Wednesday, January 21
Fort Wayne, Ind.
7 PM
Purdue Fort Wayne
vs
Cleveland State
Hillary Offing
Photo by: Josh Gales
Mastodons Return Home For Battle With Cleveland State
1/20/2026 1:24:00 PM | Women's Basketball
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The Purdue Fort Wayne women's basketball team welcomes Cleveland State to the Gates Sports Center on Wednesday (Jan. 21) for a 7 p.m. Horizon League contest.
Game Day Information
Who: Cleveland State Vikings
When: Wednesday, January 21 | 7 PM
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center
Live Stats: Link
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: WELT 95.7
Tickets: Link
Game Notes: Purdue Fort Wayne | Cleveland State | Horizon League
Know Your Foe
Cleveland State is 15-5 and 5-4 in Horizon League play. The Vikings have only picked up one league win away from home, a 72-55 victory at Oakland. With a very different look from last year, the Vikings are led by Izabella Zingaro and former Horizon League Player of the Year Colbi Maples. Zingaro averages 15.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while Maples is at 14.3 points per contest.
Series History
Cleveland State leads the series 17-3, but Purdue Fort Wayne collected two of its three wins in the series last year. The Mastodons are still seeking their first-ever home win over Cleveland State. Last year, the 'Dons won in Cleveland in the regular season and in Indianapolis in the Horizon League Championship, while CSU won in Fort Wayne in the regular season and the WNIT Great 8.
A Win Would...
• Give the Mastodons their first win vs. Cleveland State at home
• Give Purdue Fort Wayne a 4-17 all-time record against the Vikings
• Snap a three-game losing skid
• Give Maria Marchesano her 53rd Horizon League win and 85th win as Mastodon head coach
3-Point Threat
Rylee Bess has the best season-long 3-point percentage by a freshman in program history. Her mark of 43.3 percent (39-of-90) is slightly better than Jordan Zuppe (2007-08), who shot 43.3 percent (74-of-171) in her freshman season. Bess' 43.3 percent is the seventh-best percentage by any player in Mastodon history.
3-Point Threat x2
Rylee Bess' 43.3 3-point percentage is the best by any freshman in the country this season. Ella Ryan of Quinnipiac (43.298 percent) is just behind Bess. Bess is 16th nationally among all players.
At Her Bess(t)
Over the last four games, Rylee Bess is averaging 13.8 points per game, shooting 57.6 percent from the floor and 57.7 percent from the 3-point line. She has scored in double-figures in each of those four games.
Triple Trouble
Purdue Fort Wayne has had the top 3-point shooter in the Horizon League in each of the last three seasons.
2025-26 - Rylee Bess - 43.3 percent
2024-25 - Lauren Ross - 47.6 percent
2023-24 - Shayla Sellers - 40.2 percent
Marchesano Mania
Maria Marchesano owns 52 Horizon League wins as the Mastodon head coach. She was the fastest to reach 50 league wins in program history. She needs four more to break into the top-20 in HL wins in league history.
More Maria Madness
Maria Marchesano's 57.8 winning percentage (52-37) in Horizon League contests ranks 14th in league history with a minimum of three seasons. Cleveland State's Chris Kielsmeier is the only active coach with a better mark.
Chasing 2,000
Jordan Reid needs 158 points to reach 2,000 in her career between Purdue Fort Wayne and Indiana Wesleyan.
League Leader
Alana Nelson leads the Horizon League this season in points (318), points per game (16.7), field goals (114), 3-point field goals (41) and minutes per game (34.6).
Career Points Tracker
Let's take a look at the career scoring numbers for the three former NAIA All-Americans on the roster regardless of level.
Alana Nelson - 2,587 (482 at Northwood, 1,787 at Spring Arbor, 318 at PFW)
Jordan Reid - 1,842 (1,395 at Indiana Wesleyan, 447 at PFW)
Lauren Lee - 1,701 (1,630 at Campbellsville, 71 at PFW)
Vetting Krasovec
Lili Krasovec has 21 free throw makes on her last 25 trips to the charity stripe (84.0 percent) dating back to December 7.
Lili Love
Lili Krasovec has scored in double-digits 11 times this season after doing so just twice at Boston College. She scored a career-high 19 points against Northern Kentucky (Dec. 29) after going 7-of-11 from the floor.
Lock In Lili
Lili Krasovec has scored 15+ points six times this season. In those games, she was a combined 34-for-54 (62.9 percent) from the floor and 23-of-26 (88.5 percent) from the free throw line.
Wicked Wagner
On limited attempts off the bench, the 6-foot-4 Avery Wagner is shooting 37.5 percent from 3-point range (6-of-16).
3-Ball Fun
The Mastodons are 3-1 this season when they hit 10 or more 3-pointers this season. Under Maria Marchesano's leadership, the 'Dons have had 53 such games with a 41-12 record in those games.
Look at Lee!
Through eight Horizon League games, Lauren Lee is second in the HL with 4.3 assists per game. She also has a 2.6 assist to turnover ratio, a league-best.
I'll Take That
Jordan Reid is averaging 2.4 steals per game, which ranks second in the Horizon League and top-80 nationally. If that average holds for a season-long mark, it would be second-best in the program's Division I era and sixth-best overall.
Inside The Arc? Guaranteed Bucket
Lili Krasovec is shooting 60.6 percent from the floor this season (80-for-132), which ranks first in Mastodon history for a single season, topping Jazzlyn Linbo's 58.3 from last year.
Home Sweet Gates
Purdue Fort Wayne is 50-22 (69.4 percent) at home under head coach Maria Marchesano and 35-7 (83.3 percent) over the last three seasons.
Magic Numbers 70 and 80
Under head coach Maria Marchesano, the Mastodons are 56-9 when they score 70 points or more and 26-3 when they hit 80.
Bench Mob
Purdue Fort Wayne's bench is out-scoring its opponents' benches 408-306 this season. The Mastodon bench led in bench points in 14 of its 19 games.
Last Time Out
Green Bay topped the Mastodons 69-57. Rylee Bess led the 'Dons with 10 points in her first-career start.
Next Time Up
The Mastodons will hit the road again for a game at Northern Kentucky on Saturday (Jan. 24).
Game Day Information
Who: Cleveland State Vikings
When: Wednesday, January 21 | 7 PM
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center
Live Stats: Link
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: WELT 95.7
Tickets: Link
Game Notes: Purdue Fort Wayne | Cleveland State | Horizon League
Know Your Foe
Cleveland State is 15-5 and 5-4 in Horizon League play. The Vikings have only picked up one league win away from home, a 72-55 victory at Oakland. With a very different look from last year, the Vikings are led by Izabella Zingaro and former Horizon League Player of the Year Colbi Maples. Zingaro averages 15.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while Maples is at 14.3 points per contest.
Series History
Cleveland State leads the series 17-3, but Purdue Fort Wayne collected two of its three wins in the series last year. The Mastodons are still seeking their first-ever home win over Cleveland State. Last year, the 'Dons won in Cleveland in the regular season and in Indianapolis in the Horizon League Championship, while CSU won in Fort Wayne in the regular season and the WNIT Great 8.
A Win Would...
• Give the Mastodons their first win vs. Cleveland State at home
• Give Purdue Fort Wayne a 4-17 all-time record against the Vikings
• Snap a three-game losing skid
• Give Maria Marchesano her 53rd Horizon League win and 85th win as Mastodon head coach
3-Point Threat
Rylee Bess has the best season-long 3-point percentage by a freshman in program history. Her mark of 43.3 percent (39-of-90) is slightly better than Jordan Zuppe (2007-08), who shot 43.3 percent (74-of-171) in her freshman season. Bess' 43.3 percent is the seventh-best percentage by any player in Mastodon history.
3-Point Threat x2
Rylee Bess' 43.3 3-point percentage is the best by any freshman in the country this season. Ella Ryan of Quinnipiac (43.298 percent) is just behind Bess. Bess is 16th nationally among all players.
At Her Bess(t)
Over the last four games, Rylee Bess is averaging 13.8 points per game, shooting 57.6 percent from the floor and 57.7 percent from the 3-point line. She has scored in double-figures in each of those four games.
Triple Trouble
Purdue Fort Wayne has had the top 3-point shooter in the Horizon League in each of the last three seasons.
2025-26 - Rylee Bess - 43.3 percent
2024-25 - Lauren Ross - 47.6 percent
2023-24 - Shayla Sellers - 40.2 percent
Marchesano Mania
Maria Marchesano owns 52 Horizon League wins as the Mastodon head coach. She was the fastest to reach 50 league wins in program history. She needs four more to break into the top-20 in HL wins in league history.
More Maria Madness
Maria Marchesano's 57.8 winning percentage (52-37) in Horizon League contests ranks 14th in league history with a minimum of three seasons. Cleveland State's Chris Kielsmeier is the only active coach with a better mark.
Chasing 2,000
Jordan Reid needs 158 points to reach 2,000 in her career between Purdue Fort Wayne and Indiana Wesleyan.
League Leader
Alana Nelson leads the Horizon League this season in points (318), points per game (16.7), field goals (114), 3-point field goals (41) and minutes per game (34.6).
Career Points Tracker
Let's take a look at the career scoring numbers for the three former NAIA All-Americans on the roster regardless of level.
Alana Nelson - 2,587 (482 at Northwood, 1,787 at Spring Arbor, 318 at PFW)
Jordan Reid - 1,842 (1,395 at Indiana Wesleyan, 447 at PFW)
Lauren Lee - 1,701 (1,630 at Campbellsville, 71 at PFW)
Vetting Krasovec
Lili Krasovec has 21 free throw makes on her last 25 trips to the charity stripe (84.0 percent) dating back to December 7.
Lili Love
Lili Krasovec has scored in double-digits 11 times this season after doing so just twice at Boston College. She scored a career-high 19 points against Northern Kentucky (Dec. 29) after going 7-of-11 from the floor.
Lock In Lili
Lili Krasovec has scored 15+ points six times this season. In those games, she was a combined 34-for-54 (62.9 percent) from the floor and 23-of-26 (88.5 percent) from the free throw line.
Wicked Wagner
On limited attempts off the bench, the 6-foot-4 Avery Wagner is shooting 37.5 percent from 3-point range (6-of-16).
3-Ball Fun
The Mastodons are 3-1 this season when they hit 10 or more 3-pointers this season. Under Maria Marchesano's leadership, the 'Dons have had 53 such games with a 41-12 record in those games.
Look at Lee!
Through eight Horizon League games, Lauren Lee is second in the HL with 4.3 assists per game. She also has a 2.6 assist to turnover ratio, a league-best.
I'll Take That
Jordan Reid is averaging 2.4 steals per game, which ranks second in the Horizon League and top-80 nationally. If that average holds for a season-long mark, it would be second-best in the program's Division I era and sixth-best overall.
Inside The Arc? Guaranteed Bucket
Lili Krasovec is shooting 60.6 percent from the floor this season (80-for-132), which ranks first in Mastodon history for a single season, topping Jazzlyn Linbo's 58.3 from last year.
Home Sweet Gates
Purdue Fort Wayne is 50-22 (69.4 percent) at home under head coach Maria Marchesano and 35-7 (83.3 percent) over the last three seasons.
Magic Numbers 70 and 80
Under head coach Maria Marchesano, the Mastodons are 56-9 when they score 70 points or more and 26-3 when they hit 80.
Bench Mob
Purdue Fort Wayne's bench is out-scoring its opponents' benches 408-306 this season. The Mastodon bench led in bench points in 14 of its 19 games.
Last Time Out
Green Bay topped the Mastodons 69-57. Rylee Bess led the 'Dons with 10 points in her first-career start.
Next Time Up
The Mastodons will hit the road again for a game at Northern Kentucky on Saturday (Jan. 24).
~ Feel the Rumble ~
Players Mentioned
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