FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Interstat) — The Fort Wayne Mastodons used a dominant first quarter to set the tone and never looked back, cruising to an 85-60 victory over the Southern Illinois Salukis in a non-conference women’s basketball game Saturday at Gates Sports Center.

A crowd of 1,001 watched as the Mastodons exploded for 28 points in the opening period, building a 16-point lead that the Salukis could never seriously threaten. Fort Wayne’s offensive efficiency was the story of the game, as they scored 85 points on 76 possessions for an offensive rating of 111.1, while Southern Illinois managed just 60 points on 77 possessions, an offensive rating of 77.9.

Jordan Reid, a 5-foot-10 guard from New Palestine, Indiana, led all scorers with 23 points for Fort Wayne. She added five rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal in 28 minutes of action. She was complemented by Alana Nelson of Springport, Michigan, who poured in 22 points on the strength of three 3-pointers.

The Mastodons shot 50.8 percent from the field, connecting on 32 of 63 attempts, and were efficient from beyond the arc, making 8 of 22. They also capitalized on Southern Illinois’ mistakes, scoring 19 points off 18 Saluki turnovers. Fort Wayne also dominated inside, outscoring Southern Illinois 46-26 in the paint.

Southern Illinois was led by Alayna Kraus, who scored 20 points and grabbed five rebounds. Tkiyah Nelson of St. Louis contributed 10 points, six rebounds and three assists in a team-high 35 minutes. Jeniah Thompson added nine points and six rebounds off the bench.

The Salukis struggled with their shooting all afternoon, finishing 22 of 61 from the floor for 36.1 percent. They were particularly cold from long range, making only 4 of 18 3-point attempts, and also struggled at the free-throw line, converting just 12 of 19.

Fort Wayne’s ball movement and defensive pressure were also key factors. The Mastodons dished out 10 assists and came up with 10 steals, compared to six assists and six steals for the Salukis. Lili Krasovec was instrumental in the facilitating role for Fort Wayne, tallying nine points, five rebounds and four assists.

After the opening-quarter blitz put Fort Wayne ahead 28-12, the Mastodons maintained their comfortable lead throughout the second quarter, taking a 46-30 advantage into halftime. Any hopes of a Southern Illinois comeback were extinguished in the third quarter as Fort Wayne put together its highest-scoring period of the game with 26 points, stretching the lead to 72-45 heading into the final frame.

With the win, Fort Wayne evened its season record at 2-2. The Mastodons were coming off a narrow 68-67 home victory over Purdue on Wednesday. Southern Illinois, which opened its season with a 69-53 win over Lewis on Nov. 4, falls to 1-1.

Southern Illinois travels to face Missouri on Tuesday. Fort Wayne’s next contest is at home against Eastern Michigan on Wednesday.