Kent, Ohio – The Robert Morris University women's basketball team dropped a heartbreaker this afternoon, as Kent State scored with one second remaining to top the Colonials, 82-81, in a non-conference contest at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center.
Megan Carter converted a driving layup with a tick on the clock to give Kent State (3-2, 0-0 MAC) their third consecutive win over Robert Morris (2-3, 0-0 NEC). Both teams were efficient from the floor, each converting at least half of their field goal attempts.
Nneka Ezeigbo was one of five Colonials in double figures, tallying a team-high 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting and nine rebounds. Ezeigbo entered the afternoon three points shy of 1,000 for her career, and needed just the opening 2:30 to reach the milestone. The senior center is the 24th player in program history to reach the mark, and the first since Megan Smith '17 on Dec. 31, 2017 at Sacred Heart.
Isabella Posset and Nina Augustin added 14 points each, while Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu and Holly Forbes added 11 and 10, respectively. Honoka Ikematsu chipped in with eight points off the bench.
RMU came out of the gates flying, opening an 18-4 lead over the first 7:32. Augustin and Posset sank triples during that start, while Ezeigbo provided three baskets. The Golden Flashes trimmed the gap to 11 with two Lindsey Thall free throws, but Ikematsu beat the buzzer from deep to give the Colonials a 23-9 lead after one quarter.
KSU again pulled within 11 with a free throw midway through the second frame, but RMU answered with a 9-2 run to grab its largest lead at 39-21. Posset, Ozzy-Momodu, and Augustin all scored over the stretch, with the finishing touches provided by Natalie Villaflor on a fastbreak layup.
Ikematsu again buried a three as time expired in the third, sending the Colonials into the final 10 minutes with a 59-51 advantage. The lead reached double-digits midway through the final stanza, then the Golden Flashes made a furious comeback to make it a one-possession game at 72-69 with 2:29 to go.
After RMU pushed the gap to six, Carter drilled a three with 25 seconds remaining to make it 78-75. Three Colonial free throws and an Asiah Dingle bucket made it 81-77, then Thall sank a trifecta to pull KSU within one. Carter finished off the comeback on the next possession, grabbing a loose ball and finishing with her left as the clock struck 0:01.
This is the first time under head coach Charlie Buscaglia that RMU has lost when scoring 70 or more points. The Colonials were previously 21-0 since 2016-17 when reaching that mark.
Robert Morris returns home to begin a three-game home stand on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 10:00 a.m. when it hosts Pitt-Johnstown for Career & Education Day.
Follow the Colonials: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
