Women's Basketball | 2/22/2020 9:18:00 AM
Moon Township, Pa. – Coming off its first Northeast Conference (NEC) defeat on Friday against Mount St. Mary's, the
Robert Morris University women's basketball team looks to rebound on Sunday, Feb. 23 with a road contest at Fairleigh Dickinson. The Colonials can claim a share of their fourth consecutive NEC regular-season championship with two more wins, while the Knights are currently in the driver's seat to host a home quarterfinal game as the fourth seed.
GAME #27
Robert Morris Colonials (19-7, 14-1 NEC) @ Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (10-15, 7-7 NEC)
Sunday, February 23, 2020 // 1:00 p.m. // Hackensack, N.J. – Stratis Arena at the Rothman Center (6,000)
Live Video: NEC Front Row // Live Stats: RMUColonials.com
Notes Package: Robert Morris // Fairleigh Dickinson
History w/ Fairleigh Dickinson
Overall: 44-26 | Home: 28-9 | Away: 16-16 | Neutral: 0-1 | Streak: W10
Last Game: Feb. 15, 2020 – Moon Township, Pa. – Robert Morris 53, Fairleigh Dickinson 35
Robert Morris owns a 44-26 lead in the all-time series and has been victorious in the last 10 matchups. The Colonials and Knights have met in four of the last five NEC Tournament quarterfinal rounds (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019), with RMU emerging with the win each time.
Despite failing to make a three-pointer for the first time in 221 games in their most recent meeting, the Colonials came away with a 53-35 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson on Feb. 15. On her Senior Day,
Nneka Ezeigbo scored a season-high 26 points (10-13 FG, 6-10 FT) and added seven rebounds, three steals, and a block.
RMU topped the Knights, 63-43, in the last matchup at Stratis Arena. The Colonials opened up a 23-9 lead after the first quarter and never looked back, moving to 9-0 in the NEC. Ezeigbo (12),
Nina Augustin (10), and
Natalie Villaflor (10) all scored in double figures for the visitors.
Scouting the Knights
First-year head coach Angelika Szumilo has Fairleigh Dickinson in contention to host a NEC Tournament quarterfinal contest, as her team currently sits fifth in the standings at 7-7. The Knights, who are 10-15 overall, have won their last two games against Long Island (64-50) and Central Connecticut (63-55).
The forward duo of junior Madison Stanley and senior Lauren Francillon lead FDU in scoring, coming in at 12.3 and 11.0 points per game, respectively. Francillon is shooting at 48.6 percent clip from the field and averages a team highs in rebounds (6.8) and blocks (1.2). Sophomore guard Rachael Niles paces the Knights in minutes (35.1) and leads the team in assists (2.8) and steals (1.1), while providing 9.1 points per contest.
The Knights slot third in the NEC in scoring defense (62.42), field goal percentage defense (.398), assist-to-turnover ratio (0.80), and three-pointers made (6.88), and rank fourth in rebounding margin (+1.21). FDU is near the bottom of the league in turnover margin (-2.04, 8th), scoring offense (57.67, 9th), and steals (5.25, 10th).
The Defense (Never) Rests
Robert Morris prides itself on its defense and this season is no different. The Colonials enters this meeting ranked seventh nationally in scoring defense (53.5), 12th in three-point field goal defense (.265), 13th in turnovers forced (21.32) and turnover margin (+6.36), 18th in steals (10.9), and 23rd in field goal percentage defense (.354).
Last season, RMU slotted 12th in the NCAA in scoring defense (55.3), 24th in turnovers forced (20.18), 26th in turnover margin (+4.18), and 32nd in steals (9.9). The Colonials have posted a top-25 scoring defense in each of the last three seasons, coming in at 25th in 2016-17 (57.0), and eighth in 2017-18 (54.1). The 2017-18 mark in a school record.
RMU is in the midst of an impressive streak, causing double-digit turnovers in each of its last 157 games. In 74 of those contests, the Colonials have forced 20 or more turnovers from their opponent - a number that includes 16 such instances this season.
Bench Brigade
The Colonial bench has produced all season long, averaging 24.5 points per game and 11.0 more than their opponents' reserves. The unit has tallied double-digit points in 23 consecutive games and 25 contests overall, while hitting the 20-point mark in 14 of the last 15.
Charlie Buscaglia has always had a strong bench since taking over as head coach prior to 2016-17. RMU received 23.5 points per game from its reserves in 2018-19 and 20.0 in 2017-18.
The Colonial bench has scored 30 or more points five times this season, highlighted by hitting a season-high 39 points on Feb. 1 against Central Connecticut. Since 2016-17, RMU is 18-1 when it receives 30 or more points from its reserves.
Share The Wealth
Senior center
Nneka Ezeigbo won her third NEC Player of the Week award of the season on Wednesday, as she was bestowed the honor after averaging 21.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game in wins against Fairleigh Dickinson and Saint Francis U.
Ezeigbo's third plaudit of 2019-20 is also the fifth of her career. She is one of three Colonials to win Player of the Week, alongside sophomore guard
Isabella Posset (Jan. 22) and
Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu (Feb. 12). No other school has had multiple players earn the recognition this season, and this is the first time in program history three different Colonials have been named Player of the Week in a campaign.
Double Trouble
The center duo of
Nneka Ezeigbo and
Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu has been dominant in the NEC this season. On Feb. 8 at Sacred Heart, the pair each posted a double-double, marking the second time that has happened in their careers (Jan. 28, 2019 vs. SHU) and the first time it was accomplished on the road since Jan. 27, 2014 at Fairleigh Dickinson. Ezeigbo finished with team highs in points (15) and rebounds (11), while Ozzy-Momodu provided 13 points and 10 caroms off the bench.
In conference games, the two are combining for an average of 25.6 points on 57.0 percent shooting, 17.6 rebounds, 2.9 steals, and 1.3 blocks. They have posted 12 double-doubles between the two of them.
Oops, We Did It Again
For the third consecutive season Robert Morris broke the program record for best conference start, winning its first 14 games before suffering a defeat. The Colonials previously went 9-0 in 2017-18 to establish a new standard, then topped that in 2018-19 with an 11-0 start. In both seasons, RMU finished with a 16-2 record in the NEC.
The Colonials are the fourth team since 2000 to start 14-0 in the NEC, joining 2004 Saint Francis U, 2009 Sacred Heart, and 2013 Quinnipiac. With its next victory, RMU will secure at least a share of its fourth straight NEC regular-season title. The last team to do that was Saint Francis U, who won four in a row from 2001-02 to 2004-05.
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 22-0 last season. All-time, RMU is 639-0 when holding the lead at the final whistle.
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