Staten Island, N.Y. / Spiro Sports Center?Junior forward Monet Johnson (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Grand Street Campus (Monroe College)) led a dominant rebounding effort for Robert Morris University as they upended Wagner College, 61-49, in Northeast Conference action on Staten Island Saturday afternoon. Johnson finished with a career-high 19 rebounds as the Colonials (13-14, 9-6 NEC) outboarded the host Seahawks (7-19, 3-12 NEC), 57-39.
Johnson's 16th double-double of the season leads the conference and marks her sixth straight. She finished with 17 points, knocking down 6-of-12 shots and hitting 5-of-6 free throws. Coming into the game, she was 14th in the nation averaging 10.4 boards a game.
Senior guard Sade Logan (Knoxville, Tenn. / South Doyle (Chattanooga State)) had a game-high 18 points along with five rebounds, two blocks and a steal. She was 6-of-22 from the floor and hit 4-of-11 three-pointers. Senior guard Kendra Williams (Bronx, N.Y. / Grand Street Campus) had 10 points, eight rebounds and five assists while playing all 40 minutes.
Robert Morris dominated the first eight minutes of the game, knocking down three-pointers on two of its first three shots en route to taking a 15-4 lead. Host Wagner struggled shooting to open the contest, knocking down just one of its first 17 attempts.
The final 12 minutes, however, belonged to the Seawhawks as the Colonials continue to struggle with injuries and a short bench. Wagner went on a 10-0 run sparked by a pair of steals and easy lay-ins, cutting the lead to 15-14 with 7:27 left. Over the last 12 minutes, the Seahawks outscored the Colonials 20-15, taking a one-point lead into the half after a Brittney Thorpe lay-up with nine seconds left before break.
After starting the game 5-10, RMU hit just 3-of-20 shots down the stretch. Wagner knocked down 9 of its final 19 first half attempts.
Wagner's Andrea Reed got an easy look to open the second half, giving the Seahawks a three-point margin. Logan knocked down a trey on the following possession, tying the game. The Colonials would push the lead to as many as five minutes over the next 12 minutes before Reed again tied the game with 11:35 left, 39-39.
The Colonials answered the challenge by pushing the ball down the court, capturing a 49-41 lead when Johnson scored a fast-break layup and Logan buried a three on back-to-back possession. The Seahawks would not get closer than five points down the stretch as Robert Morris won going away, 61-49.
Robert Morris shot 41.4 percent in the second half while holding Wagner to 33.3 percent shooting. The Colonials finished the game 33.9 percent overall and the Seahawks connected on 30.3 percent, missing all 12 of their three-point attempts.
Reed had 12 points and nine rebounds for Wagner while Kelly Clark chipped in with 12 points and eight rebounds.
The Colonials return to the hardwood on Monday, February, 23, when they visit Monmouth University for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.
