GAME 22
Robert Morris Colonials (16-5, 9-1 NEC) @ LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds (9-13, 5-6 NEC)
Saturday, February 10, 2018 // 2:00 p.m. // Brooklyn, N.Y. – Steinberg Wellness Center
Live Video: NEC Front Row // Live Stats: LIUAthletics.com

Hello Brooklyn
After suffering its first defeat in 2018, Robert Morris looks to rebound on Saturday, Feb. 10 as it continues a three-game road trip at LIU Brooklyn. The Colonials went 46 days between losses, racking up nine conference wins over that stretch. Last season, after RMU had a nine-game winning streak snapped at Bryant on Feb. 20, it rebounded to win five straight games, including the 2017 NEC Championship Game.

NOTES: Robert Morris @ LIU Brooklyn (2.10.18)

Friend or Foe
LIU Brooklyn sits tied for fifth in the NEC standings with a 5-6 conference record. Three of the Blackbirds' five league triumphs have come at home, but their most recent home stand ended with defeats to Sacred Heart and Fairleigh Dickinson. LIU Brooklyn's offensive attack features three players averaging double-figures, including graduate transfer Denisha Petty-Evans and her 15.8 points per game. Freshman guard Jeydah Johnson is averaging 13.3 points per contest and has been named NEC Rookie of the Week three times, while senior forward DeAngelique Waithe is a double-double threat (11.9 PPG, 8.9 RPG) every game.

The Blueprint
Overall: 47-16 | Home: 28-6 | Away: 19-10 | Streak: W13
Last Game: Robert Morris 60, LIU Brooklyn 53 (1.6.18)
 
Robert Morris has won 13 straight games over LIU Brooklyn and holds a 47-16 edge in the all-time series. Last season in Brooklyn, the Colonials pulled out their sixth consecutive win over the Blackbirds in the Big Apple, claiming a 64-54 triumph behind a double-double from Anna Niki Stamolamprou. Stamolamprou led all scorers with 28 points, scoring 12 of those at the free throw stripe (12-12), and added 10 rebounds in 34 minutes. Mikalah Mulrain added 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting as RMU used a 19-7 second-quarter difference to ultimately decide the game.
 
On to the Next One
Robert Morris saw a nine-game winning streak come to an end in a 68-47 loss at Saint Francis U this past Saturday. In a battle between the top two teams in the NEC standings, it was the Red Flash who would come out victorious, thanks to a 29-7 difference in the third quarter. Megan Callahan led the Colonials with 17 points, but they struggled from the field as a team, shooting just 27.5 percent (14-51) on field goal attempts and 20.8 percent (5-24) from beyond the arc.
 
Change Clothes
RMU topped LIU Brooklyn in their last matchup, a 60-53 decision on Jan. 6 in the Colonials' first game at PPG Paints Arena. The hosts broke a 27-27 deadlock with a 19-7 run over the third and fourth quarters to pick up their third NEC win of the season. Nneka Ezeigbo posted a 17-point, 13-rebound double-double and the RMU defense held LIU Brooklyn to 26.2 percent shooting (16-61), while pulling down 57 rebounds over the course of the contest.
 
The Ruler's Back
The Colonials are represented in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, occupying the No. 23 spot. RMU made the rankings last week for the first time since Dec. 7, 2011, and is currently receiving 90 points from the voters.
 
Lift Off
RMU has come out of the gates strong this season, owning a 65-point advantage in the first quarter over its 21 games. The Colonials average a lead of 3.1 points heading into the second quarter and have only been behind five times this season after the opening 10 minutes.
 
Empire State of Mind
Brooklyn has been kind to Robert Morris over the past 11 seasons as the Colonials have achieved a 14-4 record during that timeframe in road contests against LIU Brooklyn and St. Francis Brooklyn. That stretch includes a current six-game winning streak dating back to the 2014-15 season.
 
Can't Knock the Hustle
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 55.3 points per contest, which ranks tops in the NEC and 15th nationally. RMU also paces the conference in field goal defense (.354), which ranks 14th nationally, and sits in the Top 100 in steals per game (10.3, 44th) and turnovers forced (19.38, 41st).
 
Hard Knock Life
Senior center Mikalah Mulrain has 26 blocked shots this season, upping her career total to 160. Mulrain now sits nine shy of Anna Gailite's school record of 169, which she set from 2009-13.
 
22 Two's
Senior forward Megan Smith has raised her game another level since entering NEC play, averaging 11.7 points and 6.6 rebounds in 10 conference contests. Smith is shooting 53.7 percent (44-82) from the floor and 45.0 percent (9-20) on three-point attempts during this stretch.
 
Public Service Announcement
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 16-0 this season. All-time, RMU is 589-0 when leading at the final whistle.

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