NEC Player of the Week: Isabella Posset, RMU
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NEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
ISABELLA POSSET, ROBERT MORRIS
So., G, 5-8, Beaver, PA/Beaver
Week 11 Stats: 2 starts, 13.5 ppg, 6.0 spg, 4.5 rpg, 3.0 apg, .643 FG pct., 1.000 3FG pct.
Posset produced on both ends of the floor during a two-win week that bumped Robert Morris' conference record to 6-0. The sophomore guard accounted for 13.5 points, 6.0 steals, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per victory. Posset shot 64.3 percent from the floor, including a perfect 5-for-5 clip from three-point range. The Keystone State product reached double figures during each of the 20+ point wins. She made four triples en-route to a career-best 16-point performance against Merrimack. She also logged four steals, four boards and three assists in the 72-50 triumph. Two days later, Posset moved into second place on RMU’s single-game steals list. The 5-foot-8 guard made eight steals, spearheading a defensive effort that limited Sacred Heart to the lowest point total (43) in NEC play thus far this season. Posset scored 11 points and secured five caroms during the 73-43 victory on Martin Luther King Day.
NEC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
MARIA ROTERS, FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON
Fr., F/G, 6-0, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Week 11 Stats: 1 starts, 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist, .714 FG pct.
Roters reached double figures in scoring for the second straight NEC home win. The Spanish-born freshman tallied 12 points and secured six caroms during FDU’s 66-47 triumph over Central Connecticut. Roters, who made five consecutive field goal attempts at one juncture, scored at least two points in all four quarters of the Knights’ victory. The 6-foot small forward shot 71.4 percent from the floor and nailed her lone two free throw attempts. She also accounted for two of the team’s seven steals, helping the Knights hold their opponent under the 50-point mark for the second time in the last four games.
PRIME PERFORMERS (Week 11)
Isabella Posset, RMU
Lindsey Mack, FDU
Nneka Ezeigbo, RMU
Denia Davis-Stewart, MER
Ashley Berube, CCSU
Adrianne Hagood, SHU
Ally Lassen, SFBK
Jenna Mastellone, SFU
Emilija Krista Grava, WAG
Kiara Bell, LIU
TWEET SHEET
@Coach AngSzumilo
(Jan 20) Great team win! It was awesome to see one of my former players from the LIU days! What a skilled and tough post player she was! Love these moments! #KnightVision #uKnighted
@BaltSunSports
(Jan 20) Mount St. Mary’s women’s basketball off to best conference start in 20 years after 69-60 win over St. Francis (NY)
@CoachMarchesano
(Jan 21) This is cool...but it’s not how you start.
We are working towards the best FINISH. Gotta keep improving! ?? #MountUp
@CCurti_Trib
(Jan 20) .@RMUWBasketball routs Sacred Heart 73-43. @nnekaezeigbo 24 points in 23 minutes. She also had 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals. @isabella_posset 11 points and a personal-best 8 steals. Colonials 6-0 in @NECsports
@womhoopsguru
(Jan 20) Coming Together
Under a new staff led by @CoachAngSzumilo @FDUKnightsWBB had to adapt to new concepts & principles. It’s taking hold. After a 0-7 start, team has gone 7-3 & is 4-2 in @NECsports. Srs Courtney Blankenship & Lauren Francillon give insight. by Andy Lipton
@CraigCD13
(Jan 18) A lot to see in this 14 second clip...clutch shot by Phee after her difficult inbounds from the corner + Sam Sabino’s reaction (nearly jumping through the roof) on the bench. Big win for the Flash! #NECWBB
@PCmor7
(Jan 20) Flash will be tested by Warriors 6-1 sr. post Denia Davis-Stewart. Davis-Stewart is among NCAA leaders averaging 13.2 rebounds and 4.8 blocked shots per game. Also scoring at a 17.9 ppg clip.
@d1sportsnet
(Jan 20) Nneka Ezeigbo, a senior center on the Robert Morris University women’s basketball team, has been selected as one of 30 nominees for the Senior CLASS Award, as announced by the organization in a press release Friday afternoon.
@ncaawbb
(Jan 21) ?? BREAKING ??
@espn will air the entire first and second rounds of the NCAA DI women’s basketball championship nationally on ESPN’s television networks, eliminating regionalization.
AROUND THE ARC
BRYANT, which set a season high with 15 steals, posted its first home win since a December 20 triumph over America East member Albany, topping LIU at the Chace Center in the team’s lone game last week.
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT center Ashley Berube (Londonderry, NH) and guard Ashley Forker (Telford, PA) are the lone two Blue Devils to start all 18 games this season with the former ranking amongst the NEC’s top-10 leaders in both scoring and rebounding.
FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON, which held CCSU to a 1-for-6 clip from downtown in its most-recent victory, has limited opponents to a league-low 89 three-point field goal attempts during conference play.
LONG ISLAND, which is 2-2 over the span, has seen its last four games each decided by five points or fewer.
MERRIMACK has won four of its last five NEC games following an 0-2 start to conference play and senior forward Denia Davis-Stewart (Dorchester, MA) posted a double-double in all four victories.
MOUNT ST. MARY’S, which has seen four different women lead the team in scoring over the last four games, improved to 4-0 against NEC teams this season at Knott Arena with two wins last week.
ROBERT MORRIS, which paces the circuit in scoring defense (57.3), went 4-0 during its recently-completed four-game home stand and did not allow more than 50 points in any of the four contests.
SACRED HEART, which suffered three straight road losses, returns home for one game against FDU (Jan. 25) before hitting the road again for two more away from home.
SAINT FRANCIS U suffered its first double-digit defeat in a month and watched its three-game home win streak fall at the hand of Merrimack in its first-ever meeting with the Warriors.
ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN, which is 4-2 at home this season, will look to snap its current four-game slide with a three-game home stand tipping off against Saint Francis U (Jan. 25).
WAGNER swept the NEC’s Brooklyn-based contingent last week, winning back-to-back games for the first time since November when the Seahawks posted a three-game win streak (SPU, UMBC, NJIT).
QUOTABLE
CHARLIE BUSCAGLIA (Robert Morris), Head Coach
“We have to be able to know the culture of a game, no matter what the score is. We had to stay in control. (Sacred Heart) made a run in the third quarter and I give them credit for playing so hard and continuing to battle. We responded well (in the fourth quarter) after they were outworking us (in the third quarter).”
- after being out-scored by a 20-15 in the third quarter, the Colonials returned the favor by a 20-6 count in the fourth to close out a 73-43 triumph
“Last Saturday (against Wagner) we didn’t come out sharp and didn’t get better as the game went on. Today was a different story. We focused on some certain things and had to stay hungry through the week. It was a big week of accountability and being able to handle a couple of wins at home, and not be comfortable because we were at home. I like how we closed it out today, we had a lot of accountability and showed no fear on taking our shots.”
- after RMU completed the season sweep of Merrimack with a 72-50 wire-to-wire win
ANGELIKA SZUMILO (Fairleigh Dickinson), Head Coach
“We spent a lot of time talking to our players not underestimating Central Connecticut. They’re a talented team and have one of the best forwards in the league, so we knew we had to really bring our A-game defensively to be in position to win this game. It was all about team defense, and I think we did a very good job of keeping our person in front of us and, when they did try to get the ball inside, doubling and being there for each other.”
- after FDU limited its opponent to a .306 field goal percentage, keeping CCSU winless in NEC play