FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Interstat) — The Fort Wayne Mastodons used a dominant opening quarter and weathered a persistent three-point barrage from Milwaukee to secure a 70-60 victory in a Horizon League women’s basketball game Wednesday night at Gates Sports Center.

The Mastodons (7-4, 2-0 Horizon) sprinted to a 24-17 lead after the first period, capitalizing on a rash of early Milwaukee turnovers and establishing an interior presence that would sustain them throughout the contest. Milwaukee (2-9, 0-2), despite a valiant effort fueled by sharp outside shooting, could never fully close the gap, dropping its fourth consecutive game.

The most critical phase of the contest unfolded in the game’s opening minutes. Fort Wayne set the tone immediately, with 6-foot-3 freshman Lili Krasovec of Budapest, Hungary, winning the opening tip and blocking two Milwaukee shots in the first three minutes. The Mastodons’ defensive pressure forced the Panthers into five first-quarter turnovers, which they efficiently converted into transition opportunities. A 9-0 run, capped by a three-pointer from Alana Nelson and a layup from Jordan Reid, gave Fort Wayne a 12-2 lead less than three minutes into the game, forcing an early Milwaukee timeout.

Milwaukee, led by the scoring of Jorey Buwalda, refused to capitulate. The Panthers shot a remarkable 52% from three-point range for the game, making 13 of 25 attempts. Buwalda, a 6-foot sophomore from Randolph, Wisconsin, scored a game-high 20 points, including four three-pointers. Her back-to-back threes late in the first quarter helped Milwaukee stem the tide and stay within seven points.

Every time Milwaukee threatened, however, Fort Wayne had an answer. The Mastodons rebuilt their lead to 36-27 by halftime and then delivered a decisive third-quarter push. Leading 43-38, Fort Wayne engineered a 7-0 spurt, keyed by a three-pointer from Nika Lokica of Split, Croatia, and a jumper from Ella Riggs of Cincinnati, Ohio, to extend the advantage to 50-38. Milwaukee would get no closer than six points the rest of the way.

Fort Wayne’s balance and efficiency proved overwhelming. Nelson, a sophomore from Springport, Michigan, matched Buwalda with 20 points and added a block. Lokica finished with 16 points, two assists and two steals, while Reid, a hometown product from New Palestine, Indiana, contributed 12 points, seven rebounds and two assists. The Mastodons scored 70 points on 70 possessions for an offensive rating of 100.6 and committed only seven turnovers.

Milwaukee’s offensive struggles inside the arc and its ball security issues were ultimately its undoing. The Panthers shot just 19 of 50 overall from the field and committed 16 turnovers, which Fort Wayne converted into 15 points. Beyond Buwalda, Grace Lomen of East Troy, Wisconsin, provided 13 points off the bench, and point guard Madison Fitzgibbon of Mequon, Wisconsin, dished out six assists.

Fort Wayne’s victory, which improved its home record to 5-1 this season, was its third straight win. Milwaukee, which entered the game as a significant underdog according to predictive metrics, continued to search for consistency, falling to 0-6 on the road.

Both teams continue non-conference play on Sunday. Fort Wayne hosts Northern Illinois, while Milwaukee returns home to face Ripon.