GAME 13
Robert Morris Colonials (8-4, 1-0 NEC) @ Sacred Heart Pioneers (4-8, 0-1 NEC)
Sunday, December 31, 2017 // Noon // Fairfield, Conn. – William H. Pitt Center
Live Video: NEC Front Row // Live Stats: SacredHeartPioneers.com

The Capsule
After beginning NEC play on a high note with a victory at Fairleigh Dickinson on Friday, Robert Morris looks to make it a clean sweep on opening weekend as it travels to Sacred Heart for a noon tip on New Year's Eve. The Colonials last started the NEC slate with a pair of wins in the 2015-16 season, when they defeated Sacred Heart and Wagner at home.

NOTES: Robert Morris @ Sacred Heart (12.31.17)

The Opponent
Sacred Heart, selected third in the NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll this fall, sits at 4-8 overall and 0-1 in conference after a 89-48 loss to Saint Francis U on Friday. The Pioneers feature four players in double-figures scoring, led by junior guard Erin Storck. Storck is averaging 13.3 points per game - 0.1 more than redshirt junior guard Candice Leatherwood - in an NEC-high 36.1 minutes per contest. Fellow redshirt junior Katherine Haines is right behind both in the scoring department, averaging a double-double at 13.1 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.

The Series
Overall: 12-23 | Home: 8-8 | Away: 4-15 | Streak: W1
Last Game: Robert Morris 66, Sacred Heart 56 (2.25.17)
 
Sacred Heart owns a 23-12 edge over Robert Morris in the all-time series, but the two teams have traded wins and losses over the last seven meetings. The Colonials are 1-3 in their last four trips to the William H. Pitt Center, but the lone victory came in the 2016 NEC Championship Game, a 56-51 triumph to send RMU to its fourth NCAA Tournament. In their last bout, the Colonials defeated the Pioneers, 66-56, to pull into a first-place tie in the NEC standings. Nneka Ezeigbo tallied 15 points and seven points in 20 minutes off the bench.
 
Last Time Out
Robert Morris defeated Fairleigh Dickinson, 77-68, in both teams' NEC opener on Friday. The Colonials were efficient offensively in the victory, converting 50 percent (27-54) of their field goals and 62.5 percent (10-16) of their three-point attempts. RMU had an assist on 19 of its 27 field goals, with Megan Callahan and Jocelynne Jones establishing new career-highs in that category with six and five helpers, respectively. Honoka Ikematsu led all scorers with 23 points and was one of five Colonials (Megan Smith, Nneka Ezeigbo, Callahan, Jones) in double-figures scoring.
 
Hello Honoka
Honoka Ikematsu's 23-point effort at Fairleigh Dickinson was one of the best offensive performances for a RMU player in recent memory. Ikematsu is the first freshman to score 23 points in a game since Megan Smith at Bryant on Feb. 21, 2015. Additionally, the rookie's point total was the most for a Colonial in an NEC opener since Jan. 4, 2014, when Artemis Spanou tallied 25 at Central Connecticut.
 
Milestone Watch
The non-conference slate featured a trio of milestones being met for the Colonials. Jocelynne Jones eclipsed 100 career steals against Youngstown State, Megan Smith made her 100th career start against Monmouth, and Mikalah Mulrain joined the 500 rebound club against Kent State. Smith is on the verge of meeting another milestone as she could become the 23rd player to score 1,000 career points, needing just five more to reach that mark.
 
Off on the Right Foot
The Colonials are now 20-13 all-time in NEC openers after their win over Fairleigh Dickinson and own a 13-2 mark since 2003-04. RMU won 12 consecutive conference debuts from 2004-05 to 2015-16 and posted a streak of four games from 1985-86 to 1988-89. 16 of these games have been on the road, where the Colonials are 8-8 away from Moon Township.
 
The Bench Brings It
RMU's bench has provided no drop-off to the starting five this season, as the reserves are averaging 21.4 points per game and an average of 6.3 points more than the opponents' reserves. The Colonials are 7-1 when their bench outscores the opposing one and are 24-4 since 2016-17 when that happens.
 
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 55.8 points per contest, which ranks tops in the NEC and 29th nationally. RMU also paces the conference in steals per game (11.0), slotting in at 39th nationally, and field goal percentage defense (.375), the 85th-best mark in the NCAA.
 
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 11.4 points per game and rebounding at 7.0 caroms per contest. Ezeigbo, who has been named NEC Player of the Week once this season, has tallied double-digit points in seven of 10 games and posted a trio of double-doubles against Cal Poly (15 points, 10 rebounds), Clarion (23 points, 15 rebounds), and Fairleigh Dickinson (10 points, 10 rebounds).
 
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 8-0 this season. All-time, RMU is 581-0 when leading at the final whistle.

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