FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WFFT) - Purdue Fort Wayne men's and women's basketball finished the weekend a combined 0-4 after both suffered losses on Sunday.
FULL MEN'S RECAP:
A 49-point second half couldn't erase an early deficit on Sunday (December 20) evening at the Gates Sports Center as the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons fell to Cleveland State 89-80 in Horizon League men's basketball play.
The game changed in the first half when Cleveland State went on a 22-4 run from the 8:54 mark to the 4:09 mark. D'Moi Hodge scored 20 of the points with four treys. It turned a six-point contest into a 49-25 lead for the Vikings.
While the 'Dons would fall behind by as many as 34 in the second half, Purdue Fort Wayne continued to chip away at the deficit and eventually made it a five-point game. First up was a 16-2 run that cut it to 71-53 with 10 minutes remaining. The Mastodons forced five turnovers in the push and Bobby Planutis had five points. While Demetric Horton nailed a 3-pointer with 29 seconds left to make the score 85-80, Cleveland State added four free throws to ice the contest.
Hodge finished with 46 points, making 10-of-15 from beyond the arc. He made eight of his first nine attempts in the game and had 31 in the first half when the Vikings did most of their damage.
Jarred Godfrey scored 23 points for the 'Dons with five 3-pointers while turning the ball over just once.
Jalon Pipkins finished with 14 points while Planutis and Horton each had 12 points. Planutis made four 3-pointers.
Cleveland State moves to 2-3 (2-0 Horizon League). Purdue Fort Wayne falls to 1-2 (0-2 Horizon League.
The 'Dons return to action on Saturday (Dec. 26). It will be a 7 p.m. tip at the Gates Sports Center against Robert Morris. The Colonials, like the Mastodons, are in their first season in the Horizon League.
FULL WOMEN'S RECAP:
Riley Ott scored 20 points in Purdue Fort Wayne women's basketball's 80-63 loss to Northern Kentucky. Ott cashed in on a career-high five 3-pointers against the Norse on Sunday (Dec. 20).
Ott's career day wasn't just about scoring, as she also grabbed four rebounds, dished out three assists, recorded three steals and recorded just one turnover.
Shayla Sellers found the bottom of the bucket first, dropping in a driving layup. Ott buried a step-back triple shortly before Sellers found Rylie Parker for a fastbreak layup to go up 7-2. With 1:21 to go in the opening frame, Hannah Hess scored a 3-pointer after shimmying around her defender. The 'Dons found Hess again on an outlet pass up the floor for an easy left-handed layup to head into the second quarter down just two. NKU held this lead for the rest of the contest.
Hess was getting the job done on the defensive end as well, as she drew two straight offensive fouls from NKU in the second quarter. To close the first half, Parker drove in the left side of the lane and got the friendly roll for two. Ott had one more chance before halftime and she was able to convert on a 3-pointer from the right side.
Midway through the third, Ott knocked in a 3-pointer and Kendal Muxlow stole the ball away from NKU on the next possession. The 'Dons got running and found Krisen Hunt for the lay-in. Muxlow stole the ball again on the following NKU try, then Ott knocked in another triple to cap off the 8-0 run.
Off an out-of-bounds play in the fourth quarter, Aubrey Stupp rebounded a miss and found a cutting Hunt who laid it in for a pair. On the next possession, Ott scored on another 3-pointer, which was her fifth of the day. Hunt got going late, knocking in two triples in an 18-second span. The 'Dons held NKU without a 3-point attempt in the final period.
Hunt (11) and Bell (10) joined Ott as the Mastodons in double-figures. Grayson Rose led the Norse with 23 points on 10 of 13 shooting, while grabbing eight rebounds.
The Mastodons committed nine turnovers while forcing Northern Kentucky into 22.
Northern Kentucky moves to 4-4, 4-0 Horizon League while Purdue Fort Wayne drops to 0-6, 0-4 Horizon. The next game on the docket for the Mastodons is a New Year's Day clash with UIC at 3 p.m. in the Gates Sports Center. The 'Dons beat the Flames last season 61-50.
