COROPAOLIS, Pa. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a dominant final quarter, the Robert Morris Colonials remained undefeated, pulling away from the Akron Zips for a 70-61 victory in a non-conference women’s basketball matchup on Friday night at the Charles L. Sewall Center.

The Colonials, now 2-0, used a 28-point fourth-quarter explosion to overcome a stubborn Akron squad that had clawed back to make it a one-possession game late in the third quarter. The Zips, meanwhile, fell to 0-2 on the young season despite a valiant effort.

Robert Morris was led by a balanced and efficient offensive attack. Aislin Malcolm, a 5-foot-11 guard from nearby Carnegie, Pennsylvania, spearheaded the effort with a team-high 20 points, adding four rebounds, three assists and two blocks. She was instrumental in the final period, hitting crucial free throws and a key three-pointer to help seal the win.

She was complemented by a strong international contingent. Noa Givon of Ra’anana, Israel, scored 15 points, while Myriam Traore of Lognes, France, provided a significant spark off the bench with 11 points, all in the second half. Eva Levingston of Oakland, California, anchored the paint with seven points and seven rebounds.

The game was a tale of contrasting halves and quarters. Robert Morris established an early lead, ending the first quarter up 15-10. Akron responded with its best stretch of the game in the second quarter, outscoring the Colonials 19-14 to go into halftime tied at 29.

The third quarter was a defensive struggle, with both teams struggling to find an offensive rhythm. Akron managed only seven points in the period, while Robert Morris scored 13, taking a 42-36 lead into the final frame.

The fourth quarter, however, belonged to the Colonials. They opened the period on a 12-4 run to build a double-digit lead and never looked back. While Akron’s offense finally woke up, scoring 25 points in the quarter, they could not get enough stops to mount a sustained comeback, as Robert Morris answered nearly every Zip basket.

Akron’s effort was led by Ni’Rah Clark, who turned in a stellar individual performance with a game-high 25 points and seven rebounds in 27 minutes of action. Monique Mitchell added nine points for the Zips.

A key factor in the outcome was Robert Morris’s performance at the free-throw line and on the offensive glass. The Colonials shot 20 for 25 from the charity stripe, while Akron converted just 12 of its 18 attempts. Robert Morris also won the battle on the offensive boards, grabbing nine rebounds to Akron’s three, leading to critical second-chance opportunities.

Turnovers also plagued the Zips, who committed 19 giveaways compared to 14 for the Colonials.

The victory extends Robert Morris’s positive start under the ELO statistical projections, which had given the Colonials an 87.10 percent probability to win. They will look to continue their momentum on the road against Saint Francis (PA) on Thursday.

Akron, still in search of its first win, faces a tough test in its next outing, traveling to face Notre Dame on Wednesday.

In other team statistics, both teams shot similarly from the field, with Robert Morris going 23 for 53 and Akron making 22 of 50 attempts. From three-point range, the Colonials were 4 of 14, while the Zips were 5 of 17. The teams were even in assists and steals, each recording seven. Robert Morris held a slight edge in blocks, 3-2.