MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team's season came to an end at the hands of Robert Morris for the third straight season in the quarterfinals of the Northeast Conference Tournament on Sunday, 68-35.
"We tried to do some different things, full court press, and triangle and two, but they came out and blitzed it," said head coach
Peter Cinella at the post-game press conference. He added, "We never able to get into our press because we could not score the basketball early." We needed to play great to win, and we did not play that way, and RMU played great today."
The Knights' 35 points were a season-low and the fewest scored by Fairleigh Dickinson in a Northeast Conference Tournament game.
Robert Morris started the game scoring 15 of the first 20 points of the game over the opening 3:50. The lead got to 24-7 with a minute to play in the opening quarter before four straight points by the Knights -- Markovic and Thomas field goals -- to make it 24-11 after one.
The Colonials held the Knights to six points in the second quarter and moved their lead out to 17, 34-17, on a jumper from in the paint by Nneka Ezeigbo at the buzzer of the second quarter.
Out of the halftime intermission, Robert Morris and Fairleigh Dickinson traded baskets over the opening three minutes. After a Thomas free throw that made it 37-20, Robert Morris put up the next 11 points to take a 48-20 lead with 2:39 left in the quarter. Nadege Pluviose had seven points in the spurt.
Robert Morris strung the lead out to as many as 33 in the fourth quarter. Once at 60-27 and then the final score.
Peniel M'Bikata scored four of the Knights' 10 points in the final stanza.
Jenna Clark connected on a triple to start the quarter. Markovic had a bucket, and
Lauren Francillon hit a free throw.
Markovic led the Knights with 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
Brianna Thomas had seven points, and
Madelynn Comly had six points, five rebounds and two steals for Fairleigh Dickinson.
Three Colonials were in double figures. Megan Smith and Ana Nikki Stamolamprou each had 15 points. Pluviose had 13 points off the bench.
Robert Morris held Fairleigh Dickinson to 27-percent shooting overall and eight percent from three (1-of-12).
