By Justin Rimpi
Sports Editor
The FDU women’s basketball team was dismantled by No. 1 seeded Robert Morris on the road 64-38 in the quarterfinals of the Northeast Conference tournament in Moon Township, Pa., Monday night.
The Knights trailed by 8 points at halftime, but that is when the game went south as the Knights were outscored 36-18 in the second half.
This is the fifth consecutive season the Knights have qualified for the NEC tournament, this year as a No. 8 seed.
The Knights have seen their season come to an abrupt four of the last five seasons at the hands of the Colonials.
The Knights (8-22), shot just over 27 percent from the field and 25 percent from downtown in this quarterfinal match up.
Senior guard Madellyn Comly and junior forward Lauren Francillon led the Knights in scoring with 10 point each.
Francillon hit two of the Knights’ four 3-pointers in the game.
“I was very happy with how we followed our gameplan,” head coach Peter Cinella said in a press release after the game. “And I liked the situation we were in during the first half. We did not get a few shots to fall, and I feel like it could’ve been a little closer than 28-20 if a few of our shots fell. Our goal was to hold Robert Morris under 55, and holding them to 28 in the first half, we were there. The first couple plays of the third quarter, we didn’t get the shots to fall and then it was like a snowball going down a hill. We did get some good looks, but you only have a brief moment against Robert Morris’ defense and you got to stick it because you don’t get too many easy baskets.”
The Colonials (20-10) shot 50 percent from the field and just under 44 percent from long-range.
Sophomore guard Nina Augustin and junior center Nneke Ezeigbo scored 13 points to lead the Colonials. Sophomore guard Honoka Ikematsu chipped in with 12.
The Knights struggled shooting in the second half and were unable to keep the Colonials’ offense under control in the final 20 minutes.
The Colonials shot 52 percent from the field and 55 percent from three in the second half.
On the other hand, the Knights shot 21 and 28 percent, respectively, from the field and 3-point territory in the second half.
Comly, guard Lucia Serrano-Ranz, guard Natalie Zamora, guard Peniel M’Bakata and guard Emmanuella Edoka have played their last game in FDU burgundy and blue.
