon in double figures with 12 points. She also recorded four rebounds.
The Salukis also had three players in double figures, but not much more after that. Kraus led SIU with 20 points, Kayla Cooper ended with 15 points on 19 field goal attempts, and Tkiyah Nelson ended with 10 points and six rebounds. SIU had a lower field goal, three point, and free throw percentage than the ‘Dons.
What’s Next: Southern Illinois University’s next game doesn’t get much better. On Tuesday, November 18, the Salukis will travel to Columbia, Missouri to take on the Missouri Tigers at Mizzou Arena. The game is scheduled for 7:30 pm ET.
Purdue Fort Wayne stays home for the final home game of the month — a rematch of last season against Eastern Michigan (2-2) on Wednesday, November 19. In last season’s game, the ‘Dons nearly put up triple digits in Ypsilanti, winning 94-49. The Eagles appear to be a much improved team compared to last season’s 2-27 squad, matching that win total through four games. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:00 pm ET at the Gates Sports Center. The game will be broadcast on air on ESPN+ and WELT 95.7 FM on the radio and online.
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