Women's Basketball | 11/30/2018 2:17:00 PM
GAME #7
Robert Morris Colonials (1-5, 0-0 NEC) @ #14/15 Iowa Hawkeyes (4-2, 0-0 Big Ten)
Sunday, December 2, 2018 // 3:00 p.m. (ET) // Iowa City, Iowa – Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500)
Live Video: BTN+ ($) // LiveStats: HawkeyeSports.com
Notes Package: Robert Morris // Iowa
Musket Shots
> The Robert Morris University women's basketball team concludes its four-game road swing on Sunday, Dec. 3 at 3:00 p.m. when it faces nationally-ranked Iowa. This will be the fifth meeting in the last seven seasons between the Colonials and Hawkeyes, as the teams previously played between 2013-16. RMU is coming off a pair of hard-fought losses at the LMU Thanksgiving Classic, while Iowa most recently lost at No. 1/1 Notre Dame on Thursday, 105-71.
> This four-game road trip is tied for the longest this season for the Colonials, matching an NEC swing from Jan. 12 to Jan. 21. RMU's longest home stand follows this stretch, lasting a total of six games from Dec. 7 to Jan. 7.
> Sunday's matchup with Iowa will mark the 12th regular-season game since 2012-13 that RMU has played against an ACC, Big East, Big Ten, or SEC foe.
> Third-year head coach Charlie Buscaglia sits two wins shy of 50 for his career following Sunday's triumph against La Salle. Buscaglia is looking to reach 50 victories faster than any other coach in program history, the record currently held by Dan Swalga at 78 games. His father, Sal Buscaglia, reached the 50-win mark at RMU on Dec. 28, 2006 after 96 contests in charge of the Colonials.
Series History w/ Iowa
Overall: 0-4 | Home: 0-0 | Away: 0-4 | Streak: L4
Last Meeting: 12/9/2016 – Iowa City, Iowa; Iowa 81, Robert Morris 60
> Robert Morris is 0-4 all-time against Iowa, with all four meetings coming over the last six seasons.
> In their last matchup on Dec. 9, 2016, the Colonials hung tough with the Hawkeyes before a 10-2 run to close the second quarter lifted the hosts to an 81-60 victory. Anna Niki Stamolamprou '17 scored 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting to lead RMU, while freshman Nadège Pluviose tallied 12 points on 5-of-7 from the field in 15 minutes off the bench.
>Â Stamolamprou in particular shined against the Hawkeyes over her career, averaging 16.7 points in three meetings. In addition to Pluviose, Nia Adams and Shakema Dashiell came off the bench at Iowa in 2016, while Nneka Ezeigbo played 15 minutes as the starting center for the Colonials.
Scouting the Hawkeyes
> Ranked in the Top 15 according to two national polls, Iowa enters this contest with a 4-2 overall record, having lost back-to-back games against Florida State (71-67) and No. 1/1 Notre Dame (105-71). The Hawkeyes' last win came on Friday, Nov. 23 to open the Junkanoo Jam, a 84-81 triumpht over No. 25/20 West Virginia in where they trailed by as many as 24 points.
> Senior forward and reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, Megan Gustafson, is averaging a double-double at 23.7 points and 12.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 75.3 percent (64-85) from the floor. Junior guard Makenzie Meyer has played a team-high 33.5 minutes per contest, averaging 14.2 points and 5.3 assists, while seniors Hannah Stewart (13.2 PPG) and Tania Davis (12.5 PPG) are also consistent double-figure scoring threats.
Ezeigbo Knows Thanksgiving
> Thanksgiving might be Nneka Ezeigbo's favorite holiday. The junior center has made back-to-back All-Tournament Teams at both the ShareSLO Holiday Beach Classic and LMU Thanksgiving Classic, averaging 11.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, and 2.0 steals over the last two Turkey Day tourneys. Ezeigbo is shooting 55.6 percent (20-36 FG) from the field and 77.8 percent (7-9 FT) at the stripe during those games.
> At Loyola Marymount last week, Ezeigbo averaged 13.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks against SMU and the hosts. She established a new season-high for points against the Lions with 16 on 7-of-11 shooting, and tallied 10 in the second half in the invitational opener against the Mustangs.
> Last season at Cal Poly, Ezeigbo posted a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double versus the hosts, converting 6-of-12 attempts from the field to go along with three steals and two blocks. She matched those defensive numbers against San Francisco, while adding six points and five caroms in 19 minutes off the bench.
Splash Sisters
> The guard trio of Megan Callahan, Esther Castedo, and Honoka Ikematsu have been dynamite from distance thus far, combining to make 41 three-pointers at a 44.6 percent conversion rate.
>Â Castedo has been the most efficient of the three, as her 48.1 percent performance from deep ranks fourth in the NEC. The freshman has made 13 treys this season, including a pair of four-trifecta efforts against La Salle and Bowling Green.
> The team's leading scorer, Callahan is tied for the team-high in made three-pointers with 14. She's sank 43.8 percent of her attempts, with 10 of her treys coming in the last three games. Last season, the sophomore finished fourth in the NEC in three-point percentage (.383) and ninth in three-pointers made (1.9 per game).
>Â Ikematsu also has 14 three-pointers to her name this season, converting at a rate of 42.4 percent. She opened the season with five makes from distance at Youngstown State, her fourth career performance with five or more. The program's all-time leader in three-point percentage (.416), Ikematsu finished third in the NEC last season in that category (.414) and eighth in three-pointers made (2.0 per game).
Another Top Tier Matchup
> With Iowa ranked No. 14 in the AP Poll and No. 15 in the USA Today Coaches' Poll, Sunday's matchup is believed to be the Colonials' 15th against a nationally-ranked opponent. RMU is 0-14 in these games, with 11 of those losses coming on the road, and five coming in the NCAA Tournament.
>Â RMU's lone home contest against a nationally-ranked foe came on Dec. 3, 1992, a 54-39 loss to No. 22 North Carolina.
The Defense (Never) Rests
> Defense has been the Colonials' calling card over the last few seasons, and 2018-19 isn't shaping up to be any different. RMU held La Salle to just 39 points on Nov. 11 and Rhode Island to 46 on Nov. 13, the 24th and 25th times since 2016-17 that it has limited an opponent to 50 points or fewer. The Explorers converted at just a 22.2 percent (12-54 FG) rate from the floor, becoming the 16th different team to shoot under 30 percent against the Colonials during that timeframe.
> The Colonials forced 25 turnovers at Loyola Marymount, the fourth straight game they have made their opponent make 20 or more mistakes. Last season, RMU forced 20 or more turnovers on 15 occasions.
> Through six games, RMU currently paces the NEC in scoring defense by allowing 56.0 points per game. The Colonials have established a new school record two years running in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 57.0 PPG in 2016-17 and 54.1 PPG last season. Last season's mark also ranked eighth nationally.
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 are 1-0 in such situations this season and went 25-0 last season. All-time, RMU is 599-0 when holding the lead at the final whistle.
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