Purdue Fort Wayne
Bethune-Cookman
'Dons Look For 20th Straight Non-League Home Win on Saturday
12/14/2023 4:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game Day Information
Who: Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons (10-1) vs. Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (5-4)
When: Saturday, December 16 | 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center
Live Stats: Link
Video: ESPN+
Radio: 1380 AM
Tickets: Link
Game Program: Link
Series Record: First meeting
Game Notes: Purdue Fort Wayne (PDF)
'DONS & ENDS
// The 'Dons are ranked No. 10 in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major 25 Poll. It is the program's highest ranking since reaching No. 7 in November 2016.
// The 'Dons have recorded double-digit steals in five games. They have had more steals than their opponent in 8-of-11 games.
// The 'Dons made at least eight 3-pointers in 8-of-11 games and double digit treys in three games.
// Quinton Morton Robertson is 11th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage at 48.3 percent (29-of-60). Maximus Nelson is shooting 50 percent (25-of-50) from three. Nelson doesn't appear on the national rankings as he is shy of the 2.5 made 3-pointers per game required to make the list.
// The Mastodons average 21.0 points off turnover this season, which is 26.7 percent of all points. Sparking points off turnovers, the 'Dons are ninth in the nation in turnovers forced per game at 18.09 and eleventh in the nation in fastbreak points with 18.09.
// The 'Dons have had fewer turnovers than their opponent in all but one game this season (at Oakland, Dec. 2).
// The 'Dons are No. 73 in the latest NET rankings, the 'Dons reached a program-best No. 53 on Dec. 8, 2023.
// The Mastodons' 10-1 start is their best start to a season over the first 11 games during the NCAA Division I era of the Mastodons.
// Purdue Fort Wayne's scoring margin of 19.1 is first in the league. In second place, Youngstown State at 5.8.
// The Mastodons' 5-0 start was their longest undefeated stretch to start a season as a NCAA Division I program. It was their longest stretch to start a season since the 1992-93 team opened 9-0. That team earned a bid in the NCAA Division II Tournament, the only NCAA bid (Division I or II) in program history.
// Thanks to the 5-0 start to the season, the 'Dons now have now had a winning streak of at-least four games in every season since 2009-10 except for one (2017-18). That is 14-of-15 seasons.
// The 'Dons have won 19 straight home non-league games. The streak started on Nov. 16, 2019 vs. Stetson.
// A win for the 'Dons on Saturday would make them 11-1 on the season. It will be the first time the 'Dons are 11-1 since 1988-89 when they opened 11-0 and lost the next two.
// Thanks to wins over Northern Arizona (Nov. 17) and South Dakota (Nov. 18), the 'Dons won the Arizona Tip-Off. Quinton Morton-Robertson was named the MVP of the event and selected to the All-Tournament Team with Rasheed Bello.
// The 'Dons are averaging 86.8 points per game, up from 73.9 last season.
// Purdue Fort Wayne's 10.1 steals per game this season are up from the 7.3 last year. The Division I era program high for steals per game was the 8.8 mark in 2021-22.
// 25.3 percent of points this season have come off turnovers (242-of-955).
// Rasheed Bello is sneaking up on 1,000 career points. Combined with his scoring at NCAA Division II UW-Parkside, he has 959 career NCAA points.
// Four Mastodons are averaging better than 12.0 points per game: Rasheed Bello (15.3), Anthony Roberts (14.9), Jalen Jackson (14.5) and Quinton Morton-Robertson (12.7).
// The 'Dons have partnered with Team IMPACT to add Bolton Richardson to the squad in 2023-24. Added to the team at a signing ceremony in July, Bolton will be at games, practices and other team activities.
NATIONAL RANKINGS:
// 2nd in the nation in turnover margin (+8.4)
// 9th in the nation in turnovers forced per game (18.1)
// 11th in the nation in fast break points per game (19)
// 14th in the nation in scoring margin (+19.1)
// 14th in the nation in steals per game (10.1)
// 14th in the nation in points per game (86.8)
// 16th in the nation in effective field goal percentage (57.8 percent)
// 18th in the nation in three point percentage (39.5 percent)
~ Feel The Rumble ~
Players Mentioned
