Harrisonburg, Va. – The Robert Morris University women's basketball closed the decade with a 59-32 loss at James Madison this afternoon in a non-conference matchup from the Convocation Center.
For the second straight year, Robert Morris (5-6, 0-0 NEC) struggled offensively against James Madison (9-2, 0-0 CAA) in its non-conference finale, converting at a 16.2 percent clip from the field. The Colonials held the Dukes in check from the floor with a 32.3 percent conversion rate, and forced 14 turnovers defensively – their 142nd consecutive game causing double-digit turnovers.
"James Madison is a very tough opponent," said head coach Charlie Buscaglia. "Their non-conference schedule, with the results that they've earned show the strength of their program. Their only losses are to Virginia and by two to Maryland, who is a national championship contender. It shows the quality of basketball they're playing at … We got some good looks as we continued to stick with things, but we failed to put it in the basket."
Nneka Ezeigbo led RMU with 11 points and eight rebounds, adding two steals and a block defensively. Honoka Ikematsu buried three trifectas off the bench for nine points, while Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu pulled down 11 caroms in 15 minutes.
Jackie Benitez of JMU paced all players with 21 points on 6-of-12 shooting.
Ezeigbo's 11-point afternoon was her ninth double-digit outing this season and 55th of her career. Ozzy-Momodu reached double figures on the glass for the second time in 2019-20 and the seventh time in her career.
The Colonials finish their non-conference slate at 5-6 after facing a bevy of formidable opponents. Entering today, RMU's 11 non-conference foes have combined for a record of 67-51 (.568) with nine of them at or above .500.
"We always try to play a great non-conference schedule," added Buscaglia. "We've played on both the road and at home against some really tough opponents. We won some close games and lost some close ones, but we need to take each moment – including from today – and learn from it. We have to be able to come back from wins and losses. We have to get to the video, tighten up some screws, and use this as a ticket of what we learned so we're better in conference play.
Robert Morris begins its quest to capture a fourth consecutive Northeast Conference (NEC) regular-season title on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. when it travels to Central Connecticut. The Colonials follow that up with the end of a five-game road trip on Saturday, Jan. 4 at Merrimack, then welcome Wagner on Saturday, Jan. 11 for the NEC home opener at Peoples Court at the UPMC Events Center.
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