CARBONDALE, Ill. – Late game heroics on the defensive end led Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball to a 70-64 overtime win at Southern Illinois on Wednesday night (Nov. 15).

The Mastodons out-scored the Salukis 29-12 over the final 13:31 of the game, including a 13-2 run to close regulation.

It was the Mastodons’ first overtime game since 2017 and first overtime win since 2014.

The Mastodons were 17-27 from the free throw line, but 12-14 in the overtime period. In overtime, Shayla Sellers hit six freebies, Erin Woodson hit three, Destinee Marshall hit two and Jazzlyn Linbo hit one.

In the final 11:16 of the game, Woodson and Sellers did not leave the floor.

After a nearly three-minute scoring drought in the fourth quarter, Renna Schwieterman scored through traffic to spark a run. Marshall got out on the break on the following possession to score after a euro step. Then Woodson took advantage of a size mismatch in the paint, then Linbo scored to make it eight points in a row. After a bucket from the Salukis, the ‘Dons got two free throws from Linbo, a layup from Marshall and the game-tying free throw from Sellers.

The Mastodons jumped out to a 10-2 lead before the first media timeout thanks to a pair of triples from Sellers and Schwieterman. The SIU defense ratcheted up for the remainder of the quarter, but the ‘Dons were able to hold the lead for the duration of the period.

SIU held the Mastodons to just six points in the second quarter to take a 26-18 lead into the halftime break.

The Mastodons executed a drawn-up play on their first offensive possession of the second half to get a transition bucket from Marshall. The ‘Dons eventually closed the gap to three at 36-33, but the Salukis scored four in a row to get the advantage back. SIU led by nine after three.

Sellers finished with a team-high 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor and 7-of-8 from the line. She also had five rebounds and three assists. Marshall had 14 points and Linbo added 11. 

The Mastodons forced Southern Illinois into 23 turnovers.

Purdue Fort Wayne improves to 2-1 while Southern Illinois falls to 1-2. The Mastodons will take the floor next in Estero, Florida, when they take on No. 2 Iowa in the first round of the Gulf Coast Showcase on November 24.