Mastodons and Colonials Square Off on Tuesday Night

Tuesday, January 27

Fort Wayne, Ind.

7 PM

Purdue Fort Wayne

Robert Morris

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Hillary Offing

Photo by: Josh Gales

Mastodons and Colonials Square Off on Tuesday Night

1/26/2026 5:04:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Two of the teams knotted at second place in the Horizon League women's basketball standings will meet this week when Robert Morris visits Purdue Fort Wayne for a 7 p.m. game on Tuesday (Jan. 27).

Game Day Information
Who: Robert Morris Colonials
When: Tuesday, January 27 | 7 PM
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center
Live Stats: Link
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: WELT 95.7
Tickets: Link
Game Notes: Purdue Fort Wayne | Robert Morris | Horizon League

Know Your Foe
Robert Morris is 14-6 and 7-4 in Horizon League action with a 3-2 mark since last meeting with the Mastodons. Since then, RMU has wins over IU Indy, Youngstown State and Wright State and losses to Northern Kentucky and Cleveland State. In RMU's last outing, Myriam Traore went 6-for-8 from 3-point range. Aislin Malcolm is leading the team this season with 12.4 points per game.

Series History
The series between Purdue Fort Wayne and Robert Morris is split 6-6, with RMU evening the series in January after the Mastodons had won the previous four. RMU won 74-64 despite four 'Dons scoring 11 or more.

A Win Would...
• Give the Mastodons their third win in a row over RMU in Fort Wayne
• Be the Mastodons' 10th win at home with a 10-1 mark
• Give Purdue Fort Wayne a 7-6 all-time record against Robert Morris
• Give Maria Marchesano her 55th Horizon League win and 87th win as Mastodon head coach

Double Dipping
Alana Nelson and Rylee Bess were selected as the Player and Freshman of the Week on January 26. Both averaged over 19 points per game in wins over Cleveland State and Northern Kentucky. Purdue Fort Wayne is the only team in the league to win both Player and Freshman of the Week awards in the same week, and the Mastodons have done it twice. Jordan Reid and Bess were honorees on November 17.

She's the Bess
Rylee Bess scored 27 points at Northern Kentucky (Jan. 24), becoming the sixth Mastodon freshman to scored 27 points in a game and just the fourth to do so against a Division I foe. She's the first freshman to do so against a Division I team since 2016 and first overall since 2023.

50-50 Chance
The Mastodons have shot over 50 percent in four games this season. This ties for the fifth-most games in a season shooting 50 percent or more in the program's Division I history. The 'Dons shot over 50 percent in 11 games in 2010-11, 10 games in 2013-14, eight games in 2024-25 and five games in 2023-24.

It's Just Destiny
After going 6-for-25 (24 percent) from 3-point range in the first 13 games of the season, Destiny Macharia has shot 10-for-25 (40.0 percent) from deep since.

3-Point Threat
Rylee Bess has the second-best season-long 3-point percentage by a freshman in program history. Her mark of 41.3 percent (45-of-109) is only bested by Jordan Zuppe (2007-08), who shot 43.3 percent (74-of-171) in her freshman season. Bess' 41.3 percent is the fifth-best percentage by any player in the Mastodon Division I era and 10th all-time.

At Her Bess(t)
Rylee Bess' 41.3 3-point percentage is the fourth-best by any freshman in the country this season and 39th nationally among all players.

Good, Better, Bess
Over the last six games, Rylee Bess is averaging 15.8 points per game, shooting 52.5 percent from the floor and 46.7 percent from the 3-point line. She has scored in double-figures in each of those six 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 - 41.3 percent
2024-25 - Lauren Ross - 47.6 percent
2023-24 - Shayla Sellers - 40.2 percent

Marchesano Mania
Maria Marchesano owns 54 Horizon League wins as the Mastodon head coach. She was the fastest to reach 50 league wins in program history. She needs two more to break into the top-20 in HL wins in league history.

More Maria Madness
Maria Marchesano's 59.3 winning percentage (54-37) in Horizon League contests ranks 13th 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 130 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 (357), points per game (17.0), field goals (130), 3-point field goals (47), and minutes per game (34.8). She also leads the league in scoring in league games at 18.3 points per game. Her 3-point percentage of 40.5 is second in the league to only teammate Rylee Bess.

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 - 2,626 (482 at Northwood, 1,787 at Spring Arbor, 357 at PFW)
Jordan Reid - 1,870 (1,395 at Indiana Wesleyan, 475 at PFW)
Lauren Lee - 1,720 (1,630 at Campbellsville, 90 at PFW)

Vetting Krasovec
Lili Krasovec has 30 free throw makes on her last 36 trips to the charity stripe (83.3 percent) dating back to December 7.

Lili Love
Lili Krasovec has scored in double-digits 12 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 4-1 this season when they hit 10 or more 3-pointers this season. Under Maria Marchesano's leadership, the 'Dons have had 54 such games with a 42-12 record in those games.

Look at Lee!
Through 11 Horizon League games, Lauren Lee is second in the HL with 4.3 assists per game. She also has a 2.4 assist to turnover ratio, a league-best.

I'll Take That
Jordan Reid is averaging 2.3 steals per game, which ranks third in the Horizon League and top-100 nationally. If that average holds for a season-long mark, it would be fourth-best in the program's Division I era.

Inside The Arc? Guaranteed Bucket
Lili Krasovec is shooting 61.6 percent from the floor this season (85-for-138), 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 51-22 (69.9 percent) at home under head coach Maria Marchesano and 36-7 (83.7 percent) over the last three seasons.

The Magic Numbers
Under head coach Maria Marchesano, the Mastodons are 58-9 when they score 70 points or more, 28-3 when they hit 80, and 12-0 when they reach 90.

Last Time Out
Rylee Bess led Purdue Fort Wayne to a 97-91 overtime victory at Northern Kentucky with a season-high 27 points. All five starters scored in double-figures.

Next Time Up
Purdue Fort Wayne will welcome Detroit Mercy to the Gates Sports Center on Sunday (Feb. 1). The Titans have lost their last nine and welcome Youngstown State before making the trip to Fort Wayne.

~ Feel the Rumble ~