Freshman guard Honoka Ikematsu is having a solid season for the Robert Morris University women¡¯s basketball team.
Ikematsu, who hails from Kumamoto, is averaging 9.5 points and a team-best 2.8 assists in 13 games. She¡¯s started every game to date for the Colonials, an NCAA Division I Northeast Conference team.
The 167-cm Ikematsu had 23 points on Dec. 29 in a victory over Fairleigh Dickinson, followed by a season-best 25 points on New Year¡¯s Eve in a win over Sacred Heart.
The Colonials (9-4 overall) also have another Japanese connection. Assistant coach Asami Morita is in her fourth season on the coaching staff for the Pittsburgh-area school.
RMU head coach Charlie Buscaglia has been impressed with Ikematsu¡¯s productivity this season.
¡°She¡¯s been given a tough role, but she¡¯s handling it with a lot of grace,¡± Buscaglia told The Tribune-Review, a Pennsylvania newspaper. ¡°She hasn¡¯t got it completely, but she¡¯s working toward it. The bulk of minutes she¡¯s playing and the responsibility she¡¯s had, she¡¯s really handling things well for someone coming all the way from Japan.¡±
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