Moon Township, Pa. – Setting the tone early by limiting Fairleigh Dickinson to just two points in the first quarter, the Robert Morris University women's basketball team closed out a six-game home stand with a comfortable 71-49 victory over the Knights this evening from the North Athletic Complex.
Robert Morris' (5-8, 2-0 NEC) defensive prowess continued a unique trend, as the Colonials have limited their second opponent of the last three calendar years to three points or fewer in the first quarter. RMU held LIU Brooklyn to three points on Jan. 9, 2017 in an 83-42 win, then limited St. Francis Brooklyn to a single point on Jan. 8, 2018 in a 59-36 triumph.
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"We set the tone early," said head coach Charlie Buscaglia. "Obviously defensively, we came out with a lot of energy, focus, and communication. As the game developed on, we got complacent and lost some passion, but overall we were able to come away with a win today."
"You learn what kind of team you are, like a player-driven team," added Buscaglia. "I can't be the one with the most energy, it has to be the team. If you're going to be a special team – no matter if you win or lose a game – you just have that hungry attitude that every possession means everything, and those teams have a lot of success. We have to learn whether we have a big lead, in a tight game, or down, that we continue to value each possession and do the things we did when the game started."
After giving up a put back on Fairleigh Dickinson's (3-10, 0-2 NEC) opening possession, the Colonials rattled off 18 consecutive points to take control of the contest. It was a balanced effort on both sides of the court, as eight different players scored and five collected a steal in the frame. RMU's defense forced nine turnovers and held the Knights to 1-of-10 shooting over the opening 10 minutes.
FDU responded with a 7-3 run to begin the second quarter, forcing an early Colonial timeout. Nneka Ezeigbo scored four straight points out of the break, kickstarting a 15-0 stretch that made it 36-9. The Knights ended their scoring drought with an Elise Graham basket, but Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu scored twice to close the stanza, setting the halftime tally at 40-11.
RMU's largest lead of the game came with 7:06 left in the fourth following an Ezeigbo bucket that made it 68-33. The junior center led the Colonials with 13 points (5-6 FT) and 12 rebounds, good enough for her first double-double of the season and 10th of her career.
Ozzy-Momodu nearly posted her own double-double off the bench, tallying 10 points and nine caroms. Isabella Posset again contributed in multiple areas with nine points, six rebounds, and a team-best five assists.
Lauren Francillon led all players with 20 points for the Knights.
RMU is now 15-0 under Buscaglia when scoring 70 or more points.
Robert Morris begins a four-game road trip on Saturday, Jan. 12 at 1:00 p.m. when it travels to St. Francis Brooklyn.
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