GAME 11
Kent State Golden Flashes (6-5) at Robert Morris Colonials (7-3)
Tuesday, December 19, 2017 // 10:00 a.m. // Moon Township, Pa. – North Athletic Complex
Live Video: NEC Front Row // Live Stats: RMUColonials.com
Play-by-Play: Adam Gusky

The Capsule
Robert Morris closes the non-conference slate of its schedule on Tuesday, Dec. 19 with a special 10:00 a.m. tip against Kent State. The Colonials have matched the school record for out-of-league victories in a season with seven, thanks to a current five-game winning streak that is the program's best in non-conference play. RMU is 4-1 at its new temporary home of the North Athletic Complex, with its only blemish coming in a 64-62 overtime defeat to Bowling Green on Nov. 16.

NOTES: Kent State @ Robert Morris (12.19.17)

The Opponent
Kent State owns a 6-5 record and has played all but two of its games away from home. In true road contests, the Golden Flashes are 3-1, with a 54-41 loss to #24 Michigan being their only defeat. Senior forward Jordan Korinek leads KSU in scoring with 18.9 points per game, thanks to a shooting slash of 51.9/45.8/79.2 on field goals, three-pointers, and free throws. Graduate student McKenna Stephens is also averaging double-figures scoring at 10.1 points per contest and paces the team in rebounding (5.8 RPG).

The Series
Overall: 5-4 | Home: 2-1 | Away: 2-3 | Neutral: 1-0 | Streak: W3
Last Game: Robert Morris 68, Kent State 65 [OT] (11.19.16)
 
Robert Morris has had the upper hand on Kent State as of late, winning the last three meetings, including a 68-65 overtime victory in the Buckeye State last season. Megan Smith tallied a team-high 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting in 22 minutes, while Anna Niki Stamolamprou added 12 points and four assists. RMU managed to hang onto the win despite seeing three players (Smith, Stamolamprou, and Janee Brown) foul out over the course of the fourth quarter and overtime.
 
Coach B Weekly
In the eighth episode of Coach B Weekly, head coach Charlie Buscaglia discusses the following: learning from the closing stages of RMU's 67-60 win over Clarion, improvements in rebounding since the season opener at Michigan State, Mikalah Mulrain being on the cusp of a career milestone, the team matching a school record for out-of-league wins, and a preview of the non-conference finale against Kent State.


 
Last Time Out
Despite a late push by visiting Clarion, Robert Morris extended its win streak to five with a 67-60 victory over the Golden Eagles on Saturday. Up 67-44 with 6:52 remaining, Clarion went on a 16-0 run but a pair of offensive rebounds in the closing stages by Mikalah Mulrain put the game away. Nneka Ezeigbo put together one of the best performances of her young career, eclipsing career highs in points (23) and rebounds (15) in 23 minutes off the bench.
 
Cleaning the Glass
Robert Morris grabbed 24 offensive rebounds in its victory over Clarion on Saturday, the team's most since Jan. 3, 2015 when it cleaned up 27 of its own misses against Mount St. Mary's. The Colonials have collected 20 or more offensive rebounds on 16 occasions since the 2013-14 season.
 
The Bench Brings It
RMU's bench has provided no drop-off to the starting five this season, as the reserves are averaging 23.3 points per game and an average of 7.9 points more than the opponents' reserves. The Colonials have won every game this season when their bench outscores the opposing one and are 24-3 since 2016-17 when that happens.
 
Out-of-League Success
The Colonials' victory over Clarion was their seventh of the season, tying the school record for out-of-league wins with seven, originally set in 1986-87. The win against the Golden Eagles also gave the Colonials a five-game winning streak - which is the program's longest ever in non-conference play.
 
Lock 'Em Down
Robert Morris has prided itself on defense in its history and this season is no different. A season after establishing a new program record for points per game allowed at 57.5, the Colonials are currently allowing an average of 55.5 points per contest, which ranks tops in the NEC and 22nd nationally. RMU's field goal percentage defense (.379) also paces the NEC and slots inside the Top 100 at 97th.
 
Protect Ya Nneka
Second-year center Nneka Ezeigbo has showed no signs of a sophomore slump thus far in 2017-18, leading the Colonials in scoring at 12.8 points per game and rebounding at 7.3 caroms per contest. Ezeigbo, who has been named NEC Player of the Week once this season, has tallied double-digit points in six of eight games and posted a pair of double-doubles against Cal Poly (15 points, 10 rebounds) and Clarion (23 points, 15 rebounds).
 
Milestone Watch
Megan Smith and Mikalah Mulrain are on pace to join some exclusive clubs this season. Smith is close to eclipsing 1,000 career points, while Mulrain is inching closer to 500 rebounds. Below is a look at how close they are to reaching these marks:
 
Smith: 977 points, 23 away from 1,000
Mulrain: 498 rebounds, 2 away from 500
 
Insurmountable Lead
Robert Morris has never lost a game in which it has held the lead at the end of the second half. The Colonials were 22-0 in such situations during the 2016-17 campaign and 7-0 this season. All-time, RMU is 580-0 when leading at the final whistle.

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