MOON TOWNSHIP — The winter sports season is rapidly approaching its end, and the Robert Morris women’s basketball team (18-10, 15-2 NEC) will conclude their regular season on Thursday against Saint Francis University (14-15, 11-6 NEC). RMU has clinched the regular season conference title and will be the top seed in the NEC Tournament. That being said, they did lose their last game against Sacred Heart (17-11, 13-4 NEC) by the score of 54-45. The Colonials will be looking to end their regular season with a win and get some momentum on their side. Let’s take a look at this game.

A look at RMU

Many thought RMU would be successful in the NEC this year, and they proved those people right. Part of this success was attributed to their 11 game winning streak to begin conference play. Despite the injury to Megan Callahan to begin the year, the Colonials have found a way to dominate conference foes all season long.

Heading into this game, RMU is coming off a loss against second-place Sacred Heart by a final score of 54-45. In the first quarter, the Colonials were held to only four points. The first half saw the Colonial’s score only 13 points in total. Despite the loss, RMU turned the ball over only nine times. Nneka Ezeigbo also continued her string of good play by pulling down nine boards and scoring 14 points.

Aside from this loss, Robert Morris has won four out of their last five games. They also boast the best scoring defense in the conference as they allow 55.2 points per game. RMU also averages the most defensive rebounds in the conference as well. The Colonials are looking to put their recent loss behind them, and close out the regular season with a victory. There is a good chance that happens too as RMU is 11-3 at home this season.

Scouting SFU

Saint Francis U is currently tied with Saint Francis Brooklyn with an 11-6 record in the NEC. That is good for third place in the conference. In their most recent game, they defeated Wagner (10-18, 8-9 NEC) by a score of 67-58. They shot 40.1% from the field and held a 13 point lead at one point in the contest.

Overall this season, SFU has held their own in NEC play. They even strung together a six-game win streak at one point during the season. Robert Morris snapped that win streak, however. SFU has the second-best scoring offense in the conference. They average 72.5 points per game, but they also have the worst scoring defense. On average, SFU allows 76.3 points per game.

With a .403 field goal percentage, Saint Francis typically finds good shots and ranks third in the conference in that area. Jessica Kovatch leads the conference in points per game. She averages 21.4 points per contest. Kovatch is the only player in the conference to average more than 20 points per game. She also leads in three-pointers made per game. Saint Francis will look to make up for their loss to the Colonials at home this season by beating RMU at the NAC on Thursday.

Players to watch

Nneka Ezeigbo (RMU): Ezeigbo has been on fire for the Colonials. She is a rebounding machine and a dominant presence in the paint. She has carried the Colonials on her back multiple times this season. Look for her to make her presence known in this game.

Nina Augustin (RMU): Augustin is coming off a nine-point performance against Sacred Heart. She also had seven rebounds in that game as well. Augustin is a great defender and is one of the best in the conference at getting steals.

Jessica Kovatch (SFU): Kovatch is the best scorer in the NEC. She finds a way to score and make a big impact on games. Expect her to make some big shots and keep RMU on their heels.

Courtney Zezza (SFU): The Plum Borough native is coming off a game where she recorded a double-double. Her 11 points and 11 rebounds helped propel SFU to a win in their last game. She will be looking to have just as big of an impact on Thursday.

Prediction

RMU and SFU will undoubtedly play a tight game on Thursday. It will be close and either team can come out with the victory. In the end, RMU will be able to tame SFU’s scorers and secure a big win heading into the NEC Tournament

Final Score: 71-66 RMU