NEC Player of the Week: Nneka Ezeigbo, RMU

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NEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
NNEKA EZEIGBO, ROBERT MORRIS
Sr., C, 6-2, Ewing, NJ/Notre Dame HS
Week 4 Stats: 16 points, 10 rebounds, .545 FG pct. in win over Xavier
Ezeigbo’s double-double was a key component of Robert Morris’ first-ever victory over a Big East member. The senior center netted a game-high 16 points and secured 10 caroms in a 71-57 triumph over Xavier. She shot 54.5 percent from the floor and made all four of her free throw attempts. Ezeigbo was the lone athlete to produce a double-figure scoring total during the second half, scoring 10 points in 16 minutes after the break. The 6-foot-2 post player was also credited with one assist and one steal during the Colonials’ third home win of the season. Earlier in the week, Ezeigbo played limited minutes during a 63-30 rout of Division II member Pitt-Johnstown. The Garden State product tallied 10 points, six rebounds and three assists during 17 minutes of floor time. Ezeigbo, the reigning NEC Defensive Player of the Year, paces the Colonials in scoring (15.0 ppg) and rebounding (8.9 rpg) thus far this season.


NEC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
ARYNA TAYLOR, MOUNT ST. MARY’S
R-Fr., G, 5-10, Ashland, VA/Patrick Henry
Week 4 Stats: 14 points, 3 rebounds, .714 FG pct. in win over Radford
Taylor provided a scoring spark off the bench during Mount St. Mary’s double-digit road win over the defending Big South champions. The redshirt freshman totaled a game-high 14 points to go along with three rebounds in a 75-58 triumph over Radford. Playing 22 minutes, Taylor shot 71.4 percent from the field and accounted for a 3-of-5 clip from long distance. She tallied five points, one steal and one rebound, powering the Mount to a 16-4 third-quarter run over a 4:15 span. Taylor has produced double-digit scoring totals in three of her first six collegiate contests. The 5-foot-10 guard, who has hit at least one three-pointer in five of six games, has converted on 5 of her last 9 attempts from beyond the arc.


PRIME PERFORMERS (Week 4)
Nneka Ezeigbo, C (RMU)
Double-Double (16 p, 10 r) in win over Big East member Xavier; 10 points in 17 minutes vs. D2 member Pitt-Johnstown

Adrianne Hagood, G (SHU)
2 games, 18.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.5 spg; 21 points in 27 minutes in win over Detroit Mercy

Kate Mager, G (MER)
21 points, 3 rebounds, .778 FG pct., .800 3FG pct. in win over Brown

Kendall Bresee, G (MSM)
10 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, .571 FG pct. in win over Radford

Karson Swogger, G (SFU)
18 points, 5 assists, .500 3FG pct. in win over Vermont

Kiara Bell, F (LIU)
2 games, 12.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, .632 FG pct., 25 points in 35 minutes [vs. Stony Brook; vs. Hofstra]

Aryna Taylor, G (MSM)
14 points (game high), 3 rebounds, .714 FG pct. in win over Radford


TWEET SHEET
@NelCastNY
(Nov 30) #LIUWBB gets their first win of the season over Hofstra 85-46, winning by 39 in an offensive explosion. It is their largest margin of victory in nearly 8 years when they beat Wagner by 31 back on 12/5/11.

@Coach HaynesLIU
(Nov 30) Felt so great to get this first win of the season! Our team is learning to rise in the face of adversity and this was a major step in their growth!  I am proud of their heart and fight today! #RISEoverRUN

@CCurti_Trib
(Dec 1) In other stuff, @RMUWBasketball gets its first win over a Big East team, 71-57 over Xavier. @nnekaezeigbo 16 points, 10 boards. @HollyForbes_17 11 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 blocks. @natvillaflor 10 points.

@SportTours
(Nov 29) A little less than a minute to go and Sacred Heart begins playing keep away, leading 59-52 vs. Detroit Mercy #ncaaw #SouthPointShootout

@Showtime_BB
(Dec 2) Big time win @CoachKeilaSFU

@CoachKeilaSFU
(Dec 1) When you W.I.N. Together, it’s a GREAT feeling!!!!! #oneflash

@CoachAlliWSFU
(Dec 1) Quote of the day was: “Winning is like wrestling a gorilla. You don’t quit when you’re tired - you quit when the gorilla is tired.”  Today was a hard fought battle but we got it done!!!

@PCmor7
(Dec 1) Big games for local products Karson Swogger, Haley Thomas and Lili Benzel in Red Flash’s road win.

@scgirlshoops
(Nov 30) Jr. Madison Stanley here at @FDUKnightsWBB is really finding her hoops grove in Hackensack starting, scoring 13ppg) rebounding (5pg) blocks (2pg) and more.



AROUND THE ARC
BRYANT, which contested back-to-back games in Big Ten country last week, returns to Rhode Island for a home game against UMass Lowell before participating in the Ocean State Tip-off, along with Providence, URI and Brown, December 7-8.

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT, which is in the midst of three straight games against America East opponents, has boasted four different leading scorers (Emma McCamus, Ashley Berube, Ashley Forker, Bruna Vila Artigues) in the season’s first six games.

FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON out-rebounded its opponent for the first time this season, winning on the glass by a 55-43 margin during a double-overtime loss to Army with nine different Knights corralling at least three caroms apiece.

LONG ISLAND, which dished out a season-high 24 assists, landed a 39-point victory over Hofstra with all eight rotation members scoring at least four points apiece.

MERRIMACK, which limits opponents to a league-low .345 field goal percentage, is collecting a conference-best 40.9 rebounds per game with senior Denia Davis-Stewart (11.7 rpg) leading all individuals on the circuit in rebounding average.

MOUNT ST. MARY’S, which is coming off back-to-back wins over UMBC and Radford, ends a nine-day hiatus by welcoming Loyola (Dec. 6) and Lehigh (Dec. 8) to Knott Arena this week.

ROBERT MORRIS, which leads the NEC in scoring margin (+8.1/g), has only one player (Nneka Ezeigbo) ranked amongst the league’s top-25 individual scoring leaders.

SACRED HEART, which is 3-1 when it scores at least 65 points, will visit A-10 member Saint Joseph’s (Dec. 4) before enjoying nine straight days without a game.

SAINT FRANCIS U, which played into double overtime for the first time since Dec. 20, 2017 with its win at Vermont, has closed out a season-opening seven-game road swing and will open its home schedule by welcoming Youngstown State to the Stokes Center on Toys For Tots Day (Dec. 7).

ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN, which has used the same starting lineup in all seven games this season, paces the NEC in team field goal percentage (.403).

WAGNER, which out-classed D2 member Staten Island for its fourth win in November, will be idle for the first 14 days of December with a home date against Stony Brook (Dec, 15) next up on the non-conference schedule.



BIG WIN FOR RMU
Robert Morris posted the program’s first-ever victory over a Big East member and Charlie Buscaglia’s Colonials did it in convincing fashion.  

RMU forced 26 turnovers and sank a season-high 11 three-pointers in a 71-57 victory over Xavier (Dec. 1).

Nneka Ezeigbo’s layup broke a 4-4 tie 2:13 into the opening quarter and the Colonials led the rest of the way.

Robert Morris, which owned a 25-point advantage at halftime, led by as many as 28 points at one juncture.

"We have to play better with a lead," said Buscaglia, a three-time NEC Coach of the Year. "Our screws are loosening up as we get later in the game, and that's not good … we have to have more rebounding, more accountability. We really defending well for most of the game, but down the stretch we needed to be better."

The Colonials opened the season by nearly knocking off Big 12 member Texas Christian. RMU held a one-point lead after three quarters of play in the eventual 66-61 setback.

All three of Robert Morris’ losses have come by five or fewer points.



HOLLOWAY ONE BUCKET AWAY
Bryant senior forward Sydney Holloway (Morgantown, WV) recorded her 38th career double-double in a setback to Big Ten member Minnesota and moved to within one point of making program history in the process.

Holloway, who tallied 10 points and 12 boards, moved her career scoring total to 1,394 points – one point shy of Bryant’s all-time Division I scoring record (1,395) set by Breanna Rucker in 2016.

Holloway will have the chance to make history when Bryant hosts America East member UMass Lowell on December 2.

The 5-foot-10 West Virginian currently ranks second on the NEC season leader board in rebounding (11.5 rpg). She collected 25 caroms over two games against Big Ten opponents Illinois and Minnesota.


FDU SENIOR RETURNS
Fairleigh Dickinson welcomed senior Lauren Francillon (Mountain Lake Park, MD) back from injury during its double-overtime setback to Army on November 30.

Seeing her first action since the season opener at Lafayette on November 5, the veteran forward posted a double-double against Army.

“It was nice to have Lauren back,” said first-year head coach Angelika Szumilo. “I thought she did a good job stepping up and making some big baskets.”

Francillon tallied 13 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks in 23 minutes off the bench in the 70-68 setback. She entered the season as FDU’s top returning scorer and rebounder. The 6-foot-2 forward averaged 9.1 point and 5.9 caroms per contest over 29 appearances during the 2018-19 campaign.