Women's Basketball | 3/10/2019 1:41:00 PM

GAME #30
#8 Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (8-21, 5-13 NEC)) @ #1 Robert Morris Colonials (19-10, 16-2 NEC)
Monday, March 11, 2019 // 7:00 p.m. // Moon Township, Pa. – North Athletic Complex (1,000)
2019 Northeast Conference Tournament Quarterfinals
Live Video: NEC Front Row // Live Stats: RMUColonials.com // Live Audio: ESPN 970 AM
Adam Gusky, play-by-play; Justin Pyles, color commentary
 
Notes Package: Fairleigh Dickinson // Robert Morris

2019 NEC Tournament Information (Parking, Ticketing)

Musket Shots
> The Robert Morris University women's basketball team starts its quest for an eighth NEC Tournament championship on Monday, March 11 when it hosts eighth-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson in the quarterfinal round. The Colonials closed the regular season with a 66-53 win over in-state rival Saint Francis U, while the Knights qualified for the postseason after topping LIU Brooklyn, 68-49.
> RMU is the top seed in the NEC Tournament for the fourth time in program history, owning a 7-1 mark when headlining the bracket. The Colonials are 21-2 in home postseason contests, with the only blemishes coming in the 1996 play-in game and 2015 title tilt, and 13-5 in the quarterfinal round. RMU has won its last eight quarterfinal matchups by an average of 15.4 points.
> Nneka Ezeigbo has been on another planet for RMU as of late. In the last eight games, Ezeigbo is averaging 17.0 points on 59.4 percent shooting, 8.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and 1.6 steals. The junior has reached double-figure scoring in 14 of 18 NEC contests.
> The Colonials have won their last 24 NEC games at home, last falling to Saint Francis U, 70-55, on Jan. 16, 2017. RMU has won all nine home conference tilts this season and last, plus their last six in 2016-17. Including NEC Tournament home games, that number reaches 29 straight wins against league foes.
 
Series History w/ Fairleigh Dickinson
Overall: 42-26 | Home: 26-9 | Away: 16-16 | Neutral: 0-1 | Streak: W8
Last Meeting: Feb. 2, 2019; Teaneck, N.J. – Robert Morris 63, Fairleigh Dickinson 43
> This is the 69th meeting between Robert Morris and Fairleigh Dickinson, and their fourth matchup in the last five NEC Tournaments. The Colonials are 42-26 all-time against the Knights, boasting a 26-9 record in Moon Township. RMU is 4-1 against FDU in the postseason, its only defeat coming in the 1987 ECAC Metro semifinals.
> In their most recent meeting, the Colonials raced past the Knights, 63-43. RMU outscored the hosts in the first quarter, 23-9, and saw six players score at least seven points, led by Nneka Ezeigbo's 12.
> The Colonials limited the Knights to two points in the first quarter, coasting to a 71-49 win in their Moon Township meeting. Ezeigbo posted a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double, while Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu nearly matched her with 10 points and nine caroms.
 
Scouting the Knights
> Guided by 12th-year head coach Peter Cinella, Fairleigh Dickinson claimed the eighth and final NEC Tournament slot with a 68-49 victory over LIU Brooklyn this past Thursday. The Knights have now qualified for the NEC Tournament in five consecutive seasons.
> Junior forward Lauren Francillon and senior guard Madelynn Comly both average a team-best 9.1 points per game, while fourth-year Peniel M'Bikata is right behind at 8.4. Francillon also paces the team in rebounding (6.0) and averages 1.1 blocks per contest, and M'Bikata joins senior guard Natalie Zamora in the top six of the NEC in steals with 1.8 per game. Zamora leads the league at 2.3 steals per contest.
> FDU ranks in the top three of the NEC in free throw percentage (.739, 2nd), three-point percentage defense (.313, 2nd), blocked shots (3.9, 2nd), scoring defense (65.2, 3rd), and steals (8.6, 3rd). The Knights are near the bottom in scoring offense (58.3, 9th), field goal percentage (.372, 9th), field goal percentage defense (.424, 9th), assist-to-turnover ratio (0.7, 9th), three-point percentage (.287, 10th), and assists (11.0, 10th).
 
Easy as 1-2-3
> Robert Morris is the NEC regular-season champions for the third consecutive season, first clinching a share of the crown on Feb. 25 against LIU Brooklyn (71-54) before winning it outright on March 2 at Wagner (77-57). This is the first time that the Colonials have won three straight regular-season titles, previously capturing championships in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2017, and 2018.
> RMU's victory over the Seahawks also clinched a national postseason tournament for the fourth consecutive year, extending a program record. The Colonials played in the 2016 and 2017 NCAA Tournaments before participating in last year's Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). In its history, RMU has played in eight postseason tournaments (5 NCAA, 2 WNIT, 1 WBI).
> The Colonials clinched a share of the regular-season title in their 15th league game and won it outright in its 16th game, matching the 2010 team that finished 17-1 in the NEC. The other five regular-season crowns have been secured on the final day of the conference schedule, whether that be shared titles (2007, 2008, 2018), or outright (2014, 2017).
 
Ezeigbo Knows
> Nneka Ezeigbo has been unguardable inside over her last eight games, averaging 17.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and 1.6 steals, while shooting 59.4 percent (63-106 FG) from the field. She's reached double figures in scoring in 12 of RMU's last 14 games, and has pulled down double-digit caroms in six of those matchups.
> The junior center ranks among the best in the NEC in a bevy of categories. She ranks fourth in rebounding (7.6) and blocked shots (1.3), seventh in steals (1.7), 10th in field goal percentage (.476), and 11th in scoring (12.2), despite playing just 24.4 minutes per contest. She's the only player in the top seven of both blocks and steals in the NEC, and paces the circuit with a per-game average of 4.2 offensive rebounds in conference contests.
> On Feb. 27, Ezeigbo brought home NEC Player of the Week honors after averaging 23.0 points on 61.8 shooting, 10.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in wins over St. Francis Brooklyn and LIU Brooklyn. Ezeigbo scored a career-high 30 points against the Blackbirds - the most for a Colonial since Anna Niki Stamolamprou '17 tied the school record with 39 on Jan. 9, 2017 - and pulled down 11 rebounds to complete her sixth double-double of the season. It was the second Player of the Week plaudit of Ezeigbo's career, and her fourth weekly award in all.
 
The Magic Number
> When Robert Morris reaches the 70-point barrier, it's been "Game Over" for its opponents under Charlie Buscaglia. With the Colonials' 77-57 victory at Wagner on March 2, they are now 20-0 when scoring 70 since Buscaglia took over in 2016-17.
> RMU has reached the mark in eight contests this season, all but one of those coming in NEC play. The Colonials opened the league slate by scoring 70 or more in four straight contests, and then hit the mark in three straight contests against St. Francis Brooklyn (74-57), LIU Brooklyn (71-54), and the Seahawks.
 
Leap, Not Slump
> One of the NEC's most improved players has to be Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu. As a freshman in 2017-18, she averaged just 0.9 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 3.6 minutes per game in 17 contests. After reaching double-figures scoring for the seventh time this season at Wagner (16 points), she's upped her per-game averages to 6.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 15.5 minutes as a sophomore.
> Ozzy-Momodu doesn't have quite enough field goal attempts to qualify, but if she did, she would rank second in the NEC in field goal percentage (.564). According to the women's basketball analytics website, HerHoopStats.com, the sophomore ranks second nationally in defensive rebounding rate (32.9%) and seventh in total rebounding rate (23.8%).
 
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 22 turnovers against Saint Francis U last Thursday, the 17th game in which they have made their opponent make 20 or more mistakes. They're averaging 20.45 forced turnovers a game, a mark that leads the NEC and ranks 24th nationally. Last season, RMU forced 20 or more turnovers on 15 occasions.
> Through 29 games, RMU currently paces the NEC in scoring defense by allowing 55.1 points per game, which also slots 11th 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.
 
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 19-0 in such situations this season and went 25-0 last season. All-time, RMU is 617-0 when holding the lead at the final whistle.

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