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Five Mastodon WBB Players Collect All-League Honors, Marchesano Named Coach of the Year
3/3/2025 2:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
INDIANAPOLIS - The Purdue Fort Wayne women's basketball team's best season in program history was rewarded well on Monday (March 3), as the Horizon League unveiled its All-League Honors. Maria Marchesano was named the Horizon League Coach of the Year, Lauren Ross was selected as the Newcomer of the Year with an All-League First Team honor, Jordan Reid earned Sixth Player of the Year and Jazzlyn Linbo took the Sportsmanship Award. Amellia Bromenschenkel and Sydney Freeman were also honored with Second Team All-Horizon League honors.
Marchesano, in her fourth season with the Mastodons, took over the program after a 1-22 season in 2020-21 and has since turned Purdue Fort Wayne into a Horizon League contender. The Mastodons finished the 2024-25 regular season with a 23-7 record and an 18-2 mark in Horizon League play to finish as the regular season runners-up. In league play, Purdue Fort Wayne owned the best offense in the league, scoring 73.4 points per game, and the second-best defense, allowing just 57.4 points per game. The 'Dons were the best 3-point defenders, allowing their opponents to shoot just 26.6 percent from beyond the arc, while pouring in 8.9 triples of their own per game, which leads the league. Marchesano led the 'Dons to league runners-up in the regular season, which is the second time in the program's Division I history they finished second. Their 18 league wins is a program record of any level. Marchesano is the first Mastodon women's basketball coach to be named Coach of the Year in program history. This is Marchesano's third Coach of the Year award. She earned the 2012 Division II Independent Coach of the Year honor and the 2021 Northeast Conference Coach of the Year.
Ross added a pair of accolades to her already decorated career with the Newcomer of the Year award and an All-Horizon League First Team nod. Throughout the entire season, Ross has been a go-to scorer for the 'Dons, pouring in 15.9 points per game. She was also the league's most elite shooter, clocking in a 47.3 percent from the floor, 47.7 percent from 3-point range and 94.0 percent from the charity stripe. Her 47.7 percent from 3-point range was the best in the nation and her 94.0 clip from the line was second-best. She made 3.17 3-pointers per game, which was a top-five mark nationally. She was selected as the Horizon League Player of the Week twice this season. In addition to being the team's leading scorer, she was also the team's leading rebounder at 5.4 per game in league. Ross scored in double-figures in all but four games this season, including 25 points in back-to-back games against Robert Morris and Green Bay. Against the Phoenix, Ross was 6-for-6 from 3-point range, a Purdue Fort Wayne record. Ross is the first Mastodon to earn Horizon League Newcomer of the Year and second to earn All-Horizon League First Team honors.
Reid became the first Mastodon to earn Horizon League Sixth Player of the Year. Coming off the bench in all 30 games this season, Reid found her stride late in the year. The Indiana Wesleyan transfer scored 7.0 points per game on 48 percent shooting throughout the season and increased it to 7.7 points and 49.2 percent in league play. In the second half of Horizon League play, she bumped that up even more to 11.4 points per game and 56.6 percent from the floor. Reid reached double-figures in seven games this season, six of which came in league play, the other was the season opener at Purdue.
Linbo is the first Mastodon women's basketball player to earn the Horizon League Sportsmanship award. She is the sixth Mastodon across all sports to earn the Sportsmanship award since the Horizon League first gave the honor last season. Marchesano describes Linbo as an unselfish, team-first player that is constantly her teammates' biggest fan. She connects with the fan base and goes above and beyond to help players off the floor after contact. She also helps organize gifts for special guests and fans of the program. On the floor this season, Linbo started all 25 games in which she played, missing five to injury. She averaged 7.7 points per game while shooting 55.5 percent from the floor.
Bromenschenkel collected her third All-Horizon League honor this season. With the All-League Second Team to her name, she had a First Team, Second Team and Third Team honor in her career. In her final Horizon League season, she averaged 11.6 points per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the floor, 41.8 percent from 3-point range and 84.1 percent from the charity stripe. She added 5.0 rebounds per Horizon League contest. She recorded double-figure scoring outings in 15 league games. Throughout the season, Bromenschenkel was frequently assigned as the primary defender for the opposing team's best offensive option. Earlier this season, Bromenschenkel became the program's Division I era leader in career rebounds. She ranks in the top-10 in program history in points, rebounds, made baskets, 3-pointers, steals and blocks.
In her one season at Purdue Fort Wayne, Freeman collected an All-League Second Team nod. From the point guard spot, Freeman scored 11.5 points per game while shooting 42.9 percent from the floor and 36.5 percent from 3-point range in league play. She added 3.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game in league play. She scored in double-figures in 11 league games, including eight-straight in January. She scored a season-high 25 points against Western Michigan and a league-high of 22 at Youngstown State.
This is the first time in program history that three Mastodons were named to All-League First or Second Team in the same season.
The Mastodons are 23-7 and will begin their quest to make their first NCAA Division I tournament this week. The No. 2 seeded Purdue Fort Wayne squad will play host to the second-lowest remaining seed on Thursday (March 6) at the Gates Sports Center at 7 p.m. Their opponent will be determined after the opening round on Tuesday (March 4).
Marchesano, in her fourth season with the Mastodons, took over the program after a 1-22 season in 2020-21 and has since turned Purdue Fort Wayne into a Horizon League contender. The Mastodons finished the 2024-25 regular season with a 23-7 record and an 18-2 mark in Horizon League play to finish as the regular season runners-up. In league play, Purdue Fort Wayne owned the best offense in the league, scoring 73.4 points per game, and the second-best defense, allowing just 57.4 points per game. The 'Dons were the best 3-point defenders, allowing their opponents to shoot just 26.6 percent from beyond the arc, while pouring in 8.9 triples of their own per game, which leads the league. Marchesano led the 'Dons to league runners-up in the regular season, which is the second time in the program's Division I history they finished second. Their 18 league wins is a program record of any level. Marchesano is the first Mastodon women's basketball coach to be named Coach of the Year in program history. This is Marchesano's third Coach of the Year award. She earned the 2012 Division II Independent Coach of the Year honor and the 2021 Northeast Conference Coach of the Year.
Ross added a pair of accolades to her already decorated career with the Newcomer of the Year award and an All-Horizon League First Team nod. Throughout the entire season, Ross has been a go-to scorer for the 'Dons, pouring in 15.9 points per game. She was also the league's most elite shooter, clocking in a 47.3 percent from the floor, 47.7 percent from 3-point range and 94.0 percent from the charity stripe. Her 47.7 percent from 3-point range was the best in the nation and her 94.0 clip from the line was second-best. She made 3.17 3-pointers per game, which was a top-five mark nationally. She was selected as the Horizon League Player of the Week twice this season. In addition to being the team's leading scorer, she was also the team's leading rebounder at 5.4 per game in league. Ross scored in double-figures in all but four games this season, including 25 points in back-to-back games against Robert Morris and Green Bay. Against the Phoenix, Ross was 6-for-6 from 3-point range, a Purdue Fort Wayne record. Ross is the first Mastodon to earn Horizon League Newcomer of the Year and second to earn All-Horizon League First Team honors.
Reid became the first Mastodon to earn Horizon League Sixth Player of the Year. Coming off the bench in all 30 games this season, Reid found her stride late in the year. The Indiana Wesleyan transfer scored 7.0 points per game on 48 percent shooting throughout the season and increased it to 7.7 points and 49.2 percent in league play. In the second half of Horizon League play, she bumped that up even more to 11.4 points per game and 56.6 percent from the floor. Reid reached double-figures in seven games this season, six of which came in league play, the other was the season opener at Purdue.
Linbo is the first Mastodon women's basketball player to earn the Horizon League Sportsmanship award. She is the sixth Mastodon across all sports to earn the Sportsmanship award since the Horizon League first gave the honor last season. Marchesano describes Linbo as an unselfish, team-first player that is constantly her teammates' biggest fan. She connects with the fan base and goes above and beyond to help players off the floor after contact. She also helps organize gifts for special guests and fans of the program. On the floor this season, Linbo started all 25 games in which she played, missing five to injury. She averaged 7.7 points per game while shooting 55.5 percent from the floor.
Bromenschenkel collected her third All-Horizon League honor this season. With the All-League Second Team to her name, she had a First Team, Second Team and Third Team honor in her career. In her final Horizon League season, she averaged 11.6 points per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the floor, 41.8 percent from 3-point range and 84.1 percent from the charity stripe. She added 5.0 rebounds per Horizon League contest. She recorded double-figure scoring outings in 15 league games. Throughout the season, Bromenschenkel was frequently assigned as the primary defender for the opposing team's best offensive option. Earlier this season, Bromenschenkel became the program's Division I era leader in career rebounds. She ranks in the top-10 in program history in points, rebounds, made baskets, 3-pointers, steals and blocks.
In her one season at Purdue Fort Wayne, Freeman collected an All-League Second Team nod. From the point guard spot, Freeman scored 11.5 points per game while shooting 42.9 percent from the floor and 36.5 percent from 3-point range in league play. She added 3.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game in league play. She scored in double-figures in 11 league games, including eight-straight in January. She scored a season-high 25 points against Western Michigan and a league-high of 22 at Youngstown State.
This is the first time in program history that three Mastodons were named to All-League First or Second Team in the same season.
The Mastodons are 23-7 and will begin their quest to make their first NCAA Division I tournament this week. The No. 2 seeded Purdue Fort Wayne squad will play host to the second-lowest remaining seed on Thursday (March 6) at the Gates Sports Center at 7 p.m. Their opponent will be determined after the opening round on Tuesday (March 4).
~ Feel the Rumble ~
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