Women's Basketball | 2/17/2019 7:35:00 PM

GAME #24
Robert Morris Colonials (14-9, 11-1 NEC) @ Saint Francis U Red Flash (12-12, 9-3 NEC)
Monday, February 18, 2019 // 7:00 p.m. // Loretto, Pa. – DeGol Arena (3,500)
Live Video: ESPN3 & NEC Front Row // Live Stats: SFUAthletics.com
Play-by-Play: Craig D'Amico, Color Commentary: Pam Roecker
 
Notes Package: Robert Morris

Musket Shots
> Coming off its first loss in NEC play, the Robert Morris University women's basketball team will look to rebound on Monday night when it meets in-state rival Saint Francis U for the first time this season. The Colonials saw their 11-game winning streak come to an end with a 61-55 defeat at Mount St. Mary's, while the Red Flash outlasted Fairleigh Dickinson on the road, 77-65.
> This meeting between RMU and SFU is the first since last year's NEC Championship Game, a contest the Red Flash won, 66-56. The Colonials have played in the last five league title tilts, going 3-2 over that span. In its last rematch of a championship game defeat, RMU topped St. Francis Brooklyn, 62-53, on Jan. 9, 2016.
> With its win over Central Connecticut on Jan. 21, RMU qualified for its 14th NEC Tournament in the last 15 seasons and 23rd all-time. The Colonials have won a league playoff game in each of their last eight appearances.
> The Colonials have won their last 21 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.
> Robert Morris again is boasted by a strong defense, topping the NEC and ranking 10th nationally at 54.9 points per game. The Colonials finished eighth in that category last season.
 
Series History w/ Saint Francis U
Overall: 43-41 | Home: 24-14 | Away: 15-25 | Neutral: 1-2 | Streak: L2
Last Meeting: March 11, 2018; Loretto, Pa. – Saint Francis U 66, Robert Morris 56 [NEC Championship Game]
> This will be the 85th meeting between Robert Morris and Saint Francis U, a rivalry that has been extremely even over the last six years. Neither team has swept the season series since 2011-12, with the Colonials owning a slight 43-41 edge all-time.
> RMU fell in last year's NEC Championship game to the top-seeded Red Flash, 66-56. Jocelynne Jones '18 scored a career-high 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while fellow seniors Mikalah Mulrain '18 and Megan Smith '18 scored 10 points each.
> The Colonials last won in Loretto on Jan. 30, 2017, when they defeated SFU, 70-68. Anna Niki Stamolamprou '17 scored a game-high 27 points on 11-of-21 from the field, while Mulrain posted a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double. RMU withstood a Red Flash attack that featured 15 three-pointers.
 
Scouting the Red Flash
> Guided by interim head coach Susan Robinson Fruchtl, Saint Francis U is tied for second in the NEC standings at 9-3. The Red Flash dropped three consecutive road contests to St. Francis Brooklyn (78-65), Central Connecticut (73-62), and Bryant (66-63), but have won six straight since then.
> Saint Francis U is led by senior guard Jessica Kovatch, who is the reigning NEC Player of the Year. Kovatch is again leading the NEC in scoring at 22.5 points per game as well as three-pointers made (4.0 per game). Fourth-year center Courtney Zezza paces the circuit in blocks (2.8 BPG), while her (9.2 PPG) and sophomores Karson Swogger (9.5 PPG) and Haley Thomas (8.8 PPG) all clock in just under 10 points per game.
> The Red Flash again feature a top offense, ranking first in three-pointers made per game (10.2), while ranking second in points per game (73.7), three-point percentage (.353), and free throw percentage (.728). SFU also tops the conference in blocks per game (4.4), but ranks last in scoring defense (77.2 PPG) and ninth in rebounding defense (.624).
 
Locked In
> Robert Morris has done well against the opponent's top scorer as of late, holding the last five to below 10 points. Over this five-game stretch, the Colonials have limited those players (Katherine Haines of Sacred Heart, Lauren Francillon of Fairleigh Dickinson, Sydney Holloway of Bryant, Kiana Patterson of Central Connecticut, Juliette Lawless of Mount St. Mary's) to an average of 4.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game on 25.7 percent (9-35 FG) shooting.
> Most recently against the Mountaineers, the Colonials held Lawless to zero points in 12 minutes of action. The game before, Patterson scored five points on 2-of-10 from the field and went 1-of-4 from beyond the arc.
> Currently, these players rank third (Holloway), fourth (Lawless), fifth (Patterson), sixth (Haines), and 14th (Francillon) in scoring. RMU's defense also held the NEC's second-leading scorer, Jade Johnson of St. Francis Brooklyn, below her season average (19.4 PPG) at 14 points on 5-of-16 shooting on Jan. 12.
 
In February, We Wear Pink
> It has been a tradition for Robert Morris to don pink alternate jerseys during select games in February. It has also been a tradition for the Colonials to win those contests. Since the 2013-14 season, RMU has accumulated a 22-1 record when wearing pink jerseys.
> RMU is 3-0 in pink this season, earning wins at Fairleigh Dickinson (63-43) and against Bryant (59-56) and Central Connecticut (60-40). The Colonials finished 3-0 last season and 4-0 in 2016-17, winning all of those contests by double-digits. In fact, 18 of RMU's wins in pink have come by double figures, with it owning a plus-14.2 scoring margin in the 23 contests.
 
Heart-stoppers at the NAC
> For the fourth time in the history of the North Athletic Complex, and the second time this season, Robert Morris scored a go-ahead bucket with under a minute remaining in regulation. The most recent instance happened last Saturday, when Isabella Posset converted in a layup with 38 ticks on the clock to give the Colonials a 63-62 win over Bryant.
> On Dec. 18, 2018 against Delaware State, Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu pulled down an offensive rebound and banked it off the window with seven seconds left, turning a seemingly 63-62 defeat into a 64-63 triumph, giving Charlie Buscaglia his 50th career win.
> RMU won in the closing seconds twice last season. In the Colonials' next-to-last regular-season home contest, Nneka Ezeigbo scored out of a timeout with 45 seconds remaining, ultimately giving the hosts a 49-46 win. On Jan. 13, 2018, Megan Smith '18 buried a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded, turning a 62-60 defeat into a 63-62 victory over Saint Francis U.
 
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. Eight 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), Jan. 28 against Sacred Heart (46), Feb. 2 at FDU (43), and Feb. 11 against Central Connecticut (40). The Colonials held the Blue Devils to a 26.9 percent (14-52) clip from the floor, making them the 20th different opponent to shoot under 30 percent since 2016-17.
> The Colonials forced 21 turnovers against Mount St. Mary's on Saturday, the 14th game in which they have made their opponent make 20 or more mistakes. They're averaging 20.50 forced turnovers a game, a mark that leads the NEC and ranks 29th nationally. Last season, RMU forced 20 or more turnovers on 15 occasions.
> Through 23 games, RMU currently paces the NEC in scoring defense by allowing 54.9 points per game, which also slots 10th 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.
 
The Dynamic Duo
> The duo of junior Nneka Ezeigbo and sophomore Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu flourished on Jan. 28 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 17.3 points and 14.5 rebounds per game this season. The junior paces the team in scoring (10.9 PPG), rebounding (7.4 RPG), blocks (27), and steals (41), while her second-year sidekick leads the Colonials in field goal percentage (.566) and defensive rebounds (105).
 
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 11-1 mark, despite not having a single player over 10.9 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 10.9 points per contest leading the way. Nine different Colonials have led the team in scoring this season, and 10 have scored in double figures at least once.
> The Colonials don't have anyone in the top 30 of the NEC in minutes per game, with Isabella Posset pacing the team at an average of 24.9. Five other players (Nia Adams, Nina Augustin, Ezeigbo, Honoka Ikematsu, Nadège Pluviose) are seeing over 20 minutes per contest, with three others (Esther Castedo, Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu, Natalie Villaflor) above the 15-minute mark. No other team in the conference can claim eight players above that average.
 
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 14-0 in such situations this season and went 25-0 last season. All-time, RMU is 612-0 when holding the lead at the final whistle.

Follow the Colonials: Facebook |  Twitter | Instagram

Tweet #ColonialPride  Tweet #HoopTownship