The Fairleigh Dickinson University women's basketball team fell, 76-52, at Robert Morris University, Monday, Feb. 11 in Caraopolis, PA. The Knights (9-15 overall, 5-8 Northeast Conference) were led by a team-high 16 points courtesy of senior forward Jennifer Walkling (Westminster, MD/Westminster).
The Colonials (14-9 overall, 10-2 NEC) became the third team in the league to reach the 10-conference win plateau, riding an eight-game win streak. The nation's second-leading scorer, junior guard Sade Logan, padded her statistics until the final buzzer, pouring in a game-high 30 points. Junior guard Angela Paced added a double-double of 16 points and 17 rebounds.
Sophomore forward Christy Altamirano (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) went for seven points and six boards. Freshman guard Jasmyra Saunders (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Catholic) chipped-in 12 points.
FDU grabbed a 9-0 lead, holding Robert Morris scoreless for the game's initial 4:34, as Saunders netted a runner in the lane, followed by a drop-step lay-in by Walkling. The surge continued with a three-ball from senior guard Shanay Freeman (Laurelton, NY/Towsend Harris), coupled with a snatch and transition lay-up from Saunders.
Logan connected from downtown to get RMU on the board then added another three-pointer on the ensuing trip down the hardwood. Senior guard Psyche Butler took it to the rack on back-to-back possessions, giving Robert Morris a 10-9 lead at the 11:46 mark.
Saunders halted a 4:56 scoring drought from the field with a pull-up jumper off a screen to regain the advantage, 11-10. Logan responded with a fancy deuce on the break, before Walkling rattled home a 10-footer from the left baseline.
Freshman guard Alyssa Mayrose (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) slipped into the right block for an easy two, creating a 16-12 margin with 7:53 remaining. The Colonials went up again, but Walkling hop-stepped to the tin to grab an 18-17 advantage at the 4:06 mark.
RMU junior forward Grace Williams tallied six-straight, contributing to the two squad's seven lead changes in the initial 20 minutes. A 6-0 push resulted in a 23-18 lead for the Colonials, en route to a 17-4 run to conclude the first-half.
“I was happy with our start, with the tempo going in our favor,” Head Coach Peter Cinella said. “Robert Morris finished the half very strong and then came out just as strong.”
Fairleigh Dickinson trailed, 29-20, at the break, with RMU fueled by 18 points in the paint, 10 offensive rebounds and eight trips to the charity stripe. Walkling and Saunders each collected six points, while Logan tallied 10.
Robert Morris converted four turnovers into nine points, en route to 12-2 run to start the second stanza. Altamirano banked-in a pair of buckets to cut the deficit to 41-26 at the 15:56 mark.
The Colonials turned in a 13-4 burst when Walkling went baseline for a basket, making the count, 54-30, with 10:36 left. RMU continued to press and trap, despite going up by 27 points.
The Knights concluded the contest on a 6-0 run.
Williams tallied 10 points and seven rebounds for Robert Morris. The Colonials were whistled for five personal fouls, while FDU was called for 15 fouls.
FDU returns to action when the Garden State Rivalry Series resumes at 5:00 p.m., Monday, Feb. 18, with the Knights hosting Monmouth University. The game is part of a televised doubleheader on Fox Sports ? New York, a prelude to the men's contest that tips off at 7:30 p.m.
