FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The RMU women's basketball team's championship push came to an end in the First Round of the 2026 Barbasol #HLWBB Championship with a 73-43 loss to No. 5 Purdue Fort Wayne on Wednesday night.
 
FIRST QUARTER

• The Colonials got off to a quick start to begin the game, with Bailey Kuhns getting back-to-back layups to make it 4-0 RMU.
• Purdue Fort Wayne's offense came alive with a 9-0 run to go up 11-6 over the Colonials behind five points from Alana Nelson and two points each from Lili Krasovec and Nika Lokica.
• Over the last three minutes of the quarter, the Colonials outscored the Mastodons 4-2, making it 13-10 at the end of the first quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

• A three-pointer by Aislin Malcolm with 8:13 on the clock made it 17-15 Purdue Fort Wayne before back-to-back Mastodon buckets extended the lead back to four.
• A 5-0 run by the Colonials made it a one-point game as Noa Givon was fouled on a made layup, converting the free throw to make it 21-20 Purdue Fort Wayne.
• Myriam Traore hit a basket from deep to tie the contest up at 26-26 with 2:14 on the clock before Purdue Fort Wayne outscored the Colonials 7-2 to end the half up 33-29.
• In the first half, RMU shot just 28.3% from the floor, going 13-for-46 and just 3-for-16 from beyond the arc. 

THIRD QUARTER

• The Mastodons tacked on four more points to begin the third quarter, up 37-29 with 7:17 on the scoreboard.
• RMU got four of its six points in the quarter in a matter of 30 seconds, with Eva Levingston hitting a jump shot and Kuhns recording a layup to make it 37-33.
• The rest of the third quarter was virtually all Purdue Fort Wayne, with the Mastodons outscoring RMU 18-2 to take a 20-point lead going into the final quarter, with Purdue Fort Wayne up 55-35. 

FOURTH QUARTER

• Another massive 10-0 run by the Mastodons extended their lead to 29 points, with Purdue Fort Wayne leading 68-39 with 4:12 left in the contest.
• Over the last four minutes, the Colonials would only get four points off two made free throws apiece from Myriam Traore and Markeli Jones-Tynes to make the final score 73-43.
• The Colonials were held to just 10.0% shooting in the fourth quarter, going just 1-for-10 from the floor and 1-for-4 from deep. In the final frame, the Colonials went 5-for-6 from the free-throw line.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
Myriam Traore led the Colonial offense as the lone double-digit scorer for RMU with 12 points, along with five rebounds, two steals, two blocks, and one assist. Bailey Kuhns (9) and Eva Levingston (8) were the next highest scorers for RMU, with Levingston also leading RMU on the glass with seven rebounds.
 
As a team, the Colonials shot just 28.3% from the floor and 18.8% from deep. RMU went 13-for-46 on the night. From the free throw line, RMU shot 82.4%, making 14 of its 17 free throw attempts.
 
For Purdue Fort Wayne, four Mastodons scored in double-digits, with Jordan Reid leading the way with 15 points. Lili Krasovec nearly recorded a double-double, leading the Mastodons with nine rebounds along with seven points.
 
CLOSING OUT THE SEASON
With the loss, the Colonials finish the season with an 18-12 overall record. On the season, RMU was 10-4 at home and 8-8 on the road. In Horizon League play, the Colonials ended the season with an 11-9 mark against conference opponents.