Women's Basketball | 1/5/2018 10:07:00 AM

GAME 14
LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds (5-7, 1-0 NEC) @ Robert Morris Colonials (9-4, 2-0 NEC)
Saturday, January 6, 2018 // 1:00 p.m. // Pittsburgh, Pa. – PPG Paints Arena
Live Video: NEC Front Row // Live Stats: RMUColonials.com

The Capsule
Winners of seven of its last eight games and its opening pair of NEC contests, Robert Morris returns to the Steel City for the first time in the New Year on Saturday, Jan. 6 when it hosts LIU Brooklyn at PPG Paints Arena. This is the first time the Colonials have played at the home of the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins and believed to be the fourth home venue (John Jay Center, Charles L. Sewall Center, North Athletic Complex) in the program's history.

NOTES: LIU Brooklyn @ Robert Morris (1.6.18)

The Opponent
LIU Brooklyn was selected to finish ninth in the NEC according to the preseason coaches' poll, but sit as one of league's four unbeaten teams after tip-off weekend following a 61-59 triumph over St. Francis Brooklyn. Graduate transfer Denisha Petty-Evans from Siena leads the Blackbirds in scoring at 15.8 points per game, while freshman guard Jeydah Johnson is right behind her at 13.8 points per contest. LIU's defense has been one of the better ones in the NEC thus far, sitting second in blocked shots (3.8), and third in field goal defense (.406) and steals (9.2).

The Series
Overall: 46-16 | Home: 27-6 | Away: 19-10 | Streak: W12
Last Game: Robert Morris 64, LIU Brooklyn 54 (2.6.17)
 
Robert Morris has won 12 straight over LIU Brooklyn in the all-time series and own a 27-6 mark at home against the Blackbirds. Last season on Jan. 9 in Moon Township, the Colonials defeated LIU, 83-42, behind a program-tying 39 points by eventual NEC Player of the Year, Anna Niki Stamolamprou. Stamolamprou also tied the single-game RMU record for field goals made with 15. The 41-point margin of victory was tied for the 12th-highest in program history and second highest against a Division I opponent since the 2007-08 season.

Coach B Weekly
In the 10th episode of Coach B Weekly, head coach Charlie Buscaglia discusses the following: the first playoff appearance for his hometown Buffalo Bills since 1999, RMU's 2-0 weekend to begin NEC play, the team's dominant offensive performances, Megan Smith reaching 1,000 career points, Honoka Ikematsu's emergence as a scorer, and playing at a new home venue this weekend.


 
Last Time Out
Robert Morris closed out a perfect NEC tip-off weekend on Sunday with a 91-57 victory at Sacred Heart. In a series that had leaned in favor of the Pioneers, RMU's win was its largest over SHU, surpassing a 90-66 triumph on Feb. 10, 2014. Additionally, the victory was the Colonials first in a regular-season game at the Pitt Center since March 3, 2008. Honoka Ikematsu led RMU with 25 points, while Mikalah Mulrain (16), Jocelynne Jones (14), Megan Smith (11), and Nneka Ezeigbo (10) were also in double-figures scoring.
 
Hello Honoka
Honoka Ikematsu's NEC tip-off weekend performance was one of the best ever for a Colonial, and it resulted in an NEC Rookie of the Week honor. Ikematsu averaged 24.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in RMU's victories at Fairleigh Dickinson and Sacred Heart, while knocking down 65.2 percent (13-23) of her field goals and 76.5 percent (13-17) of her attempts from deep. Ikematsu's 25-point effort against the Pioneers was the most points for a RMU freshman since Feb. 21, 2011 when Artemis Spanou scored 28 at Fairleigh Dickinson.
 
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 25th nationally. RMU also paces the conference in field goal defense (.368), which ranks 60th nationally, and sits in the Top 100 in steals per game (10.8, 44th) and turnovers forced (19.23, 63rd).
 
Heartbreakers
RMU's victory over Sacred Heart was one of its most dominant offensive performances in program history. The Colonials shot 61.4 percent (35-57) from the floor, the second-highest mark ever in a single game, and scored 90 points in an NEC contest for the first time since Feb. 10, 2014.
 
Three-kematsu
Just 13 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 50.9 percent (29-57) rate from deep, and currently owns the third-highest three-point percentage in the nation.
 
Join the Club
Megan Smith became the 23rd player in program history to score 1,000 points in a career when she knocked down a trifecta in the second quarter of RMU's win at Sacred Heart on Dec. 31. Her milestone was one of many reached on the season thus far:
 
- Mikalah Mulrain: 500th rebound vs. Kent State (Dec. 19), 22nd player to do so
- Megan Smith: 100th start vs. Monmouth (Dec. 3), fourth player to do so
- Jocelynne Jones: 100th steal vs. Youngstown State (Nov. 29), 16th player to do so
 
30 Below
On Dec. 31, Sacred Heart became the third team this season that the Robert Morris defense has held under 30 percent shooting, as its .280 mark joined Northern Kentucky (.261) and Delaware State (.277). RMU has now limited 11 opponents to a field goal percentage below .300 since 2016-17.
 
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 9-0 this season. All-time, RMU is 582-0 when leading at the final whistle.

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