Women's Basketball | 1/20/2019 4:25:00 PM

GAME #17
Robert Morris Colonials (8-8, 5-0 NEC) @ Central Connecticut Blue Devils (4-11, 1-4 NEC)
Monday, January 21, 2019 // 1:00 p.m. // New Britain, Conn. – Detrick Gymnasium (2,654)
Live Video: NEC Front Row // Live Stats: CCSUBlueDevils.com
 
Notes Package: Robert Morris // Central Connecticut

Musket Shots
> The Robert Morris University women's basketball team concludes its four-game road swing on Monday against Central Connecticut. The Colonials remained one of two remaining NEC unbeatens, last sneaking past Bryant, 60-57. The Blue Devils picked up their first league win on Saturday, coming back to beat Saint Francis U, 73-62.
> This is the fifth time that RMU has started the conference schedule with a 5-0 mark, and the second straight year it has been accomplished. The Colonials also began the league slate 5-0 in 2005-06, 2009-10, and 2010-11. Last season's squad established a new program record for longest unbeaten start in NEC play (9-0), with the 2010-11 team originally holding that record at 7-0.
> RMU's 60-57 victory at Bryant on Saturday marked the first time in series history that it won back-to-back road meetings. The Colonials were previously 3-5 in Smithfield prior to 2017-18, with their only wins coming in the 2015 and 2016 NEC Tournaments, and on Feb. 13, 2010.
> 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.
 
Series History w/ Central Connecticut
Overall: 26-14 | Home: 19-3 | Away: 7-11 | Streak: W7
Last Meeting: March 7, 2018; Moon Township, Pa. – Robert Morris 60, Central Connecticut 54
> This will be the 41st meeting between Robert Morris and Central Connecticut. The Colonials have won the last seven and own a 26-14 advantage in the series, but CCSU has been victorious in 11 of 18 meetings in New Britain.
> In last year's NEC Tournament quarterfinals, RMU withstood a late Blue Devil push to win 60-54. Honoka Ikematsu and Megan Smith '18 each tallied 11 to lead the Colonials, while Nneka Ezeigbo added 10 points off the bench. The year before, RMU moved onto the NEC Championship Game with a 70-62 semifinal triumph over the Blue Devils.
> The teams' last meeting in New Britain went in favor of the Colonials, 67-51. RMU scored 40 of its points in the paint, but it was guard Nina Augustin who would pace the team in scoring with 14 on 6-of-8 shooting.
 
Scouting the Blue Devils
> Guided by 12th-year head coach Beryl Piper, Central Connecticut owns a 4-11 overall record and 1-4 mark in NEC action, having just beaten Saint Francis U, 72-63, this past Saturday.
> Senior guard Kiana Patterson, an All-NEC Second Team selection last year, leads CCSU in scoring (16.6 PPG), assists per game (2.9), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1), and steals per game (1.1). Fellow fourth-year Andi Lydon is averaging 9.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest, while sophomore center Ashley Berube is the team's top rebounder (6.0) and post defender (1.9 BPG) to go along with her 8.3 points per game.
> The Blue Devils have been good defensively, leading the league in three-point field goal defense (.283). They also rank second in field goal defense (.388) behind the Colonials, and sit fourth in scoring defense (66.3 PPG).
 
The Bench Brings It
> Robert Morris has gotten great contributions from its bench this season, as its reserves are averaging 24.9 points per game and 10.5 more than its opponents' bench.
> The Colonials' bench has scored 30 or more points seven times this season, going 6-1 in those contests. In the previous two seasons, RMU's reserves have reached the 30-point mark on just six occasions. On Nov. 11, the Colonials received a season-high 42 points from their bench in a 67-39 win over La Salle.
 
Making a Statement
> Robert Morris' 89-37 victory at LIU Brooklyn last Monday was one for the record books. The 52-point margin was the program's largest in a road victory, surpassing an 83-40 triumph at Mercyhurst during the 1983-84 campaign.
> RMU's 52-point win is the fifth largest margin of victory in school history, behind two games against Saint Francis U, and wins over Chatham and West Virginia Wesleyan. The difference was also its biggest in an NEC contest, topping the 95-50 triumph over Wagner on Feb. 19, 2007.
 
Top Five Largest Margins of Victory (All)
+65 | W, 124-59 vs. West Virginia Wesleyan | Nov. 13, 2015
+61 | W, 85-24 vs. Chatham | Feb. 28, 1980
+58 | W, 88-30 vs. St. Francis (Pa.) | 1983-84
+54 | W, 95-51 vs. St. Francis (Pa.) | 1980-81
+52 | W, 89-37 at LIU Brooklyn | Jan. 14, 2019

Top Five Largest Margins of Victory (Road)
+52 | W, 89-37 at LIU Brooklyn | Jan. 14, 2019
+43 | W, 83-40 at Mercyhurst | 1983-84
+39 | W, 86-47 at Wagner | Jan. 12, 2015
+36 | W, 72-36 at St. Francis (N.Y.) | Dec. 2, 2010
+34 | W, 91-57 at Sacred Heart | Dec. 31, 2017
 
Lugo's Finest
> Freshman guard Esther Castedo earned her first NEC Rookie of the Week award this past Wednesday, following the best weekend of her young career in Brooklyn. Castedo averaged 15.0 points and 60 percent shooting and 50 percent from deep, and set a career-high in scoring with 17 points at LIU Brooklyn.
> Castedo is the 14th player in program history to collect NEC Rookie of the Week accolades. She is also the second straight RMU freshman to be honored, as Isabella Posset picked up the plaudit for the third time on Jan. 9. Castedo and Posset join teammates Megan Callahan, Shakema Dashiell, Nneka Ezeigbo, and Honoka Ikematsu as current Colonials to be bestowed the honor.
> A native of Lugo, Spain, Castedo has represented her home country on the U15, U16, and U18 prior to attending Robert Morris. She helped lead Porta XI Ensino de Lugo to promotion in Liga Femenina 2 last season, and currently ranks seventh in the NEC in three-point percentage (.403).
 
The Magic Number
> Robert Morris has scored 70 or more points in four of its last five games, averaging 73.0 points per game over this stretch. This is the first time since the 2013-14 season that the Colonials have reached the 70-point mark in four consecutive games, previously doing it over a five-game set from Feb. 17, 2014 to March 3, 2014.
> When RMU reaches 70 points under head coach Charlie Buscaglia, it's been game over for opponents. Since Buscaglia took over in 2016-17, the Colonials are 17-0 when scoring 70 points or more. The team is 5-0 this season once it meets that standard, and went 6-0 in both 2016-17 and 2017-18.
 
New Year, New Colonials
> A 3-8 non-conference record isn't exactly what Robert Morris wanted to close out 2018, but the New Year has brought a lot of success in the early going.
> RMU has gone 5-0 in NEC contests, winning four of them by double-digit margins. Since entering conference play, the Colonials have seen notable improvements in points per game (55.9 to 61.2), points allowed per game (59.7 to 57.1), scoring margin (-3.8 to +4.1), field goal percentage (.336 to .365), three-point field goal percentage (.318 to .334), field goal percentage defense (.404 to .380), three-point field goal percentage defense (.320 to .301), turnovers per game (18.5 to 16.9), and turnover margin (+2.2 to +3.9).
> The Colonials' 70-58 triumph over Mount St. Mary's on Jan. 5 moved them to 14-1 in their first conference game of the season since the 2004-05 campaign. RMU is 21-13 all-time in ECAC Metro / NEC opening contests.
 
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. Four 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), Jan. 7 against Fairleigh Dickinson (49), and Jan. 14 at LIU Brooklyn (37). The Colonials held the Blackbirds to a 20.9 percent (9-43) clip from the floor, making them the 18th different opponent to shoot under 30 percent since 2016-17.
> The Colonials forced 25 turnovers from Bryant this past Saturday, the 10th game in which they have made their opponent make 20 or more mistakes. They're averaging 21.06 forced turnovers a game, a mark that leads the NEC and ranks 26th nationally. Last season, RMU forced 20 or more turnovers on 15 occasions.
> Through 16 games, RMU currently paces the NEC in scoring defense by allowing 57.1 points per game, which also slots 36th nationally. 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 8-0 in such situations this season and went 25-0 last season. All-time, RMU is 606-0 when holding the lead at the final whistle.

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