Women's Basketball | 2/9/2020 9:56:00 AM
Moon Township, Pa. – Winners of its last eight games by double-digits and 11 overall, the
Robert Morris University women's basketball team attempts to break its program record for best Northeast Conference (NEC) start for the third consecutive season on Monday, Feb. 10 when it plays at Wagner. The Colonials, who clinched a spot in their 25th NEC Tournament at Sacred Heart on Saturday, have begun the league slate 9-0 in 2017-18 and 11-0 last year.
GAME #23
Robert Morris Colonials (16-6, 11-0 NEC) @ Wagner Seahawks (8-13, 4-6 NEC)
Monday, February 10, 2020 // 7:00 p.m. // Staten Island, N.Y. – Spiro Sports Center (2,100)
Live Video: NEC Front Row // Live Stats: WagnerAthletics.com
Notes Package: Robert Morris // Wagner
History w/ Wagner
Overall: 36-31 | Home: 18-14 | Away: 15-16 | Neutral: 3-1 | Streak: W9
Last Game: Jan. 11, 2020 – Moon Township, Pa. – Robert Morris 51, Wagner 47
Robert Morris is 36-31 against Wagner all-time and has won the last nine meetings, but three of the last five have been decided by six points or fewer.
The Colonials narrowly escaped a persistent Seahawks squad in their first meeting this season, a 51-47 victory on Jan. 11 at the UPMC Events Center.
Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu led RMU with 13 points off the bench, while
Isabella Posset fell a rebound shy of a double-double with 10 points and nine caroms.
Last year in Staten Island, the Colonials scored 32 of their 77 points in the first quarter and won the NEC regular-season title outright with a 77-57 triumph over Wagner.
Nneka Ezeigbo had 20 points (9-13 FG) in just 17 minutes, and Ozzy-Momodu contributed 16 points and nine rebounds off the bench.
Scouting the Seahawks
Guided by fourth-year head coach Heather Jacobs, Wagner is 8-13 overall and 4-6 in the NEC, tied with Bryant and Long Island for seventh in the standings. The Seahawks have won four of their last six against St. Francis Brooklyn (74-66), LIU (63-61, OT), Bryant (58-45), and Saint Francis U (55-50) after beginning the conference slate at 0-4.
Three players average double figures in scoring for Wagner, led by sophomore forward Emilija Krista Grava. Krista Grava averages 16.0 points on 49.3 percent shooting, adding team highs in rebounding (5.8) and blocks (0.8). Junior forward Khaleah Edwards is at 10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game with a team-best 38 three-pointers, while freshman guard Alex Cowan averages 10.2 points per contest, shoots 37.8 percent from deep, and plays a team-high 32.2 minutes per game.
The Seahawks are one of the league's better offensive units, ranking second in assists (14.10), and fourth in three-point percentage (.322), three-pointers made (6.90), and free throw percentage (.728). They also slot fourth in three-point field goal defense (.314), but come in near the bottom of the conference in scoring defense (68.33, 9th), field goal percentage defense (.428, 10th), and blocks (1.62, 10th).
#NECNewYear
Robert Morris has opened the conference slate with a 11-0 record for the second consecutive season, and can break the program record for best NEC start with a win at Wagner on Monday. This is the third consecutive season that the Colonials have tied or topped the mark for best NEC start, previously going 9-0 in 2017-18 and 11-0 in 2018-19.
RMU is 15-1 in conference openers since 2004-05 after an 86-56 victory at Central Connecticut on Jan. 2. The lone blemish during that stretch came on Dec. 31, 2016, a 69-59 loss at Sacred Heart.
The margin of victory in those 15 lidlifter wins has been 16.5 points per game, with 11 of those triumphs coming by double-digits. The Colonials are now 22-13 all-time in ECAC Metro / NEC opening contests.
Bench Brigade
The Colonial bench has produced all season long, averaging 24.6 points per game and 11.5 more than their opponents' reserves. The unit has tallied double-digit points in 19 consecutive games and 21 contests overall, while hitting the 20-point mark in 11 straight.
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 four times this season, highlighted by hitting a season-high 39 points on Feb. 1 against Central Connecticut. Since 2016-17, RMU is 17-1 when it receives 30 or more points from its reserves.
In February, We Wear Pink
It has been a tradition for Robert Morris to don pink alternate jerseys during select February games to raise breast cancer awareness. It has also been a tradition for the Colonials to win those contests. Since the 2013-14 season, RMU has accumulated a 27-1 record when wearing pink jerseys.
RMU has averaged 15.5 more points than its opponents in the tint, with 22 of its 27 triumphs coming by double figures. Last season, the Colonials went 6-0 in pink with a 13.8-point average margin of victory, and finished 3-0 in 2017-18 and 4-0 in 2016-17.
30 Rock
Robert Morris tied a single-season program record with its fifth 30-point victory this past Monday, a 69-39 decision against Bryant. The Colonials previously accomplished this on Nov. 27 against Pitt-Johnstown (63-30), Jan. 2 at Central Connecticut (86-56), Jan. 20 against Sacred Heart (73-43), and Feb. 1 against the Blue Devils (80-42).
RMU matched the 2006-07 side with five 30-point triumphs, and now has 59 wins of 30 points or more in its all-time history. The 38-point rout of Central Connecticut on Feb. 1 is tied for the 18th largest margin of victory in program annals.
The Defense (Never) Rests
Robert Morris prides itself on its defense and this season is no different. The Colonials entered the weekend ranked 13th nationally in turnovers forced (21.62), 19th in turnover margin (+5.86), 22nd in steals (11.0), 24th in scoring defense (55.9), 45th in field goal percentage defense (.363), and 49th in three-point field goal defense (.279) - the first four numbers also topping the conference circuit.
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, breaking the previous standard set the year prior.
RMU is in the midst of an impressive streak, causing double-digit turnovers in each of its last 153 games. In 71 of those contests, the Colonials have forced 20 or more turnovers from their opponent - a number that includes 13 such instances this season.
Double Trouble
The center duo of
Nneka Ezeigbo and
Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu has been dominant in the NEC this season. This past Saturday 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 25.1 points on 56.0 percent shooting, 18.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals, and 1.5 blocks. They share the third spot in the NEC in rebounding (8.4) and have posted nine double-doubles between the two of them.
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 16-0 in such situations this season, and went 22-0 last season. All-time, RMU is 636-0 when holding the lead at the final whistle.
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