GAME 33
Robert Morris Colonials (25-7, 16-2 NEC) @ Drexel Dragons (26-7, 16-2 CAA)
2018 Postseason WNIT First Round
Friday, March 16, 2018 // 7:00 p.m. // Philadelphia, Pa. – Daskalakis Athletic Center
Live Video: DrexelDragons.com // Live Stats: DrexelDragons.com

The Capsule
Robert Morris makes its sixth postseason tournament appearance in the last nine seasons on Friday, March 16 when it opens up Postseason WNIT play on the road at Drexel. The Colonials are competing in their second WNIT after falling in Sunday's NEC Championship Game at Saint Francis U, as a shared regular-season title secured a spot in the postseason bracket.

NOTES: Robert Morris @ Drexel (3.16.18)

The Opponent
Like Robert Morris, Drexel also shared its regular-season conference championship with a 16-2 mark in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play. Additionally, the Dragons also fell in its league's title game, dropping a 57-45 decision at home to Elon. Senior forward Kelsi Lidge paces the team in scoring (11.6 PPG), rebounding (6.3 RPG), steals (69), and blocks (14). Sophomore forward Bailey Greenberg is also averaging double figures in points at 11.2 per game, while second-year guard Aubree Brown and senior Sara Woods are at 9.7 and 9.4 points per contest, respectively. Woods is Drexel's most efficient shooter, converting on 50.6 percent of her attempts from the field. The Dragons share a pair of common opponents with the Colonials, claiming victories over Lafayette (52-37) and Delaware State (73-52).

The Series
Overall: 1-0 | Streak: W1
Last Game: Robert Morris 67, Drexel 48 (1981-82)
 
Robert Morris and Drexel have only played once in their histories, back in the 1981-82 season. In a campaign that ended with a defeat in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), the Colonials picked up one of their 20 wins with a 67-48 triumph over the Dragons.
 
Last Time Out
Robert Morris fell short in its quest for a third consecutive NEC Tournament title, dropping a 66-56 decision to top-seeded Saint Francis U in Sunday's championship game. The Colonials fell behind early, 13-2, but then outscored the Red Flash, 24-13, over the remainder of the first half to head into the break deadlocked at 26-26. Despite taking a third-quarter lead, RMU was topped by five points in the the third and fourth frames as the hosts moved on to the Big Dance. Jocelynne Jones scored a career-high 21 points in defeat, connecting on 5-of-7 attempts from deep.
 
Nationally Known
Robert Morris has played in a national tournament nine times over the last 12 seasons. In 2007 and 2008, the Colonials took part in their first NCAA Tournaments. In 2008-09, RMU played in the Preseason WNIT, before earning a Postseason WNIT bid in 2009-10. The 2011-12 season ended with the top seed in the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI), setting the stage for returns to the Big Dance in 2014, 2016, and 2017. 2018 sees RMU returning to the Postseason WNIT for the second time in program history.
 
Block Party
Senior center Mikalah Mulrain has 35 blocked shots this season, upping her career total to 169. Mulrain's next rejection will break Anna Gailite's school record, which she set from 2009-13.
 
Iron Women
Seniors Jocelynne Jones and Mikalah Mulrain established a new program record for games played at 129 on Sunday at Saint Francis U. They surpassed a pair of seniors from last season's team in Rebeca Navarro and Janee Brown, who played 128 games each over their careers.
 
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 54.0 points per contest, which ranks tops in the NEC and ninth nationally. RMU also paces the conference in field goal defense (.365), which ranks 30th nationally, and sits in the Top 30 in steals per game (10.4, 30th) and turnovers forced (20.19, 24th).
 
A New Standard
RMU's victory over LIU Brooklyn in the NEC Tournament semifinals was its 25th of the season, surpassing the school record first established by the 2006-07 team, who finished 24-8 and advanced to the program's first NCAA Tournament.
 
Saving Her Best
Despite a defeat in the NEC Championship Game, senior forward Jocelynne Jones shined, putting together one of the best title tilt performances in Robert Morris history. Jones' 21 points tied JoAnn Beatty in 1988 as the fifth most a Colonial has scored in the NEC championship. Additionally, the senior's five trifectas were tied for the third most for a RMU player in a title tilt. For her efforts, Jones was named to the All-Tournament Team.
 
Twice as Nice
Colonials head man Charlie Buscaglia became just the third coach in NEC history to win back-to-back Coach of the Year awards when he received the nod on Wednesday morning. Buscaglia joins Myndi Hill of Saint Francis U (2002, 2003) and Ed Swanson of Sacred Heart (2008, 2009) as the only coaches to achieve this feat.
 
Three Named All-NEC
For the second consecutive season, RMU had three players named to All-NEC teams as Megan Smith, Nneka Ezeigbo, and Honoka Ikematsu all were honored by the conference. Smith topped the list as a First Team honoree, her third all-league accolade from the NEC. Ezeigbo followed up an All-Rookie performance with a Second Team nod this year, while Ikematsu gave the Colonials their 14th All-Rookie plaudit in program history.
 
Champs Once Again
The Colonials captured their sixth NEC regular-season championship on March 4, having finished tied at the top of the standings with Saint Francis U at 16-2. RMU previously finished at the top of the NEC table in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2014, and 2016.
 
Insurmountable Lead
Robert Morris has never lost a game in which it has held the lead at the end of the second half. In such situations, the Colonials are 25-0 this season. All-time, RMU is 598-0 when leading at the final whistle.

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