Purdue Fort Wayne Set to Play in First #HLWBB Championship

Thursday, February 25

Youngstown, Ohio

5 PM

Purdue Fort Wayne

Youngstown State

Hannah Hess

Purdue Fort Wayne Set to Play in First #HLWBB Championship

2/24/2021 10:31:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Live Stats Watch Purdue Fort Wayne Notes Youngstown State Notes Horizon League Notes

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The No. Purdue Fort Wayne women's basketball team will play in its first Horizon League women's basketball championship on Thursday, February 25. The Mastodons will meet up with No. 7 Youngstown State in the first round of the tournament.

Game Day Information
When: Thursday, February 25 | 5 p.m.
Where: Beeghly Center | Youngstown, Ohio
Live Stats: Link
Video: ESPN +
Series History: Youngstown State leads 6-2
Last Meeting: 2/6/2021 | L, 68-52 | Youngstown, Ohio
Game Notes: Purdue Fort Wayne | Youngstown State | Horizon League

Know Your Foe
Youngstown State finished the 2020-21 regular season at 9-7 overall and in Horizon League play. The Penguins are led by senior Mary Dunn with 15.6 points per game and Horizon League Freshman of the Year Nneka Obiazor at 15.6 points per game. Dunn is doing her work exclusively inside the 3-point line, while Obiazor is hitting an average of one triple per game at a 44 percent clip.

The Series
The Mastodons and Penguins have met eight times, with Youngstown State holding a 6-2 edge in the series. Two of these wins came earlier this season when the two squads met in regular season play.

A Free Spot in the Record Books
Sierra Bell found her way to the charity stripe 18 times in her senior day game against Robert Morris, where she converted 15 free throws. This is fourth all-time in Purdue Fort Wayne history. She scored 17 points in that game, doing so on just one made field goal. Her 15 made free throws is also the sixth-most in an NCAA Division I contest this season.

Seniors on Senior Day, A Novel Concept!
Purdue Fort Wayne seniors Hannah Hess and Sierra Bell led the Mastodons in their final regular season games of their career. Hess scored 18 points with 6-of-10 shooting while Bell scored 17 points while going 1-of-4 from the floor. She scored 15 points at the free throw line.

A New High For Sellers
Shayla Sellers had a career-high 21 points against Robert Morris on Friday, February 19, eclipsing the previous high of 17 that she set against Cleveland State six days earlier.

Her First Double-Double
Sierra Bell recorded her first double-double as a Mastodon on Friday, February 12. She scored 11 points and grabbed 13 rebounds against Cleveland State. She was the second Mastodon to document a double-double this season, as Jaida Wolfork got one in the season opener.

Shayla's Impact on the Horizon
Shayla Sellers is fifth in the Horizon League in blocks with 22 this season, which is also fifth on a per game basis at 1.00.

Consistent Career-Highs
Freshman Aubrey Stupp had a pair of games at Youngstown State saw her set and match a career-high in her young career. She scored 11 points against the Penguins in Friday's game and then 11 again on Saturday.

Career-Highs for the Newcomers!
Freshman Rylie Parker and Eastern Kentucky transfer Valerie Clark both had career-highs against Wright State on Friday, January 29. Parker led the team with 13 points while Valerie Clark had 12, which came on four 3-pointers.

How Was Oakland's Shooting? Not Great Bob!
In Purdue Fort Wayne's second game against Oakland, the Mastodons held the Golden Grizzlies without a 3-pointer, forcing OU to go 0-for-10 from beyond the arc. This was the worst shooting performance by an opponent since Illinois went 0-for-21 against the 'Dons in 2014. This was the second time a team under Niecee Nelson has kept an opponent scoreless from 3-point range, the first team was the North Dakota Fighting Hawks in 2018, who went 0-for-7.

Ring the Bell
Sierra Bell had a career-high 21 points on January 16 against Green Bay, which surpassed her previous high as a Mastodon of 16 points, which came earlier this year at Evansville. She used a 7-of-16 shooting day with 4-of-11 from deep for her 21 points, while also recording four rebounds, three assists and a steal.

Swipe, Swipe, Swipe it, Swipe
Shayla Sellers had five steals against Green Bay on January 15, which was the most for any Mastodon since she had eight herself on November 24, 2019.

Last Time Out
Purdue Fort Wayne split its last regular season series, picking up a win over Robert Morris. The Mastodons got big performances from Shayla Sellers, Riley Ott and Sierra Bell in the win, as they all reached double-digits.

Coming Up
If Purdue Fort Wayne beats Youngstown State, the 'Dons will be pitted against either Wright State or Milwaukee, depending on results of other games. The second round will be played on Tuesday, March 2.

~ Feel the Rumble ~