GAME #20
Robert Morris Colonials (11-8, 8-0 NEC) @ Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (6-13, 3-5 NEC)
Saturday, February 2, 2019 // 2:00 p.m. // Teaneck, N.J. – Rothman Center (6,000)
Live Video: NEC Front Row // Live Stats: FDUKnights.com
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Notes Package: Robert Morris // Fairleigh Dickinson
Musket Shots
> The Robert Morris University women's basketball team carries its unbeaten NEC mark into February with a road contest at Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday, Feb. 2. The Colonials own a two-game edge in the league standings with their 64-46 win over second-place Sacred Heart on Monday, while the Knights are tied for seventh at 3-5. FDU is the first team RMU will face twice this season, having previously beaten the Knights, 71-49, on Jan. 7.
> This is the second time that RMU has started the conference schedule with a 8-0 mark, previously doing it last season when it established a school record for longest unbeaten start in NEC play (9-0). The Colonials are the second team to begin the NEC schedule with an 8-0 mark in back-to-back seasons, joining the 2002-04 Saint Francis U sides.
> After sweeping Wagner and Sacred Heart, RMU completed a perfect January for the second straight year. The Colonials went 7-0 last January, owning a margin of victory of 12.6 points over that stretch. Prior to that run, RMU last went unbeaten over a month in February 2010. Both of those teams would capture at least a share of the NEC regular-season title.
> The Colonials have won their last 19 NEC contests at home, last falling to Saint Francis U, 70-55, on Jan. 16, 2017. RMU won all nine home conference tilts last season and their last six in 2016-17.
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Series History w/ Fairleigh Dickinson
Overall: 41-26 | Home: 26-9 | Away: 15-16 | Neutral: 0-1 | Streak: W7
Last Meeting: Jan. 7, 2019; Moon Township, Pa. – Robert Morris 71, Fairleigh Dickinson 49
> This will be the 68th meeting between Robert Morris and Fairleigh Dickinson, and the 32nd in the Garden State. The Colonials have won the last seven matchups, two of those victories coming in the 2016 and 2017 NEC Tournament quarterfinals.
> RMU topped the Knights earlier this season on Jan. 7, 71-49, after limiting the visitors to two points in the first quarter. Nneka Ezeigbo posted a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double, while Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu added 10 points and nine caroms off the bench.
> In last season's NEC lid-lifter, RMU brought home a 77-68 win at FDU. The Colonials saw five players reach double-figure scoring, led by Honoka Ikematsu's 23 points (7-10 FG, 6-7 3PT). The 23 points were the most for a RMU player in an NEC opener since Jan. 4, 2014.
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Scouting the Knights
> Led by 12th-year head coach Peter Cinella, Fairleigh Dickinson sits in a tie for seventh in the NEC standings at 3-5. The Knights have beaten Central Connecticut (74-67) and Bryant (63-53) at home, as well as LIU Brooklyn (69-52) on the road.
> Junior forward Lauren Francillon paces FDU in scoring (11.1 PPG), rebounding (6.7 RPG), and blocked shots (1.2), while senior guard Peniel M'Bikata is right behind her scoring wise at 9.8 points per contest. Fellow fourth-year guard Natalie Zamora is the league leader in steals (2.4) and ranks third in free throw percentage (.818).
>Â Fairleigh Dickinson leads the NEC in free throw percentage (.729) and field goal percentage defense (.287), and slots second in blocked shots (4.1) and steals (9.4).The Knights have struggled offensively compared to their conference peers, ranking ninth in scoring offense (58.6 PPG) and field goal percentage (.359), and last in three-point field goal percentage (.265).
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The Dynamic Duo
> The duo of junior Nneka Ezeigbo and sophomore Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu flourished this past Monday against Sacred Heart, combining for 30 points on 13-of-20 shooting and 22 rebounds. Defensively, the pair held four-time NEC Player of the Week winner Katherine Haines to seven points (2-10 FG) and four rebounds in 28 minutes.
> Both Ezeigbo (16 pts, 11 reb) and Ozzy-Momodu (14 pts, 11 reb) posted double-doubles in the victory, the first time that has happened since March 3, 2014 against Mount St. Mary's. In that aforementioned contest - a 71-65 triumph to close the regular season - Artemis Spanou '14 went for 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Cassie Oursler added 17 points and 18 caroms.
> Ezeigbo and Ozzy-Momodu have combined for 16.9 points and 14.6 rebounds per game this season. The junior paces the team in scoring (10.5 PPG), rebounding (7.4 RPG), blocks (21), and steals (36), while her second-year sidekick leads the Colonials in field goal percentage (.558) and defensive rebounds (89).
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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 8-0 in NEC contests, winning six of them by double-digit margins. This is the second time in program history that the Colonials have gone 8-0 to begin conference play, joining last year's team. With a win on Saturday at Fairleigh Dickinson, this squad would match the 2017-18 team's school record with a 9-0 NEC start.
> Since entering conference play, the Colonials have seen notable improvements in points per game (55.9 to 61.9), points allowed per game (59.7 to 55.9), scoring margin (-3.8 to +6.0), field goal percentage (.336 to .375), three-point field goal percentage (.318 to .340), field goal percentage defense (.404 to .373), three-point field goal percentage defense (.320 to .296), turnovers per game (18.5 to 16.8), and turnover margin (+2.2 to +3.5).
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Another Perfect January
> There's been talk about January seeming longer than other months to people, but the Colonials would be completely fine with that being the case. RMU has gotten off to record starts in conference these last two seasons because of their first-month excellence, going 15-0 over the two Januaries.
> The Colonials opened the 2018 calendar year with a 7-0 record, ultimately turning that into a school-record 25-win season and 16-2 mark in NEC play. The last time RMU had gone unbeaten over an entire month was February 2010. That season also ended in a NEC regular-season title and 17-1 record in conference games.
> This January, RMU won its eight contests by an average of 19.5 points per game, with six triumphs coming by double-digits. The Colonials averaged 70.2 points, allowed 50.8 points, and shot 42.7 percent from the floor. Last January, RMU averaged 65.0 points, allowed 52.4 points, and shot 41.2 percent on field goals.
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It's All About Balance
> The first word that comes to mind when discussing Robert Morris' offensive attack is balance. The Colonials currently are sitting first in the NEC with an 8-0 mark, despite not having a single player over 10.6 points per game.
> RMU has seven players averaging 5.0 points or more this season, the only team in the league to do so. Last season, the Colonials also were the only squad to have seven players at that mark, with Nneka Ezeigbo's scoring mark of 10.4 points per contest leading the way. Nine different Colonials have led the team in scoring this season, and nine have scored in double figures at least once.
> Additionally, that balance also applies to playing time. RMU does not have a player currently in the top 30 of the NEC in minutes per game, with Isabella Posset pacing the team at an average of 24.8. Four other players (Nia Adams, Ezeigbo, Honoka Ikematsu, Nadège Pluviose) are seeing over 20 minutes per contest, with three others (Nina Augustin, Esther Castedo, Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu) above the 15-minute mark. No other team in the conference can claim eight players above that average.
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Milestone Watch
> In RMU's 64-46 win over Sacred Heart on Monday, junior center Nneka Ezeigbo became the 23rd player in program history with 500 career rebounds. Ezeigbo is on the cusp of another milestone, needing just five steals to join 16 other players with 100 in their careers.
> Sophomore guard Honoka Ikematsu became the 14th player in school history with 100 career three-pointers, drilling four in RMU's 69-46 win over Wagner last Saturday. Ikematsu is averaging 1.98 per game, which ranks third all-time behind Sade Logan '09 (3.60) and Anna Niki Stamolamprou '17 (2.26).
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The Bench Brings It
> Robert Morris has gotten great contributions from its bench this season, as its reserves are averaging 24.7 points per game and 11.1 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.
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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. Six 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), Jan. 14 at LIU Brooklyn (37), Jan. 26 against Wagner (46), and Jan. 28 against Sacred Heart (46). The Colonials held the Blackbirds to a 25.0 percent (12-48) clip from the floor, making them the 19th different opponent to shoot under 30 percent since 2016-17.
> The Colonials forced 21 turnovers from Wagner last Saturday, the 11th game in which they have made their opponent make 20 or more mistakes. They're averaging 20.47 forced turnovers a game, a mark that leads the NEC and ranks 30th nationally. Last season, RMU forced 20 or more turnovers on 15 occasions.
> Through 19 games, RMU currently paces the NEC in scoring defense by allowing 55.9 points per game, which also slots 24th 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.
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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 11-0 in such situations this season and went 25-0 last season. All-time, RMU is 609-0 when holding the lead at the final whistle.
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