Horizon League Championship Game – Purdue Fort Wayne vs. Green Bay

By Sydney Graber

On Mar. 11, the Horizon League hosted its 39th Women’s Basketball Final Four in Indianapolis.

This event brings together top teams from the conference, with student-athletes battling it out for the championship title.

It’s a chance for these players to show off their skills, fight for pride, and secure their spot in the postseason March Madness tournament.

This year’s championship game featured the second-seeded Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons facing off against the top-ranked Green Bay Phoenix.

Looking into how Purdue Fort Wayne prepared for the championship, Horizon League Newcomer of the Year Lauren Ross said, “Our coaches prepared us by spending a lot of time watching film and walking through our opponent’s tendencies. This helped us to make sure we were prepared for every possible scenario that we could face in the tournament.”

Both teams are quite familiar with each other, as they split the in-season matchups and battled it out in overtime when they faced off in Green Bay.

Former player, now assistant coach Shayla Sellers said, “Preparing for the horizon league tournament involves a combination of strategy, preparation, scouting, and mental preparation. As coaches, we breakdown film and look for opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.”

Heading into the game both teams were eager to face off and settle who was the best in the Horizon League and who would punch their ticket to March Madness.

To start out the game and throughout the first half, both teams were scoring the ball at will and playing solid on the defensive end. Heading into the locker room at half, the game was tied 40-40. Both teams hoped to carry this energy into the last 20 minutes.

The Phoenix came out firing on both ends, and their First Team All-Horizon League guard, Natalie McNeal, was dominating the midrange game. In the third quarter, Green Bay outscored the Mastodons 20-13 and carried this momentum into the fourth.

Jordan Reid gave the Dons quite a lift coming off the bench going 5-8 from the field for a total of 12 points on the day. Despite the Don’s efforts, it was not enough to overcome the firepower of the Phoenix offense.

The final score was 76-63 in favor of Green Bay, and they awaited their fate on Selection Sunday to see who they would match up against in the round of 64 in March Madness.

The Horizon League Women’s Basketball Tournament is an annual postseason event for teams in the Horizon League, a NCAA Division I conference.

Featuring the top 10 teams from the regular season, the tournament is structured as a single-elimination competition, with higher-seeded teams usually enjoying a home-court advantage in the earlier rounds.

The tournament begins with the first round, where the bottom six seeds compete, followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals, and then the championship game. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. The Horizon League Women’s Basketball Tournament is critical for teams hoping to make it to the national stage, as it’s often their only path to the NCAA Tournament.

The coaches of these teams, Purdue Fort Wayne specifically, spend the entirety of the year preparing for games in March in hopes of winning and advancing to the March Madness tournament.

Green Bay’s victory underscores the team’s dominance in the conference, having secured multiple championships in recent years. Their performance throughout the tournament, culminating in the championship game, solidifies their status as a formidable force in women’s college basketball.

The Mastodons, while falling short, showcased their growth and competitiveness throughout the season. Their journey to the championship game marked a significant milestone for the program, highlighting their potential in the Horizon League.

PFW Women’s Basketball Team Loses in Super 16

The Mastodons season ends in the Super 16 of the WNIT. The final score from Friday’s, Mar. 29, game against Saint Louis was 82-78.

This was a very tight game from the beginning. Saint Louis took a quick 7-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Mastodons came back quickly. The game was all tied up at halftime.

The second half of the game was close. After Renna Schwieterman made free throws, the Mastodons were down by two with 55 seconds left in the game. Saint Louis ended up scoring the next possession gaining a four point lead. The Mastodons came up short on the next possession sealing the win for Saint Louis.

The Mastodons finish their season 23-13 which is their most wins as a Division I program.

Amellia Bromenschenkel lead the Mastodons in scoring with 27 points and 14 rebounds for the night.

Shayla Sellers career as a Mastodon comes to an end. She finished top 10 in points and sixth in rebounds in the program’s history. She averaged 11.4 points for the 2023-2024 season.

Mastodons Guard Shayla Sellers

Saint Louis improves to 19-18 and will play in the WNIT Great 8.

PFW Men’s Basketball Team Falls Short in Championship Game

On Wednesday Mar. 27, PFW lose to Norfolk State. The final score was 75-67.

The Mastodons started the game off well leading by 17 points with 2:03 left in the first half. By halftime the Spartans cut the lead to 10 points.

With 11:40 left in game the Spartans took the lead after a made three pointer. They remained in the lead for the rest of the game.

The Mastodons had four players who scored double digits. Anthony Roberts had 18 points, Rasheed Bello finished with 13 points, Quinton Morton-Robertson had 12 points all coming from three pointers, and Eric Mulder 10 points.

The Mastodons finish the season with 23 wins!

PFW Women’s Basketball Team Win Big Against Cincinnati

In the second round of the WNIT the Mastodons blow out Cincinnati. The final score was 84-58.

The Mastodons started the game off well with a 9-2 run. They led by 18 points at halftime.

To end off the third quarter, Audra Emmerson hit a half-court shot putting the Mastodons up 70-43. Emmerson finished the night with 11 points.

All five Mastodons starters finished the night with double digit scoring. Shayla Sellers finished with 22 points with 8-18 shooting from the field. Destinee Marshall had 13 points, Amellia Bromenschenkel finished with 12 points, and Jazzlyn Lindo had 10 points.

The Mastodons shot 44.8% from the field and held Cincinnati to 34.7%. PFW improves to 23-12 and Cincinnati falls to 14-18.

The Mastodons are headed to the Super 16 on Friday Mar. 29 to play against Saint Louis.

This is a PFW home game at Gates Sports Center at 7 p.m. The first 200 students get in free and will receive free popcorn.

PFW Men’s Basketball Team Wins a Close Game at Bowling Green

On Wednesday Mar. 20, the Mastodons beat Bowling Green in The 2024 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. The final score was 77-75!

The first half of the game was close until the Mastodons went on a 20-4 run ending the half with a 12 point lead. Anthony Roberts capped it off went a dunk right before the buzzer.

In the second half Bowling Green started to make a comeback. With 8:50 left in the game they led by two points.

After a missed free throw from Bowling Green the game was tied 75-75 with 37 seconds left in the game. Eric Mulder made a layup with 15 seconds left giving the Mastodons the win.

The Mastodons had four players who scored double-digits. Corey Hadnot II finished with 10 points, Rasheed Bello had 11 points and two steals, Roberts had 17 points, and Jalen Jackson ended the night with 18 points and six rebounds. Jackson also took home MVP Honors.

The Mastodons improve to 22-12 with the win and Green Bay falls to 20-12

PFW Men’s Basketball Team Postseason Comes to an End

The Mastodons fought a tough battle in the Horizon League Quarterfinals, but fell short against number one seed Oakland University. The final score was 75-65.

The Mastodons started the game with a quick lead, but Oakland came back with a 13-0 run with 10:50 left in the first half. PFW cut the lead to 11 at half-time.

In the second half Oakland largest lead was 23 points. The Mastodons went on a late 14-2 run with 57 seconds left in the game. Quinton Morton-Robertson’s three-pointer cut Oaklands lead to six points.

Oakland hit clutch free throws to end off the game. The Mastodons had four players with double-digits scoring. Rasheed Bello led with 16 points, Jalen Jackson finished with 15 points, Anthony Roberts had 13 points on the night, and Morton-Robertson put up 10 points.

The Mastodons finished the season 21-12 and Oakland improved to 21-11.

Mastodons Win First Round Game Against Robert Morris

PFW Men’s Basketball team wins their first playoff game of the season on Tuesday Mar. 5.

The Mastodons started the game off hot. They went on a 14-0 run making their lead 18 points with seven minutes left in the half.

They shot 59.4% in the first half and Anthony Roberts gave us this amazing highlight:

Halfway through the second half Robert Morris cut the Mastodons lead to five points with a 15-1 run, but around the five minute mark PFW went on a 10-0 run closing out the game. The Mastodons were led by Quinton Morton-Robertson who finished the night with 17 points and Jalen Jackson who had 16 points.

PFW resumes play on Thursday Mar. 7 against number one seed Oakland University at 7 p.m. at Athletics Center O’rena.

The Mastodons Win Big On Senior Night

PFW Men’s Basketball team celebrates senior night with a win against Robert Morris. The final score was 83-65.

The Mastodons were led by senior Anthony Roberts who finished the night with 18 points and seven rebounds. He was also honored prior to the start of the game.

The first half of the game was close, the Mastodons only led by six points after 20 minutes of play.

The Mastodons gained a large lead in the second half and finished the 2023-2024 regular season off with 20 wins.

PFW improves to 20-11 and Robert Morris falls to 10-21. The Mastodons resume play on Tuesday Mar. 5 against Robert Morris for the first game of the Horizon League Tournament. The game will take place at 7 p.m. at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Also available to watch on ESPN+.

PFW Men’s Basketball Team Wins in Overtime Against Wright St.  

The Mastodons beat Wright St. in a must-see game. The final score was 79-77.

The game remained close throughout the first half. The Mastodons were only up five points at halftime.  

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.

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.

Anthony Roberts seals the game with a block with five seconds left in overtime.

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.

PFW Men’s Basketball Fall Against Milwaukee 

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.  

The first half of the game was very back and forth, and the score after 20 minutes was 40-39 the Panthers leading by one point.  

The Mastodons started the second half with an 8-0 run, and they gained a 10-point lead with 15:38 left in the game.  

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+.