Before Chandler McCabe took over as Robert Morris’ women’s basketball coach in March of 2024, the Colonials were spiraling.
The team entered the 2024-25 season on an 18-game losing streak and with a 22-56 record in Horizon League play. This was McCabe’s first head coaching job, but she brought winning experience at the mid-major level from her time as an assistant at Bethune-Cookman and George Mason. However, those winning ways didn’t translate right away in her first year.
While RMU ended its 18-game losing streak in the season opener, by Jan. 11, 2025, the Colonials were 5-11 with a 1-7 conference record. Injuries plagued their starting unit, but once they got healthy, the McCabe effect took hold.
Robert Morris ended the season on a 9-4 run, finishing fourth in the conference with a 15-16, 10-10 record. In the playoffs, RMU hosted its first quarterfinal game before losing in the semifinals to eventual conference champion Green Bay.
In just one season, McCabe had led the Colonials to heights they hadn’t seen since their days in the NEC. Even so, she knew the work was just beginning.
“I tell everyone all the time, last year was way different than this year,” she said. “We had 11 seniors last year. I didn’t have to coach the culture as much, even inheriting some of those players. … And so I was kind of spoiled, honestly, last season.”
This season, McCabe’s team features 11 new players with only three returners. With a completely overhauled roster, McCabe has found it challenging to continue the momentum from last year.
“Yeah, it’s probably been a little harder than I expected,” she said. “Because I knew we were going to be good. I knew we had the pieces to win, but … it was the brand-new team and people falling into different roles, and so it’s definitely been a challenge, and it’s something that we’re still trying to answer fully, or at least consistently.”
While internally it feels like the Colonials are still acclimating to one another and their new roles, externally, they seem to be gelling well. RMU is getting enough offensive production from transfers Aislin Malcolm (12.3 points), Myriam Traore (10.7 points) and Bailey Kuhns (9.9 points), and the team’s defensive grit and toughness have it slotted third in the conference at 16-8, 9-6.
“(Defense) is something we put a large emphasis on because I just wasn’t sure how good we were going to be defensively,” McCabe said. “We really recruited offense because we thought we could outscore people with the people we were bringing in. … So we’ve really put an emphasis on rebounding and defense, and it’s obviously shown this season as well.”
The Colonials rank third in defensive field-goal percentage (38.8%) and fourth in scoring defense (61.7 points), defensive rebounding (25.2) and rebound margin (1.6).
This week, though, that stalwart defense will be tested against second-place Youngstown State and sixth-place Cleveland State. With only two games separating the three teams in the standings, McCabe is taking the approach of what she calls, “Figure it out February.”
“You win by one, it’s a win,” she said. “And we don’t want to look past Youngstown whatsoever. We can’t. They’re too good, right? And so we’re just going to really take it one game at a time if I’m being completely honest. And so, you know, we can’t say, ‘Well, if we beat (Youngstown State), then what, you know?’ Cleveland State would be next on the schedule. They’re really good. We haven’t been competitive, really, outside of the last time we played (the Vikings). … So that’s got to be our main priority is just take it game by game.”
Following those games, Robert Morris will end the season against Detroit Mercy, Oakland and Wright State. The Horizon League Championships are scheduled to begin March 3.
