Women's Basketball | 1/19/2018 12:25:00 PM

GAME 17
Robert Morris Colonials (12-4, 5-0 NEC) @ Wagner Seahawks (3-14, 1-5 NEC)
Saturday, January 20, 2018 // 1:00 p.m. // Staten Island, N.Y. – Spiro Sports Center
Live Video: NEC Front Row // Live Stats: WagnerAthletics.com

The Capsule
The lone remaining unbeaten team in Northeast Conference (NEC) play and winners of 10 of its last 11 games, Robert Morris hits the road for the first time this month, starting with a 1:00 tip on Saturday, Jan. 20 against Wagner. At 12-4 overall, the Colonials are off to their best start since the 1983-84 season, thanks in part to a 5-1 record in true road contests.

NOTES: Robert Morris @ Wagner (1.20.18)

The Opponent
Wagner owns a 3-14 overall record and a 1-5 mark in NEC action. The Seahawks won their conference opener at Bryant, 75-66, but have dropped five straight since then, with a 80-76 blemish at St. Francis Brooklyn coming from their last contest. Fifth-year transfer Sierra Clark, formerly of Adelphi University, leads the team in scoring (18.2 PPG) and rebounding (8.9 RPG), numbers that rank second and third in the NEC, respectively. Redshirt freshman guard Morgan Lenahan is averaging 9.9 points per game and is tied for the team lead in assists (35).

The Series
Overall: 31-31 | Home: 15-14 | Away: 13-16 | Neutral: 3-1 | Streak: W4
Last Game: Robert Morris 74, Wagner 41 (2.11.17)
 
The all-time series between Robert Morris and Wagner is tied at 31-31, but the Colonials have won four straight and 22 of the last 24 meetings. RMU picked up a pair of wins over Wagner last season by a combined score of 156-104, which included a 82-63 triumph on Staten Island. In that contest, Mikalah Mulrain established a new single-game record for field goal percentage (min. 8 FGM), sinking all eight of her attempts en route to a 18-point, seven-rebound afternoon. As a team, the Colonials shot 58.2 percent (32-55) from the floor, the fifth highest single-game mark in program history.

Coach B Weekly
In the 12th episode of Coach B Weekly, head coach Charlie Buscaglia discusses the following: his picks to make the Super Bowl, the breakdown of the final play against Saint Francis U and the team's comeback, Nneka Ezeigbo's progression from freshman to sophomore year, and how to refocus after a big win ahead of the team's first and only road trip this month.


 
Last Time Out
Thanks to a Megan Smith three-pointer as time expired, Robert Morris completed a nine-point fourth-quarter comeback to remain undefeated in NEC play with a 63-62 victory over Keystone State rival Saint Francis U this past Saturday. The Colonials trailed for 32:19, but closed the game on a 15-5 run and held the Red Flash without a point over the final 2:25 to claim the win. Honoka Ikematsu led RMU with 15 points, while Nneka Ezeigbo posted the sixth double-double of her career with 14 points and 11 caroms off the bench.
 
Keep It Going
RMU is off to a 5-0 start in Northeast Conference (NEC) play for only the fourth time in program history, joining the 2005-06, 2009-10, and 2010-11 teams. The Colonials' 12-4 record in their first 16 games is their best since the 1983-84 team opened that season at 13-3.
 
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 54.8 points per contest, which ranks tops in the NEC and ninth nationally. RMU also paces the conference in field goal defense (.354), which ranks 23rd nationally, and sits in the Top 100 in steals per game (10.4, 46th) and turnovers forced (18.7, 72nd).
 
The Bench Brings It
RMU's bench has provided no drop-off to the starting five this season, as the reserves are averaging 21.3 points per game and an average of 8.9 points more than the opponents' reserves. Over the last four games, the Colonials' bench have outscored their opponents by an average of 16.5 points. RMU is 11-1 when its bench outscores the opposing one and 28-4 since 2016-17 when that happens.
 
Three-Kematsu
Just 16 games into her career, it's clear that Honoka Ikematsu is someone you don't want to leave open from beyond the arc. Ikematsu is converting at a 49.3 percent (35-71) rate from deep, and currently owns the second highest three-point percentage in the nation.
 
Block Party
Senior center Mikalah Mulrain has 19 blocked shots this season, upping her career total to 153. Mulrain now sits 16 shy of Anna Gailite's school record of 169, which she set from 2009-13.
 
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 12-0 this season. All-time, RMU is 585-0 when leading at the final whistle.

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