Loretto, Pa. – The Robert Morris University women's basketball team remained undefeated in Northeast Conference (NEC) play with its 14th victory, as the Colonials picked up their fourth consecutive win against Saint Francis U, 66-57, this evening at DeGol Arena.
Finishing a point shy of its 11th straight double-digit win, Robert Morris (19-6, 14-0 NEC) used its opportunistic defense to record the victory, turning Saint Francis U (11-15, 9-6 NEC) over 22 times – 17 of those turnovers coming in the first half. The Red Flash outshot the Colonials, 40.0 to 34.9 percent, and owned a 43-32 difference on the glass, but the visitors committed just five turnovers offensively and had three players reach double figures in scoring.
"It was a good moment for us because we started off sluggish," said head coach Charlie Buscaglia. "Give (Saint Francis U) a lot of credit, they came ready to play and played at a very good pace. We had to respond at a tough moment like going down 7-0, and take each possession as its own and dig in there. That was one of the positives of tonight's game, there were some screws to be tightened but we dug in there and started to change the culture by causing turnovers and pushing the ball."
After being shut out in the first half, Nneka Ezeigbo exploded for 16 points (6-9 FG, 4-6 FT) over the final 20 minutes to lead all scorers. Isabella Posset added 13 points (5-10 FG, 3-4 FT) and three steals, while Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu posted her fifth consecutive double-double with 11 points (4-8 FG, 3-5 FT) and 10 caroms off the bench.
RMU struggled out of the gate and fell behind 7-0 early, but used its own 7-0 run to knot it with 2:54 to go in the opening frame. Karson Swogger buried a three to put SFU back in front, but a three-point play from Ozzy-Momodu and a Natalie Villaflor trey gave the visitors a 13-10 lead at the whistle.
That gap reached double digits over the next 5:30, starting with a pair of Honoka Ikematsu mid-range jumpers. Jada Dapaa's free throws were the only points for the Red Flash over the stretch, as the Colonials grew their advantage to 23-12 following a Posset layup. The sophomore guard again struck at the last moments of the half, darting into the paint and finishing off the glass to retain the 11-point lead at 28-17.
Another Posset bucket and two from Ezeigbo gave RMU its largest lead at 34-17, and the gap would remain at double figures for the remainder of the quarter. SFU pulled as close as six with 1:18 on the clock after two Swogger free throws, but the Colonials would seal the victory by finishing 8-of-12 at the free throw stripe.
This is the first time either team has won four straight in the series since RMU captured seven consecutive wins over the Red Flash from Jan. 11, 2006 to Jan. 3, 2009.
The five turnovers are tied for the fewest this season for the Colonials, matching their effort on Jan. 25 at Long Island (W, 70-59).
Robert Morris returns home for its first matchup of the season against Mount St. Mary's, who currently sit second in the NEC standings. The Colonials and Mountaineers will tip at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21 at Peoples Court at the UPMC Events Center.
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