The move also serves as a homecoming for Ikematsu, who is a native of Japan, as she gets the opportunity to play in the professional ranks of her home country. The Kumamoto native debuted with RMU during the 2017-18 season and became the first Japanese player in program history in the process. Her prowess from three-point range was on full display throughout that campaign, with her 65 3-pointers and .414 3-point percentage ranking inside of the top-10 in program history for a single season. 

Despite a carousel of guards causing a plethora of lineup changes during Ikematsu’s time with RMU, she still managed to start in 61 of her 102 games as a Colonial and even started in all 32 games as a freshman. During her first season, she was also named to the NEC All-Rookie Team and won a pair of NEC Rookie of the Week honors. 

Ikematsu heads to the JWBL after posting career averages of 6.9 points, 1.9 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game with Robert Morris. Her previously mentioned excellence from behind the arc also slots her at sixth all-time in 3-pointers made with 163. 

The Yamanashi Queenbees have been members of the JWBL since 2011 and finished with a 1-19 record last season.

The post RMU’s Honoka Ikematsu Lands Pro Deal in Native Japan appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

On Tuesday, the university announced that Castro will, again, represent her native Argentina at the FIBA Women’s Americup. The tournament is slated to begin on June 11 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and will run through June 19.

The honor comes off of what was a fantastic season for Castro from a personal performance standpoint. She was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team and led RMU in scoring with 9.9 points per game. In the process, Castro registered three double-doubles and topped the 20-point marker on two occasions. 

After holding her own with the Colonials, Castro now joins Argentina as the third youngest member of their 12-player roster. Argentina is set to compete against the United States, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Venezuela in Group B play. Castro and company take on the Dominican Republic in the club’s first game. Competing in Group A are Brazil, Canada, the Virgin Islands, El Salvador and Columbia.

Argentina takes on Castro’s adopted home of America on June 15.

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Departures from key post players such as Nneka Ezeigbo and Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu left a void in the Colonials’ roster. Castro stepped up in a big way, leading RMU in both points, rebounds and field goal percentage this season while starting all 16 games.

A big weekend against Wright State, the eventual regular season champions, served as Castro’s breakout weekend. She registered 23 points and 11 rebounds for her first career double-double as a Colonial in the first game of the set, and finished with 20 points and five rebounds in the second game. Despite struggling in their first season in their new conference, the Colonials walked out with a sweep that weekend to earn their first conference wins.

Castro reached double figures in five of the six remaining games on RMU’s schedule and registered another double-double against Youngstown State on Jan. 30. The team’s trust in the freshman was evident too, with Castro playing over 30 minutes in six of the team’s last eight games.

Sharing the honors with Castro are Jaida McCloud of UIC, Cleveland State’s Destiny Leo, Nneka Obiazor from Youngstown State and Emani Jefferson from Wright State.

Castro and the Colonials return to action on Thursday to take part in the Horizon League Tournament against Northern Kentucky at 7 p.m. 

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Due to the suspension of Detroit Mercy’s season, the upcoming Horizon League women’s basketball tournament will slightly differ from the men’s draw. The top five seeds have received automatic bids to the quarterfinal round and the six through 11 seeds will compete in the first round starting on Thursday, Feb. 25. 

Another recent change to this year’s tournament is that all games will not be held in Indianapolis. Instead, the first two rounds will take place on campus sites with the higher seed serving as the host.

The seeds for the tournament are as follows:

1. Wright State 15-7, 15-5
2. Milwaukee 18-6, 15-5
3. Green Bay 15-6, 14-4
4. Oakland 12-11, 12-8
5. IUPUI 13-4, 11-3
6. Cleveland State 9-8, 8-8
7. Youngstown State 9-7, 9-7
8. Northern Kentucky 7-10, 7-5
9. Robert Morris 4-12, 4-12
10. Purdue Fort Wayne 1-21, 1-19
11. UIC 1-13, 3-15

Following a series split with previously winless Purdue Fort Wayne, Robert Morris must now prepare for its matchup with Northern Kentucky. RMU began its inaugural season in the Horizon League on the losing end of both games of their two game series with the Norse back on Dec. 12 and 13. A later series between the two sides was canceled in January. 

The recent location changes makes RMU pulling off a few upsets a much more daunting task. In 10 road games this season, the Colonials have just one win to their credit. That win came on Saturday against Purdue Fort Wayne. 

If the Colonials managed to get into the quarterfinal round, they would play Wright State, Milwaukee or Green Bay. RMU managed to go 2-2 against the top-seeded Raiders during the regular season. That mark is better than their 0-2 record against Milwaukee, which includes two double-digit losses. Green Bay is one of four teams that did not play Robert Morris this season during conference play.

The contest between the Colonials and Northern Kentucky is scheduled for Thursday at 7:00 p.m.

Below is the full tournament bracket:

We have announced the 2021 #HLWBB championship bracket!

The action starts on Thursday with 3 first-round matchups!

: https://t.co/9RFESYbJRW pic.twitter.com/3oogQlbOJ7

— Horizon League (@HorizonLeague) February 20, 2021

The post Robert Morris Women Seeded 9th in Horizon League Tournament; Will Face NKU appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

In addition to a few other changes, the NCAA announced that it was waiving its .500 record requirement for the Division I women’s basketball tournament this season. This means that teams with losing records will be eligible for the postseason.

The NCAA altered the rule this season to “provide ultimate flexibility for teams due to COVID-19.” Normally, teams have to have winning records to considered for an at-large bid to the tournament. But in the midst of this pandemic, nothing is normal.

Some things will remain the same, though. The tournament will still include 64 teams this season, the same number it has always had since its last expansion in 1994.

The bracket – which will be released on March 15 at 7 p.m. on ESPN – will feature 31 automatic qualifiers made up of conference champions and then 33 at-large bids. If a conference tournament isn’t held, that conference must choose a team to represent it as the automatic qualifier by March 14.

Typically, there are 32 automatic bids, but the Ivy League opted out of playing this season. Should another league choose to opt-out of the remainder of the regular season or the postseason, the NCAA will simply fill the automatic qualifier spot with an at-large bid.

In addition to the Ivy League, Bethune-Cookman, Cal State Northridge, Maryland Eastern Shore, Florida A&M, SMU, Dixie State and San Jose State have opted out of playing women’s basketball this year during the pandemic. Three Power 5 teams – Duke, Virginia and Vanderbilt – have also canceled the remainder of their seasons.

In all, 18 of 354 women’s basketball teams are no longer playing this season.

“The committee continues to adjust to the circumstances of the current season and feel that decisions reached in regard to the 2021 championship are in the best interest of the championship while ensuring the health and safety of all concerned,” Nina King, the senior deputy athletics director at Duke and chair of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee, said in a statement. “We will continue to protect the integrity of the selection, seeding and bracketing process as we work through any new developments.”

The tournament bracket will continue to be ordered by the use of an S-curve, ensuring that higher-seeded teams are placed against the lower-seeded teams. The committee will attempt to keep teams from the same conference from meeting until the regional final round.

This was something that could have changed if the NCAA was going to play the earlier rounds of the tournament the way it has been done in previous years – having the top 16 seeds host the opening weekend, and playing the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight at regionalized locations. However, like the men’s tournament, it is expected that the women’s tournament will be played in full in one geographic area; likely San Antonio, Texas. Because of this, the committee decided to remove geographic considerations for placing teams into the bracket for the 2021 championship only.

For each team that makes the tournament, the NCAA has increased the size of the allowed travel party from 31 to 34 for additional team support.

Duquesne’s Libby Bazelak slashes through the Davidson defense on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020 at the John M. Belk Arena in Davidson, N.C. (Mitchell Northam / Pittsburgh Sports Now)

Before the start of the season, the NCAA announced that teams must play a minimum of 13 games to be considered for the women’s basketball tournament. However, the committee will now consider championship eligibility waiver requests from teams unable to reach that mark. The committee is also allowing teams to count one conference tournament game toward their total.

In the ACC, No. 1 Louisville, Notre Dame, Clemson, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Boston College lead the way in games-played, each notching 12 so far. In the latest bracketology from The Next, eight ACC teams were projected to make the NCAA tournament.

Lance White’s Pitt team hasn’t played since Dec. 20. The Panthers announced the team was pausing all activities on Dec. 30 following a positive COVID-19 test within the program. Five games have been postponed since. The 3-3 Panthers are scheduled to play Thursday at home vs. Miami.

Duquesne has played in nine games so far, but is saddled with a 2-7 record. After going 17-1 in the NEC last season, Robert Morris is off to an 0-8 start in its first season of play in the Horizon League.

The post NCAA Waives Win % Requirement for Women’s NCAA Tournament, Other Changes Announced appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

The men’s matchups against IUPUI on Dec. 8 and 9 have been cancelled due to positive COVID tests, subsequent quarantining, and contact tracing within the RMU program.

The Robert Morris women’s basketball program had changed its opponent this weekend to Northern Kentucky, as the Colonials will now take on the Norse on Jan. 8 and 9.

Through six games, RMU stands at 3-3, with its most recent win coming against Milwaukee on Jan. 1. With these cancellations, the Colonials have now missed seven games, including a matchup against West Virginia that was originally scheduled for Dec. 9. Their next scheduled contests will be at Northern Kentucky on Jan. 15 and 16.

The RMU women were originally scheduled to take on UIC, a program who has since paused team activities due to COVID-19 within the program. Instead, the Norse will come to town for two games. On Friday, Jan. 8, the game will tip off at 1:00 p.m., while Saturday’s contest will start at noon. Both of the games will be televised on ESPN3. The Colonials will host both games at the UPMC Events Center and no fans will be in attendance.

The Colonials currently stand at 0-6, and have already played NKU twice, losing 61-33 and 62-50 on Dec. 12 and 13, respectively.

The post RMU Men’s Basketball Games Canceled; Women Change Opponent appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

Ezeigbo finished her Robert Morris career sixth all-time in program history with 1,358 points, fourth in rebounds with 870 and fifth in blocks with 109. She won four Northeast Conference regular season titles and two NEC Tournaments.

“I’m extremely excited to start this new phase in my life and take my basketball career to the next level,” Ezeigbo said in a press release. “I want to thank my RMU team for always having my back and the coaching staff for pushing me and help cater to my needs. I would not be where I am today without their support!”

Nneka Ezeigbo Latest in Long Line of Robert Morris Greats

“Nneka has developed a great deal over her four years,” said Robert Morris head coach Charlie Buscaglia. “During the recruiting process, I will always remember sitting down and discussing that becoming a professional after her journey with us was very possible, and she explained that becoming a pro was a dream of hers. Well, that dream is now a reality, and she joins a list of RMU greats that earned this amazing opportunity. We are all very excited for Nneka, and know she will serve her new team well in Spain.”

A Ewing, New Jersey native, Ezeigbo is the 22nd former Colonial to sign a professional contact.

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The news of Robert Morris being a candidate in the Horizon League was first reported by Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

The change could come as soon as the 2020-21 season. RMU has played in the Northeast Conference since joining NCAA Division I in 1981

The Horizon League currently has 10 schools across the Midwest, with the nearest potential opponents being Cleveland State and Youngstown State in eastern Ohio. The rest of the conference is Detroit, Fort Wayne, Green Bay, Illinois-Chicago, IUPUI, Milwaukee, Northern Kentucky, Oakland and Wright State.

The schools are mostly public, with the exception of Detroit, and have endowments between $28.7 and $850 million. Robert Morris is a private university with an endowment of $36.3 million as of 2018.

The Horizon League sponsors baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field.

In addition to those sports, Robert Morris sponsors football, men’s and women’s ice hockey and men’s and women’s lacrosse. The hockey teams play in unaffiliated leagues, but football and the lacrosse teams would need to find new homes, as they are not sponsored by the Horizon League.

With six men’s teams, Robert Morris is at the Division minimum, and could not cut football or men’s lacrosse without adding another sport.

From a men’s basketball perspective, the Colonials would be moving up in Division I. According to KenPom.com, the NEC was 27th amongst conferences in average adjusted efficiency in 2019-20, while the Horizon League was 22nd.

Robert Morris was the No. 207 team in the country in adjusted efficiency in 2019-20, which was third in the NEC, behind St. Francis University and Sacred Heart. It would have been fourth in the Horizon League, behind Wright State, Northern Kentucky and Illinois-Chicago.

RMU’s new UPMC Events Center, which opened in 2019, seats 4,000, which would be the smallest in the Horizon League. The current league venues range from Cleveland State’s 13,610-seat Wolstein Arena to Oakland’s 4,005-seat Athletics Center O’rena.

The league is set to add Fort Wayne for 2020, which will give the conference an uneven number of teams with 11 participants. 

Pittsburgh Sports Now has learned that Robert Morris has also been considering joining the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and that as recently as this winter, the MAAC was seen by some in the athletics department as a better fit for RMU.

That conference, with teams in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, is made up of exclusively private schools, with endowments ranging from $32 to $388 million. The closest opponents in the MAAC would be Niagara and Canisius near Buffalo, New York.

Five of RMU’s former conference opponents are in the MAAC. Siena joined the MAAC in 1989. Marist and Rider did so in 1997. Monmouth and Quinnipiac jumped to the MAAC in 2013. The other schools in the conference are Fairfield, Iona, Manhattan and St. Peter’s.

MAAC basketball facilities range from Siena’s 15,229-seat Times Union Center to Rider’s 1,650-seat Alumni Gymnasium. The MAAC was 21st in KenPom.com‘s efficiency ranking, one better than the Horizon League. RMU would have been the fifth-best team in the league, behind Siena, St. Peter’s, Rider and Monmouth.

Robert Morris is already an affiliate member of the MAAC for women’s rowing. The MAAC also sponsors men’s and women’s lacrosse, but does not sponsor football. That conference has been playing with 11 teams since 2013.

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The move comes in response to the continued concern surrounding the emergence of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 as a public health threat.

“I have made the decision to conduct our upcoming championship events, including the Division-I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, with only essential staff and limited family attendance,” Emmert’s statement read. “While I understand how disappointing this is for all fans of our sports, my decision is based on the current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States. This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans and, most importantly, our student-athletes.”

In addition, the NCAA will attempt to move the Final Four from Mercedes-Benz Stadium into a smaller venue in Atlanta, along with regional sites. First-round sites are expected to be played in scheduled venues.

The Robert Morris men’s basketball team has already cliched a berth in the tournament, and is expected to play in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio next week without fans.

“We’re all figuring it out as we go,” RMU head coach Andy Toole said after his team’s NEC title game win on Tuesday. “We don’t necessarily know what’s right, what’s wrong, and everybody’s trying to make the best decisions possible. Everybody associated with the NCAA Tournament will do the same.”

Toole added that he hopes that family members of players and coaches will be allowed to attend games and that he won’t let the prospect of playing without fans get the Colonials’ down about their return to the event.

“We’re just happy to be playing,” Toole added. “Whatever goes on outside of that, we can’t worry about it. We’re going to be ready to play, whoever our opponent is, wherever they send us. We’re just happy to put the jersey on one more day.”

NC State coach Kevin Keatts, whose Wolfpack may have secured an NCAA Tournament berth with a win over Pitt, reacted to the news that the tournament will played without fans.

“It’s a serious problem, and it’s not an athletic problem,” Keatts said. “It’s a problem all across the country, and so I don’t think anybody here or anybody in the sports world should obviously complain about what the people that know what’s going on will decide to do.

“In our situation, we’ll play wherever they tell us, but we also want to make sure that our kids and our coaches are all protected and are safe. I don’t really have a true answer other than I’m not the smartest guy when it comes to this. I’m going to listen to the people that’s above us, and wherever they tell us to go, wherever they tell us to play, or if it’s fans or not fans, we’ll do it.”

Major conference tournament games, including Pitt’s game Wednesday in the ACC Tournament were played as scheduled, but the ACC will go without fans beginning on Thursday, as will the Atlantic 10, AAC, Big 12, Big East, Pac-12, SEC and other conferences.

The Robert Morris women, who will host the NEC semifinal at UPMC Events Center on Thursday, will do so with limited attendance, and that policy will remain in place if they advance to Saturday’s NEC final.

The NIT will still be played, but without fans, according to Andy Katz of NCAA.com. The CBI has announced that its tournament will not be played.

The Ivy League canceled its conference basketball tournaments, sending regular-season champs to the NCAA Tournament in place, and has also canceled all spring sports. Other leagues, such as the MAC and Big West, are playing conference basketball tournaments without fans in attendance.

Pitt has extended its spring break an additional week and will transition the university to distance learning, but as of Wednesday afternoon, the school is expected to continue athletics practices and competitions. Pitt did not respond to a request for comment from athletic director Heather Lyke. Pitt’s next home athletics event is a baseball game scheduled for Friday afternoon against Virginia.

Pitt is sending seven wrestlers to the 2020 NCAA Tournament, which was scheduled to be held in front of 40,000 fans at Minnesota’s U.S. Bank Stadium next week. A Pitt athletics spokesperson said there has been no announcement of a potential change in venue for that event.

Duquesne is taking similar steps to delay the return of students to campus after break. The Dukes’ women’s lacrosse game was played as scheduled on Wednesday.

Nate Bell reported from Moon Township, Pa., Alan Saunders reported from Greensboro, N.C., Mike Vukovcan reported from Pittsburgh and Zachary Weiss reported from New York

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It all starts at the top as Charlie Buscaglia won a record 4th straight NEC Coach of the Year Award. Buscaglia led Robert Morris to their 4th consecutive NEC regular-season title- the first NEC team since St. Francis (PA) in 2000-2004 to win four in a row.

The Colonials enter the NEC Tournament tonight as the top seed and the heavy favorite to make a return appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

In terms of individual player awards, Robert Morris had three players named to the first, second and third teams.

Senior forward Nneka Ezeigbo was named to the NEC 1st Team, becoming the fifth player in RMU history to earn four All-NEC honors joining Elise James (1996-2000), Laura Lindak (1989-94), Artemis Spanou (2010-14) and Anna Niki Stamolamprou (2013-17).  Ezeigbo finished the season averaging 14 points, 8.2 rebounds and recorded 23 double-figure scoring games, 8 double-doubles, and six 20-point scoring games.

Ezeigbo’s front court teammate Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu was named to the NEC 2nd Team after averaging 9.1 points, 8.6 rebounds per game and shoot 56% from the field. The native of London, England registered 7 double-doubles and scored double-digit rebounds in ten games despite averaging just 16 minutes per game.

The other Colonial honored was sophomore Isabella Posset, who was selected to the NEC 3rd team. Posset, who graduated from Beaver High School, led the NEC in steals per game (2.3) and became the 27th different Colonial to record 100 steals in a season and fourth fastest to reach that milestone. Last season, Posset was named to the NEC All-Rookie Team.

Robert Morris opens up NEC Tournament play tonight against eighth-seeded Wagner. Tipoff is set for 7 PM from the UPMC Events Center.

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Not only did the Colonials (22-7, 17-1) finish strong but they did so in a near record breaking fashion as they defeated St. Francis, PA Thursday night, 62-29, at the UPMC Events Center. This is the seventh time this season that RMU has won a game by 30 or more points, adding to the school record.

How dominant was Robert Morris on defense? They were able to hold St. Francis to just 18.4% shooting, and the 29 points allowed were the fewest by a Colonial opponent since February 28, 1980 against Chatham (85-24). The point total was the third fewest since 1977-78- the first season RMU competed at the AIAW level.

The trio of Honoka Ikematsu, Nneka Ezeigbo and Irekpitan Ozzy-Momodu led the way for Charlie Buscaglia’s team. Ikematsu scored a game-high 17 points while Ezeigbo finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds and Ozzy-Momodu also finished with a double-double, 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Ezeigbo continued to add to her legacy at Robert Morris as she moved up to 7th on the all-time scorers passing Stacy Ritter (1992-96). Ezeigbo’s 1,342 points are just five shy of passing Kim Mong (1981-85) for sixth place.

“I’m very proud of our team,” said head coach Charlie Buscaglia. “Last year we were in this situation and didn’t handle it very well. We were outworked (last season at Sacred Heart), and today was that challenge. When we’re in this position, we have to be able to work and play hard, and it was nice to get a good lead, get some new faces in, and rest some players that have gotten bulk minutes. I’m very proud of the effort, we worked hard for 40 minutes.”

Next up for the Colonials is the start of the NEC Tournament as they take on Wagner in the quarterfinals. Tipoff from the UPMC Events Center is at 7:05 PM.

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That’s Artemis Spanou, who starred in Moon Township from 2010 to 2014 and ultimately went down as one of the best to ever do it in a Colonials uniform. Spanou was a trailblazer in her own right, with a smooth European style to her game that allowed her to blossom into an elite scorer, rebounder, passer and – most of all – leader. Whether it was record-setting numbers, NEC championship runs or the 2014 NCAA tournament appearance, Spanou’s impact on the program is unrivaled today.

But Spanou wasn’t the first standout to pass through the program during the Sal and Charlie Buscaglia eras of the last 16 years. For a little history lesson, there was Surgeiry Monsac – the 2005 Northeast Conference Player of the Year who went on to play professionally in Israel. And Sade Logan, a top-20 recruit out of high school who, in addition to winning NEC Player of the Year in 2009, set an NCAA Division I record for single-season three-pointers with 126.

Chinata Nesbit was a two-time NEC tournament MVP,  followed by Angela Pace, who became the first player in league history to earn both NEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors. And don’t forget 2017 grad Anna Niki Stamolamprou – one of two players in RMU history to total 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists, and 100 steals in her career.

As the first-place Colonials gear up for an NEC championship run in the coming weeks, it’s time to add another name to the list.

Nneka Ezeigbo is the real deal. 

“That’s the NEC player of the year you’re talking to,” whispered RMU athletic director Chris King as he walked by while PSN was interviewing Ezeigbo in a quiet hallway of the UPMC Events Center.

King may be a little biased, but he certainly has a point. Ezeigbo, the NEC’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, has spent her senior season putting the finishing touches on an esteemed Robert Morris career. In 2019, she won NEC tournament MVP while leading the Colonials to a league title, and later received her third All-NEC selection in three years. And now this season, the 6-foot-2 center is averaging 14 points and eight rebounds a game – her best numbers to date – and leads the conference in field goal percentage (.482). Furthermore, she’s fifth in total rebounding and third in offensive boards, and anchors the Colonials’ top-ranked scoring defense.

“I’ve been pushed a lot, and I’ve grown a lot since my freshman year,” said Ezeigbo.

She has, indeed. Though all it takes is one conversation with Ezeigbo to understand the methodology behind her success. She may the best player on the best team in the NEC (the Colonials are 15-1 in league play), but in her eyes, there’s always more work to be done.

“I struggle with consistency,” she said. “That’s something I’ve always struggled with and I still do. You’ll see it in the box scores. I’m still working on that and still have a little bit of time.” 

In response, I had no choice but to remind her that, at the very least, she’s been consistent enough to earn a NEC Defensive Player of the Year award along with three straight all-conference nods, which placed her in a distinct class within the Robert Morris program. It can’t be that bad, right?

“Well, yes,” she answered with a laugh. “But it can always get better.”

That mindset is what sets her apart – always has, and always will. Ask any of her coaches, and they’ll tell you the same thing.

“She hasn’t settled,” said Robert Morris head coach Charlie Buscaglia. “When she got here, she was inexperienced and needed a lot of structure and discipline. She showed heart when she responded to that structure and discipline during her freshman year. You always saw those little battles be responded to in a positive away. That was important, and that was when we really realized she had a chance to grow into a strong and independent woman.” 

Ezeigbo was thrust into a significant role as a freshman, averaging 17.1 minutes per game on the 2016-17 NEC championship team that took on Notre Dame in the NCAA tournament. She had to learn on the fly back then, and never shied away from a little tough love from the coaching staff. It fueled her progression from a once raw prospect from New Jersey into the polished baller with an all-around game she is today.

“Coach B used to drill me,” said Ezeigbo. “Him and (assistant coach Scott Schneider) went after me. They saw my potential and tried their best to keep me on the right path. Encouraged me and kept pushing me. So, my best games you’ve seen, those are a product of all the hard days”

In reality, Division I basketball isn’t for everybody. Often times, players respond negatively to adversity and blunt criticism from their coaches. Mental toughness is a necessity for growth, and you either have it or you don’t.  In Ezeigbo’s case, she definitely has it – just like someone else who used to lead the Colonials NEC championship chasing not too long ago.

“Artemis (Spanou), from the moment she walked in the door to where she was her senior year, she underwent a ton of growth and development,” said Buscaglia. “Nneka was the same way. One of the biggest similarities between the two was their mentality when they first got here. You know, they were very young, but they were very involved right away in big moments down the stretch.

“I can definitely say that they are both players who have turned in some pretty great performances for this program on several occasions.”

Ezeigbo looks up to Spanou, who, in her words, is “a perfect example for anyone who wants to be great.” She was on hand Saturday for Spanou’s Hall of Fame ceremony, and the two hugged and caught up beforehand. On the brink of her final NEC tournament, the conversation provided Robert Morris’ lone senior with some wise words of advice from someone who has been there before.

“Arte told me to keep being the leader of the team. Be the senior. Be the person this team needs for the rest of the season,” said Ezeigbo. “I don’t have much time left here, but I’m going to cherish every minute of it.”

The post Nneka Ezeigbo Latest in Long Line of Robert Morris Greats appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

In his three seasons at Robert Morris, the Colonials have won at least 20 games each season, has made the NCAA Tournament twice, the WNIT once and has been named NEC Coach of the Year each of his three seasons.

Today, athletic director Chris King and the university rewarded Buscaglia for these accomplishments by signing him to a 3-year extension through the 2023-24 season.

“Our staff is very excited to continue to work hard every day to develop our student-athletes on the court, in the classroom and in the community,” said Buscaglia. “I would like to thank President Chris Howard and Chris King for all their continued support for our programs.”

“Coach Buscaglia and his staff have done an outstanding job with our women’s basketball program,” said King. “He conducts his program with integrity and class and is widely respected as a leader and basketball coach. Coming off last season’s NCAA Tournament appearance, this extension allows Coach Buscaglia and his staff to build upon their success. We appreciate his commitment to Robert Morris University, and we look forward to many more exciting seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances.”

In his three plus seasons at Robert Morris, Buscaglia has compiled an overall record of 71-32 (.689) including an incredible conference mark of 46-8.

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