GAME #11
James Madison Dukes (7-3, 0-0 CAA) @ Robert Morris Colonials (3-7, 0-0 NEC)
Sunday, December 30, 2018 // Noon // Moon Township, Pa. – North Athletic Complex (1,000)
Live Video: NEC Front Row // Live Stats: RMUColonials.com
Play-by-Play: Adam Gusky, Color Commentary: Justin Pyles
Notes Package: Robert Morris
Musket Shots
> The Robert Morris University women's basketball team closes the book on 2018 in its non-conference finale against James Madison on Sunday, Dec. 30 at noon. The Colonials have won two straight games for the first time this season, previously topping Delaware State before Christmas break, 64-63, while the Dukes are coming off a 64-51 home triumph against St. John's.
> RMU's victory over Delaware State gave third-year head coach Charlie Buscaglia his 50th career win, making him the fastest to reach that mark in program history. Buscaglia met the milestone in 76 games, two fewer than 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.
> Robert Morris and James Madison appeared in the Postseason WNIT last season and have been a part of a postseason tournament in each of the last three campaigns. RMU and JMU both appeared in the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
> This six-game home stand is the longest this season for the Colonials. RMU's first home stand was just two games, and it doesn't have more than two straight home games over the remainder of the 2018-19 campaign.
Series History w/ James Madison
Overall: 0-4 | Home: 0-1 | Away: 0-3 | Streak: L4
Last Meeting: Dec. 14, 1997; Harrisonburg, Va. – James Madison 78, Robert Morris 48
> This is the fifth time Robert Morris and James Madison have played, but just the first time since the 1997-98 season. Among current Colonials, only Nia Adams, Nina Augustin, Shakema Dashiell, and Nadège Pluviose were born the last time RMU and the Dukes played.
> In that last meeting on Dec. 14, 1997, JMU defeated RMU, 78-48. 2005 Hall of Fame inductee Elise James '00 was dominant, posting a 25-point, 16-rebound double-double on 10-of-18 shooting.
> The only game between the two in Moon Township ended in a 79-55 triumph for James Madison on Dec. 21, 1994. Tammy Ryan '97 was RMU's top scorer in the loss, tallying 17 points on 8-of-10 from the field.
Scouting the Dukes
> Led by third-year head coach Sean O'Regan, James Madison owns a 7-3 overall record with notable victories over Georgetown (69-57), Dayton (68-55), and St. John's (64-51). The Dukes are currently ranked No. 17 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll.
> Junior guard Kamiah Smalls paces the Dukes in scoring at 18.5 points per game, while shooting 45.9 percent (73-159) from the floor and 76.9 percent (20-26) at the free throw stripe. Smalls, who is one of two players to start all 10 games for JMU, is also averaging 6.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists per contest.
>Â Redshirt junior guard and Siena transfer Jackie Benitez is also averaging double figures at 11.7 points per game off the bench. Another fourth-year junior Kayla Cooper-Williams has appeared in all 10 starting lineups and leads the team in rebounding (8.6 RPG) and blocks (23).
Isa Rookie of the Week, Again
> For the second straight week, Isabella Posset was named the NEC Rookie of the Week following a 10-point performance against Delaware State on Dec. 18. Posset played a team-high 32 minutes, shooting 4-of-8 from the field and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc.
> Posset previously gained the honor after her first career start against Pitt-Johnstown on Dec. 15, going for a career-high and team-best 16 points against the Mountain Cats. The rookie converted 5-of-8 attempts from the floor and 4-of-7 from deep.
> The Beaver, Pa. product is now the 10th player in program history to win multiple NEC Rookie of the Week plaudits, and the first since Artemis Spanou '14 to claim the award in back-to-back weeks. She's also the fifth active player to gain the accolade, joining Megan Callahan, Shakema Dashiell, Nneka Ezeigbo, and Honoka Ikematsu.
Outstanding Ozzy
> With seven seconds remaining in RMU's last game against Delaware State, Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu put in a missed jumper to send the Colonials into Christmas break with a 64-63 victory.
> Ozzy-Momodu has been stellar off the bench in the last two games, posting double-doubles in both of them. Against the Hornets, she led the team with 12 points (4-7 FG, 4-4 FT) and 11 rebounds in a career-high 29 minutes. Three days earlier, the sophomore went for 11 points and 16 caroms - the latter being the most for a Colonial since the 2014-15 season.
> The team's leading rebounder at 7.3 per game, Ozzy-Momodu now has three double-digit efforts on the glass, first pulling down 13 against La Salle on Nov. 11.
Continuing the Legacy
> With Robert Morris' 64-63 victory over Delaware State, head coach Charlie Buscaglia became the third coach in program history to reach the 50 mark, and the fastest to do so. The Empire State native owns a .658 winning percentage through 76 contests, and has won 83.3 percent (30 of 36) of his NEC games. His 22 wins in 2016-17 established a new school record for a first-year head coach.
> After taking the reins from his father, Sal Buscaglia, prior to the 2016-17 season, Coach B, as he is respectifully called, has continued to raise the bar for the program. He's been named Brenda Reilly NEC Coach of the Year in each of his first two seasons, leading the Colonials two NEC regular-season titles, a NEC Tournament crown and subsequent NCAA Tournament berth, and a Postseason WNIT appearance during that span.
Heart-Stoppers at the NAC
> For the third time in the history of the North Athletic Complex, Robert Morris scored a go-ahead bucket with under a minute remaining in regulation.
> The most recent instance came on Dec. 18 against Delaware State when Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu pulled down an offensive rebound and banked it off the window with seven seconds left, turning a seemingly 63-62 defeat into a 64-63 triumph.
> On March 2, 2018 against Wagner, in RMU's next-to-last regular-season home contest, Nneka Ezeigbo scored out of a timeout with 45 seconds remaining, making it 46-45 in favor of the hosts. The Colonials would ultimately defeat the Seahawks, 49-46.
> The most notable win that fits the criteria came on Jan. 13, 2018. Trailing 62-60 with the clock winding down, Megan Smith '18 buried a three-pointer from the top of the key as the buzzer sounded, giving RMU a 63-62 victory over in-state rival Saint Francis U.
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. On Dec. 7, the Colonials held Kent State to a 26.5 percent (13-49) clip from the floor, making the Golden Flashes the 17th different opponent to shoot under 30 percent since 2016-17.
> The Colonials forced 25 turnovers against Pitt-Johnstown, the sixth game in which they have made their opponent make 20 or more mistakes. They're averaging 20.60 forced turnovers a game, a mark that leads the NEC and ranks 50th nationally. Last season, RMU forced 20 or more turnovers on 15 occasions.
> Through nine games, RMU currently paces the NEC in scoring defense by allowing 59.8 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 3-0 in such situations this season and went 25-0 last season. All-time, RMU is 601-0 when holding the lead at the final whistle.
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