— Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons Basketball (@MastodonMBB) February 29, 2024
The second half of the game was also close. Quinton Morton-Robertson hit a big three with 31 seconds left in the game putting the Mastodons only down by two points. Rasheed Bello then hit two clutch free throws tying the game. Wright St. missed a three-pointer sending the game into overtime.
— Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons Basketball (@MastodonMBB) February 29, 2024
In overtime Maximus Nelson hits a big three-pointer putting the Mastodons up by two points. He finished the night with 12 points shooting four for six from the field.
— Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons Basketball (@MastodonMBB) February 29, 2024
The Mastodons held Wright St. to one for eight shooting in overtime and their leading scorer was Jalen Jackson who finished with a career-high 27 points.
PFW improves to 19-11 and Wright St. falls to 17-13. The Mastodons are back in action Saturday Mar. 2 for Senior Night vs. Robert Morris at 7 p.m.
Project Ballet welcomed families and friends to their annual Student Choreography Showcase earlier this month.
The local studio is a space where those ages 3-18 go to learn the many variations of the artistic dance genre, and it also doubles as a performing arts middle and high school that provides ballet training for the region’s youth.
Within their many performances throughout the year, including the Nutcracker last winter and their upcoming spring rendition of Snow White, the students worked hard to put on a showcase that displayed the unique talent that each student possesses, whether it be ballet or another genre of dance.
Pictured is the cast and crew of this year’s Student Choreography Showcase (credit: @project.ballet)
“It was a lot of hard work put in behind the scenes of the show,” said Violet Hahn, student director and choreographer of this year’s showcase. “I had to test out different lighting and modify it to meet all the choreographers’ visions.”
Hahn also discussed coordinating costumes for each of the pieces, making sure transitions ran smoothly, and transforming one of the studio rooms into both a stage and a seated area for audience members to come and watch their loved ones perform.
“It was entirely a student-ran production,” said Beth McLeish, CEO and artistic director at Project Ballet. “We do this every year to ensure our students get the experience of directing a show and to stress that behind-the-scenes work is just as important as the performance itself.”
Molly Hahn, the mother of the student director of this year’s show, had only compliments to the group.
“The culture of support and encouragement that the students and staff have created is fantastic,” Molly said. “The students thrive in this tight-knit environment.”
Project Ballet offers many different accommodations for their students to ensure that they not only get exceptional ballet training, but also obtain a good-standing education to bring with them into the next step of their lives.
Meanwhile, their supporters get to enjoy a series of captivating performances that showcase their dazzling talents as overall dancers.
If you missed the showcase, you can still catch it here:
If you or someone you know is interested in the artistic ways of Project Ballet, you can visit them at projectballet.org or visit their Instagram @project.ballet for more information.
The Mastodons lose a close game against the Milwaukee Panthers Sunday Feb. 25. The final score was 96-88. The game consisted of 10 ties and 14 lead changes.
— Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons Basketball (@MastodonMBB) February 25, 2024
The Panthers went on their own run and tied the game up 74-74 with 8:22 left in the game. Milwaukee held the lead for the remaining seven minutes after their guard Dominic Ham hit a three-pointer.
The Mastodons leading scorer was Rasheed Bello who finished with 21 points shooting seven for 13 from the field. Quinton Morton-Robertson finished with 18 points and Jalen Jackson 16 points.
PFW falls to 18-11 and Milwaukee improves to 15-14. The Mastodons next game is Wednesday Feb. 28 at seven p.m. against Wright State. The game can be watched at Nutter Center and on ESPN+.
— Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons Basketball (@MastodonMBB) February 24, 2024
The Mastodons started off hot, leading by 10 points with just five minutes of play. They held Green Bay to just 23 points at the half after one of their baskets was reviewed and overturned during half-time.
All good in Green Bay so far and Anthony Roberts is a big reason why.
— Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons Basketball (@MastodonMBB) February 24, 2024
PFW shot 50.8% from the field and held Green Bay to 35% from the field. They also had the Mastodons score 10+ points including guard Jalen Jackson who finished with 17 points with eight for 15 from the field and guard Rasheed Bello with 16 points shooting six for nine from the field.
The Mastodons improve to 18-10 and the Phoenix fall to 17-11. PFW resume play on Sunday, Feb. 25, with a rematch against the Milwaukee Panthers at three p.m. at UWM Panther Arena. The game is also available to watch on ESPN+.
— Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons Basketball (@MastodonMBB) February 17, 2024
The Mastodons were led by guard Quinton Morton-Robertson with 24 points. He shot eight for 11 from the field, making five three-pointers. For the year, Morton-Robertson has made 80 three-pointers, making him number seven in program history.
Most single-season made 3-point field goals in program history:
6. 81 – Matt Holba (2016-17) 7. 80 – Quinton Morton-Robertson (2023-24) 8. 78 – Kason Harrell (2016-17) 9. 77 – Bobby Planutis (2022-23) 10. 76 – Eric Wilson (1986-87)#FeelTheRumble#HLMBB
— Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons Basketball (@MastodonMBB) February 17, 2024
The Mastodons held the lead for the entire first half, by 10 points after 20 minutes of play.
— Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons Basketball (@MastodonMBB) February 17, 2024
With 10:36 left in the game, the Detroit Mercy cut the lead to four points, but the Mastodons went on a 7-0 run only allowing Detroit to be within nine points for the remainder of the game.
Four Mastodons scored double digits, including Jalen Jackson with 18 points and six assists, Rasheed Bello with 15 points and six rebounds, and Anthony Roberts with 13 points and six rebounds.
The Mastodons improve to 17-10 and Detroit Mercy falls to 1-27. PFW face Green Bay Phoenix on Friday Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. at Kress Events Center. The game is also available to watch on ESPN+.
— Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons Basketball (@MastodonMBB) February 15, 2024
The Mastodons were led by guard Rasheed Bello, who ended the night with 15 points shooting 7-10 from the field.
PFW was down 10 points at half-time, and guard Anthony Roberts closed the half with a three-point buzzer beater. He finished with seven points and five rebounds.
— Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons Basketball (@MastodonMBB) February 15, 2024
In the second half, the Golden Grizzlies extended their lead to 13 points. The Mastodons then went on a 21-2 over seven minutes, allowing the Golden Grizzlies only four shot attempts.
— Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons Basketball (@MastodonMBB) February 15, 2024
After the run, the Mastodons were up by four, but Oakland gained the lead back 62-60 with a minute left in the game. Their guard Jack Gohlke hit a 3-point dagger with 38 seconds left, making the score 65-60.
PFW falls to 16-10 and Oakland University improves to 17-10. The Mastodons are back in action Saturday Feb. 17 against the Detroit Mercy at 1 p.m. The game can be watched at Calihan Hall in Detroit, Michigan, or on ESPN+.
Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodon’s host the Milwaukee Panthers tonight at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Tip-off is set at 7:00 pm ET and can also be watched on ESPN+.
The Mastodon’s (14-7) are coming into this game after losing four of their last five games. They snapped this losing streak as they defeated Northern Kentucky 63-58. Mastodon’s guard Jalen Jackson lead the way with 17 points with 7-10 shooting from the field.
The last time these two teams met was Feb. 23 last year. The Panthers (10-11) defeated the Mastodon’s 96-94 on their home court. The Mastodon’s are looking forward to this Horizon League rematch.
Fort Wayne, Ind – Purdue University Fort Wayne student housing held their annual welcome back events this week, starting with the notorious “Foam at the Disco” party on Wednesday evening.
The student housing organization has been impactful in welcoming the university’s students, near and far. This social gathering has provided students and staff with the opportunity to socialize and create yearlong relationships.
Journalism student, Emily Coverstone spoke highly of the event. “It’s a great way for students of any academic level to get to know one another and create friendships,” she said. “Classes can be tough sometimes, so it’s a great way to take a break from classes and just have fun.”
Marc Wanzer, another attendee of this year’s party, said that it was a fun opportunity to participate in events he hasn’t attended before in his three years as a PFW student.
“I loved just walking around and seeing everything that was going on and being offered,” Wanzer said. “The same goes for the other events. It could be a mini horse in front of Helmke or free subs and shirts out in the Science Mall.”
Developing a positive experience for students, especially those incoming, is vital to their success. According to Megan Lester, events such as this are an opportunity to learn just how involved the PFW faculty wants to be with the students.
“They offer so many events and activities throughout the year to keep us from becoming too stressed,” Lester said. “And they also want to make sure that not only is college a fantastic learning experience but also a fun experience.”
Fort Wayne FC‘s third season kicks off at their new home, the Bishop D’Arcy Stadium on May 13. Fort Wayne FC looks to continue to grow in 2023 after rapidly improving since their first season in 2021.
Fort Wayne FC is a soccer club located in Fort Wayne, Indiana that was founded in 2019 by a group of local business men and former soccer players. The owners founded this club to bring a stepping stone for young and talented players to Fort Wayne.
The club is coached by Mike Avery who also serves as the team’s sporting director. The club is made up of young local talent and young international players who are working on their game for their future soccer careers.
The teams first year saw their season end with a record of 1-8-5. Their second season ended with a record of 9-3-2. With more experience playing in the USL League Two, the team will hope to reach the playoffs after falling one game short last year.
The team has announced that many of their players are returning for another season. This includes Tom Abrahamsson, Beto Anaya, Alex “Frenchy” Frank and homegrown Reid Sproat amongst others.
We are happy to announce the return of midfielder Alexandre “Frenchy” Frank for the 2023 season! Frenchy’s leadership on and off the field makes him a Fort Wayne FC SuperFan favorite! Welcome back, Frenchy!
FWFC have also added international, college level and high school level players to their roster for the upcoming season.
This includes French midfeilder Tavio D’Almeida from Cadriff City, AJ Cousins from Villanova and Namik Mehic who is a sophomore at Northrop High School. Mehic joined the team after a greta performance at open tryouts.
We're thrilled to welcome Namik Mehic to our 2023 roster! Currently, a Northrop High school sophomore, Namik is a talented midfielder who plays Club-level soccer for Fort Wayne United FC. Be sure to keep your eyes on this promising player! pic.twitter.com/QdxWUA25Wv
The club will play their season at their new home, the Bishop D’Arcy Stadium. This move came after FWFC and the University of Saint Francis agreed to a partnership.
FWFC has an interesting history, you can learn more about it here.
Purdue Fort Wayne’s softball team lost both games of a two game series against Eastern Illinois. The series was played as a double header today where the first game was a 1-2 PFW loss and the second game was a 1-11 loss for PFW.
— Purdue Fort Wayne Softball (@MastodonSB) April 19, 2023
The first game of the series started at noon and saw Eastern Illinois win over PFW.
Eastern Illinois got on the board first in the 2nd inning as they scored run two runs. PFW finally cut into this lead in the 5th inning when they scored their only run, but this was not enough to avoid defeat.
PFW’s Alanah Jones took the loss in this game as they struck out six through seven innings. Jones is now 7-10 on the season.
The Mastodons best batter in this game was Sonia Solis as they batted 2/3 from the plate.
— Purdue Fort Wayne Softball (@MastodonSB) April 19, 2023
The second game of the series ended as a 1-11 loss for PFW.
It took awhile for scoring to begin, but once Eastern Illinois got started they continued to add on runs. They first scored in the 4th inning as they scored three runs. They added three more runs in the 5th inning. Their scoring came to an end in the 6th inning as they added their final five runs. PFW scored their lone run in the 6th.
Gracie Brinkerhoff took the loss for PFW in this game as they pitched 4.0 innings. She is now 6-6 on the season.
Taryn Jenkins was the best batter for the Mastodons in this game as they went 2/3 they scored the lone run for PFW.
