MOON TOWNSHIP — The Robert Morris Colonials women’s basketball team (20-10) is hosting another playoff game against the Mount Saint Mary’s Mountaineers (15-15) on Thursday, March 14 at 7:00 p.m. at the North Athletic Complex. The Colonials are coming off a standout win against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (8-22) by the score of 64-38. The Mountaineers won the first round of the playoffs with a closer score against the Saint Francis Brooklyn Terriers (18-13).

Recapping RMU

In the first round, the Colonials hosted and won with a final score of 64-38. In the first quarter the teams were neck and neck as the Colonials scored 12 points while the Knights scored 11. In the second and fourth quarter the Colonials scored 16 points and they kept the Knights at scoring nine points in the second, third and fourth quarter. In the third quarter, the Colonials scored 20 points. The star players for the Colonials were Nina Augustin who scored 13 points, Natalie Villaflor who recovered seven rebounds and Nia Adams who had four assists.

Recapping MSM

The Mountaineers had a tight game against the Terriers with the final score being 80-74 in favor of the Mountaineers. The Mountaineers jumped to an early lead in the first quarter as they scored 21 points and the Terriers trailed with 16 points. In the second quarter, the Mountaineers still had the lead, but were outscored 19-14 and the third quarter was no different with the Terriers closing the gap in the score. In the final quarter of the game the Mountaineers turned up their scoring game as they score 27 points in the last quarter and that sealed the win. The star players for the Mountaineers were Michaela Harrison who scored 23 points, Jatarrikah Settle who recovered 11 rebounds and four assists.

Players to watch

Nneka Ezeigbo (RMU): Ezeigbo led the team in almost every offensive and defensive category this season. She had started and played in all 30 of the Colonials games this season and she had scored 368 points then she averages 12.3 points per game. She led the team in field goal percentage with .477 then had averaged 7.6 rebounds recovered per game.

Isabella Posset (RMU): Posset came into this season a one of the four freshmen on the squad. She has led the team in assists with 79 and steals with 57. She averages 7.9 points per game and had a free throw percentage of .725.

Juliette Lawless (MSM): Lawless leads the team in field goal percentage with 48.7 and free throw shots made percentage with 71.9. She has a total of 467 points scored and she averages 16.1 points per game. As the only senior of this squad, she brings the experience and the ability to know how to score to the Mountaineers.

Michaela Harrison (MSM): Harrison is a freshman for the Mountaineers who has averaged 13.3 points per game. She leads the team in three point shots made with 81 and has an average of 34.2. She averages 3.4 rebounds per game plus a 85.9 free throw average, which is the highest on the team.

Prediction

I think the Colonials will defeat the Mountaineers and go to the NEC championship. The Mountaineers will make the Colonials earn the win though and I think the final score will be 75-70. If the Colonials win, the championship will be on Sunday, March 17 at the North Athletic Complex at 2 p.m.