Co-Preseason Favorites Tangle on Wednesday

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The 'Dons are 7-0 at home and welcome fellow Horizon League preseason favorite Milwaukee to town on Wednesday (Jan. 8). Quinton Morton-Robertson enters the game just two points from 1,000 for his NCAA career.

Game Day Information
Who: Purdue Fort Wayne (11-6, 4-2 Horizon) vs. Youngstown State (11-5, 4-1 Horizon)
When: Wednesday, Jan. 8 | 7 p.m. ET
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
Live Stats: Link
Listen: 1380 AM
Watch: ESPN+
Tickets: Start at $10
Series History: Mastodons lead 5-4
Game Notes (PDF): Purdue Fort Wayne | Milwaukee

// The 'Dons are 3rd in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (8.9) and 4th in turnover margin (+6.9).
   - The 'Dons committed no turnovers in a 103-52 win over Defiance on Dec. 20, tying an NCAA record.
   - 11 times this year have the 'Dons have committed single-digit turnovers in a game.
   - This isn't new. Last year: 10.4 turnovers/game (11th in the nation), +5.7 turnover margin (4th).
   - In league games, the 'Dons are averaging 10.3 turnovers.
   - Quinton Morton-Robertson (2.36, 95th) and Jalen Jackson (2.33, 98th) are in the
   top 100 in assist/turnover ratio.

// In the nation the Mastodons are:
   - 3rd in fewest turnovers per game (8.9)
   - 4th in turnover margin (6.9)
   - 12th in 3-pointers per game (10.9)
   - 17th in assist/turnover ratio (1.67)
   - 29th in turnovers forced per game (15.82)
   - 30th in 3-point attempts per game (28.6)
   - 32nd in effective field goal percentage (56.6 percent)
   - 46th in fastbreak points per game (14.41)
   - 50th in steals per game (8.8)

// The Mastodons have opened the season 7-0 at home. A win on Wednesday would match the Division I era program record for best undefeated home start to a season. The following are seasons of 7-0 or better home records to start the season:

2012-13 (7-0)
2015-16 (8-0)
2016-17 (7-0)
2017-18 (8-0)
2023-24 (8-0)

// The 'Dons had a season-high 23 fast break points (against a Division I team) on Saturday vs. Youngstown State (Jan. 4).

// Multiple 'Dons are shooting better than 40 percent from three this year:
   - Maximus Nelson - 41.7 percent (43-of-103)
   - Corey Hadnot II - 41.1 percent (23-of-56)
   - Rasheed Bello - 40.0 percent (34-of-85)

// In league play, Quinton Morton-Robertson is 17-of-36 (47.2 percent) from three.

// Per Ken Pom, the 'Dons lead the nation in minutes continuity at 74.5 percent. Ken Pom describes the stat as "determining what percentage of a team's minutes are played by the same player from last season to this season." The current national average is 34.2 percent.

// Since the 2018-19 season, the 'Dons have four total games of 24 or more made free throws and three have come this season. The 26 the 'Dons made against Bethune-Cookman and Robert Morris are tied for the seventh most in the Division I era of the program for made free throws in a game.

// A few 'Dons nearing scoring marks:
- Quinton Morton-Robertson has 998 career points, needing 2 to reach 1,000 (Purdue Fort Wayne and Radford combined).
- Eric Mulder has scored 445 career points, needing 55 to reach 500 for his career.

// Rasheed Bello had 12 assists at Green Bay (Dec. 29). He is the first Mastodon with 12 assists since Jarred Godfrey recorded 12 in the Horizon League Tournament at Cleveland State in 2021 in a triple overtime game. The last Mastodon with 12 assists in a 40-minute contest was John Konchar who had 14 at Denver on Feb. 14, 2019. Bello is the first Horizon League player to reach 12 assists in a league game since Jalen Moore had 14 and 13 for Oakland during the 2021-22 season.

// Notes on the Defiance contest:
- The 'Dons recorded zero turnovers, just the third team to so since 2004 (per sports-reference.com)
- The 'Dons were +25 in turnover margin.
- Six 'Dons finished in double-figures.

// This season the 'Dons have:
   - made 10 or more 3-pointers 11 times.
   - forced 20 turnovers four times.
   - recorded 19 or more assists four times.
   - shot 50 percent or better eight times.
   - scored 50 points in a half six times. Four times against a Division I opponent.

// The 20 3-pointers the 'Dons made at Eastern Michigan (Dec. 15) set a new venue record at the George Gervin GameAbove Center on EMU's campus. It was one short of tying the program record for single 3-pointers for the 'Dons.

~ Feel The Rumble ~

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Players Mentioned

Rasheed Bello

Corey Hadnot II

Jalen Jackson

Quinton Morton-Robertson

Eric Mulder

Maximus Nelson

Purdue University Fort Wayne Athletics