GAME 28
Wagner Seahawks (6-21, 4-12 NEC) @ Robert Morris Colonials (21-6, 14-2 NEC)
Friday, March 2, 2018 // 7:00 p.m. // Moon Township, Pa. – North Athletic Complex
Live Video: NEC Front Row // Live Stats: RMUColonials.com
Adam Gusky, play-by-play; Justin Pyles, color commentary

The Capsule
With two games remaining before the Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament, Robert Morris would secure at least a share of its sixth NEC regular-season championship with a pair of wins. That journey begins on Friday, March 2 when the Colonials host Wagner in a battle between the two teams bookending the NEC standings. RMU is riding a four-game winning streak and hasn't lost at home since Dec. 19, 2017 against Kent State.

NOTES: Wagner @ Robert Morris (3.2.18)

The Opponent
Despite sitting at 4-12 and at the bottom of the NEC, Wagner has been very competitive in conference play. Half of its six league losses have come by six points or fewer and both of its defeats against NEC leading Robert Morris and Saint Francis U have come by a combined nine points. Graduate transfer Sierra Clark is second in the league in scoring (18.4 PPG) and rebounding (9.5 RPG) and tops all players in blocks (2.3 BPG). Redshirt freshman Morgan Lenahan is also averaging double-figures in scoring at 10.1 points per contest.

The Series
Overall: 32-31 | Home: 15-14 | Away: 14-16 | Neutral: 3-1 | Streak: W5
Last Game: Robert Morris 58, Wagner 52 (1.20.18)
 
With its victory on Jan. 20 at Wagner, Robert Morris gained a slight 32-31 advantage in the all-time series. The Colonials have fared better at home than in Staten Island, carrying a 15-14 record into their meetings on campus. RMU has won five straight over the Seahawks, including a 74-41 rout on Feb. 11, 2017 in last season's Senior Day. Two of the Colonial seniors, Rebeca Navarro and Anna Niki Stamolamprou, combined for 33 points, while the third, Janee Brown, tallied nine points, seven assists, and three steals.
 
Last Time Out
Robert Morris scored 40 of its points in the paint as it defeated Central Connecticut, 67-51, on Monday in the Colonials' final road contest of the regular season. RMU forced the Blue Devils into 25 turnovers and received double-digit scoring performances from Nina Augustin (14), Nneka Ezeigbo (13), and Mikalah Mulrain (10). The Colonials also limited CCSU's chances near the rim, holding them to 18 points in the paint.
 
In the Previous Meeting…
RMU used a 11-0 run in the third quarter to knock off Wagner, 58-52, on Jan. 20 at Staten Island. The Colonials committed just three turnovers in the second half and forced a total of 26 from the Seahawks. Megan Callahan and Nina Augustin each scored a team-high 13 points in the victory.
 
Block Party
Senior center Mikalah Mulrain has 32 blocked shots this season, upping her career total to 166. Mulrain now sits four shy of Anna Gailite's school record of 169, which she set from 2009-13.
 
In March, We Play in Moon
Robert Morris clinched its spot as one of the two NEC Tournament hosts with a win at Bryant this past Saturday. The new tournament format features quarterfinal and semifinal contests played at the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, with the highest remaining seed holding the championship game. In its last six NEC Tournament appearances, RMU has hosted at least a quarterfinal bout, and owns a 10-1 record in home postseason contests during that stretch.
 
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 54.2 points per contest, which ranks tops in the NEC and eighth nationally. RMU also paces the conference in field goal defense (.359), which ranks 19th nationally, and sits in the Top 100 in steals per game (10.4, 34th) and turnovers forced (19.50, 36th).
 
In February, We Wore Pink
With their victory at Bryant on Saturday, the Colonials reached the 20-win mark for the 11th time in program history. RMU has now won 20 games in four of the last five seasons, and rattled off four consecutive 20-win campaigns from 2004-05 to 2007-08. It has been a tradition for Robert Morris to don pink alternate jerseys during select games in February. It has also been a tradition for the Colonials to win those contests. After its 67-51 triumph over Central Connecticut on Monday, RMU is now 20-1 in pink jerseys since the 2013-14 season, with its lone loss coming during the 2015-16 campaign.
 
Lift Off
RMU has come out of the gates strong this season, owning a 94-point advantage in the first quarter over its 27 games. The Colonials average a lead of 3.5 points heading into the second quarter and have only been behind six times this season after the opening 10 minutes.
 
Three-Kematsu
Just 27 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 45.8 percent (60-131) rate from deep, which tops the NEC and is the 10th highest three-point percentage in the nation.
 
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 21-0 this season. All-time, RMU is 594-0 when leading at the final whistle.

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