COMPLETE GAME NOTES
Staten Island, NY - Wagner (9-18; 6-10 NEC) will look to get back in the win column while inching closer to the program's first playoff bid since 2003-2004 on Thursday, February 25 at 5:00 pm in the Spiro Sports Center. Standing in the Green & White's way is NEC Regular Season Champion Robert Morris (20-7; 15-1 NEC).
Tonight's game will not be broadcast on the Seahawk Broadcasting Network, however a video stream will still be available.
Playoff Possibilities - Despite the last weekend's losses, the Green & White are still in good shape for the playoffs and currently sit in a tie for the seventh spot with Mount St. Mary's at 6-10 … Wagner holds the tiebreaker advantage with the Mountaineers ... In the event of a three-way tie with Mount St. Mary's (6-10 NEC) and FDU (5-11 NEC) or Quinnipiac (5-11 NEC), the Seahawks would get in under every tiebreaker scenario … The only way Wagner would not get in with six wins would be if the four teams finish in a tie for seventh place with six wins … With one more win, Wagner would be in much better position as FDU and Quinnipiac play each other and thus make it a three-team tiebreaker at most, assuming Mount St. Mary's wins one game this weekend … If the Mount does win both games and Wagner wins just one, the Seahawks will need to beat Robert Morris and hope Quinnipiac finishes in a tie with them or have Saint Francis (PA) to catch Monmouth in the league standings … All of the above scenarios would be moot if CCSU (7-9 NEC) doesn't defeat SFNY (1-15 NEC) as expected and Wagner and Mount win both games.
The Coaches - Head coach
Gela Mikalauskas is in her 16th season on the Wagner sidelines with a record of 202-247. Mikalauskas was the coach of the 1988-1989 Seahawk squad that won the program's only Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship.
Robert Morris is led by Sal Buscaglia, who is 123-86 in this his seventh year in Moon Township. For his career, he is 611-277 in 32 seasons.
The Series - The Green & White are 29-19 all-time against Robert Morris, but have dropped the last 10 meetings against the Colonials. During that time Wagner has been outscored by 20.8 ppg and last defeated Robert Morris during the 2003-2004 season.
Olsen Outstanding - In the teams' last meeting, junior
Ashley Olsen (Staten Island, NY / Notre Dame Academy) scored a career-high 21 points, on 8-of-15 shooting.
Scouting RMU - Robert Morris, which lost all five starters from last year's team, has won 10-straight games and 14-of-15 en route to a 20-7 record, including a 15-1 league mark. The 20 wins mark the fifth time in the last six seasons that the Colonials have achieved the standard.
With their 61-57 victory over Quinnipiac, Robert Morris also secured the No. 1 seed for the upcoming NEC Tournament and has gotten to the top thanks to a strong defense that is allowing a league-low 55.9 ppg while forcing teams to shoot just 35.8 percent (1st NEC) from the floor and 29.5 percent (2nd NEC) from beyond the arc.
Senior Angela Pace leads the Colonial attack and is arguably the most complete player in the league, averaging 14.9 ppg (7th NEC), 7.3 rpg (9th NEC), 5.3 apg (2nd NEC) and 2.6 spg (2nd NEC). She paces the league with a 2.65 assist/turnover ratio while shooting 46.6 percent from the floor (9th NEC) and 69.7 percent from the line (14th NEC). Freshman Vega Gimeno-Martinez is second on the team in scoring at 10.1 ppg while junior Kristine Silaraja is third at 9.5 ppg. Sophomore Mary Durojaye commands the glass to the tune of 7.6 rpg.
Injury Updates - Senior
Andrea Reed (Pocomoke City, MD / Pocomoke) and freshman
Veronick Fournier (Gatineau, Quebec / Montmorency) each missed the last three games due to injuries and their status for the Robert Morris game is up in the air. Junior Sha'Ron Harrison (Paterson, NJ / John F. Kennedy) has been out the last six games and will miss the rest of the season.