GAME #15
Robert Morris Colonials (6-8, 3-0 NEC) @ LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds (1-13, 0-3 NEC)
Monday, January 14, 2019 // 7:00 p.m. // Brooklyn, N.Y. – Steinberg Wellness Center (2,500)
Live Video: NEC Front Row // Live Stats: LIUAthletics.com
Notes Package: Robert Morris
Hello Brooklyn
> The Robert Morris University women's basketball team continues a four-game road swing as it closes out its annual trip to the Big Apple with a Monday night tilt at LIU Brooklyn. The Colonials are one of three remaining unbeatens in NEC play, having just defeated St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday, 75-56. The Blackbirds are searching for their first league win, last falling to Saint Francis U, 80-66.
> This is the 11th time that RMU has started the conference schedule with a 3-0 mark, and the third year in the last four it has been accomplished. All three of the Colonials' NEC victories have come by a double-digit margin, the first time that has happened since the 2010-11 campaign.
> Freshman guard Isabella Posset captured her third NEC Rookie of the Week award this past Wednesday, tying her with LIU Brooklyn's Brandy Thomas for the league lead. Posset averaged 11.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.5 steals in the Colonials' two victories against Mount St. Mary's and Fairleigh Dickinson.
> This four-game road trip is tied for the longest of the season, matching the team's swing through Bowling Green, Loyola Marymount, and Iowa. After this stretch, RMU will play no more than two consecutive home and road games for the remainder of the regular season.
The Blueprint w/ LIU Brooklyn
Overall: 49-16 | Home: 29-6 | Away: 20-10 | Streak: W15
Last Meeting: March 8, 2018; Moon Township, Pa. – Robert Morris 74, LIU Brooklyn 44 (NEC Semifinals)
> This will be the 66th meeting between Robert Morris and LIU Brooklyn, a series that has heavily favored the Colonials. RMU is 49-16 all-time against the Blackbirds and winners of the last 15 matchups. Over this 15-game period, the Colonials' margin of victory is 16.1 points per game, with 10 of those triumphs coming by double-digits.
> RMU advanced to the 2018 NEC Championship Game with a 74-44 victory over LIU Brooklyn last March. Nneka Ezeigbo scored 21 points (9-10 FG) in 18 minutes off the bench, as the win was the Colonials' 25th of the season, setting a new school record.
> Last year in Brooklyn, RMU outscored the Blackbirds in the fourth quarter, 21-11, to take home a 54-44 triumph. Ezeigbo again dominated off the bench, posting a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double.
Friend or Foe
> Picked seventh in the NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll, LIU Brooklyn, who is led by third-year head coach Stephanie Del Preore, owns a 1-13 overall record and 0-3 mark in league play. The Blackbirds' lone win came right before the New Year, a 55-50 decision over Lafayette.
> Sophomore guard Jeydah Johnson and freshman guard Brandy Thomas are both averaging double figures at 14.2 and 12.6 points per game, respectively. Thomas, a three-time NEC Rookie of the Week recipient, is averaging a double-double with 10.2 rebounds per contest, which ranks second in the NEC.
> LIU Brooklyn ranks in the top half of the NEC in blocked shots (3.6, 3rd), field goal percentage defense (.416, 5th), rebounding offense (35.6, 5th), offensive rebounds (12.1, 5th), and defensive rebounds (23.6, 5th).
Run This Town
> Freshman guard and local product Isabella Posset was named NEC Rookie of the Week this past Wednesday, picking up the award for the third time in the last four weeks.
> Posset averaged 11.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.5 steals over RMU's two-win weekend over Mount St. Mary's and Fairleigh Dickinson. She tallied 13 points (7-8 FT), seven assists, and a career-best seven rebounds against the Mountaineers, then followed that up with nine points, six caroms, and five helpers against the Knights.
> Previously capturing the award on Dec. 17 and Dec. 24, Posset moves into a tie for second most Rookie of the Week honors at RMU. Vega Gimeno-Martinez, Ashley Ravelli '16, and Megan Smith '18 all picked up the plaudits on three occasions, while Artemis Spanou '14 holds the school record with six in 2010-11.
> A graduate of Beaver High School, Posset is the first Pittsburgh-area player on RMU's roster since Britta Emberg '14 from Kittanning.
The Ruler's Back
> Junior center Nneka Ezeigbo could be starting to heat up as we start conference play, posting back-to-back double-doubles against Fairleigh Dickinson and St. Francis Brooklyn.
> After registering seven double-doubles in her sophomore campaign, Ezeigbo picked up her first against the Knights with 13 points and 12 rebounds. She followed that up this past Saturday with a 16-point, 15-rebound effort, the latter number tying her career best for caroms.
>Â Ezeigbo currently paces the team in scoring (10.1 PPG), steals (23), and blocks (18). The junior is shooting 70.7 percent (29-41) from the free throw stripe after posting marks of 50.9 and 52.6 percent in her first two seasons. With 45 more rebounds, she will become the 23rd player in program history to eclipse 500 for her career.
Can't Knock The Hustle
> Defense has been the Colonials' calling card over the last few seasons, and 2018-19 isn't shaping up to be any different. Three times this season, RMU has held its opponent to 50 points or fewer - Nov. 11 against La Salle (39), Nov. 13 against Rhode Island (46), and Jan. 7 against Fairleigh Dickinson (49). 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 22 turnovers against Mount St. Mary's, the eighth game in which they have made their opponent make 20 or more mistakes. They're averaging 20.57 forced turnovers a game, a mark that leads the NEC and ranks 38th nationally. Last season, RMU forced 20 or more turnovers on 15 occasions.
> Through 14 games, RMU currently paces the NEC in scoring defense by allowing 58.6 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.
Coming of Age
> 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 .663 winning percentage through 80 contests, and has won 84.6 percent (33 of 39) 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 respectfully 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.
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 are 6-0 in such situations this season and went 25-0 last season. All-time, RMU is 604-0 when holding the lead at the final whistle.
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