The Robert Morris University women's basketball team fell to Quinnipiac, 87-84, Monday night at the TD Banknorth Sports Center. The loss drops the Colonials overall record to 16-7 and to 10-3 in the NEC, while the Bobcats improved to 15-8 overall and to 9-5 in the NEC.
The Colonials opened the game on a 7-0 run before allowing the Bobcats to score their first points of the game. Sugeiry Monsac (Villa Maria, Dom. Rep. / Arizona Western J.C.) opened the game with a basket 49 seconds into the game and Kendra Williams (Bronx, N.Y. / Mount Saint Ursula) capped off the Colonial run with a free throw.
The Bobcats first basket came at the 17:36 mark of the game after a Mandy Pennewell jumper starting a Quinnipiac 10-0 run ending with a Monique Lee lay up and a Bobcat 10-7 lead at the 14:42 mark of the first half.
The Colonials regained a three-point lead after two Natasha Summerville (Arlington, Texas / Frank Phillips C.C.) lay ups and a Monsac lay up, making the score 13-10 with 12:51 remaining in the first half. The two teams battled back and fourth for the next 2:00 before Quinnipiac took its largest lead of the half, five-points, after a Courtney Kaminski lay up making the score 29-24.
The Colonials battled back and took the lead for the remainder of the first half after a Williams lay up with 6:14 left in the half. Arlene Mull (Irwin, Pa. / Greensburg Central Catholic) gave RMU its largest lead of the half with just 14 seconds left in the half, making the score 50-39, but Krystal Lazos hit a jumper at the buzzer cutting the Colonials lead to nine, 50-41, at half time.
The Bobcats opened the second half quickly, as they cut the Colonial lead to three-points after four straight points from Lee. RMU took a 10-point lead with 15:06 remaining in the second half after a Chinata Nesbit (Washington, D.C. / Chipola J.C.) lay up, making the score 59-49.
The Colonials held the lead until their was 4:48 left in the game, when Quinnipiac took the lead for good after Kaminski made a free throw, capping off a three-point play the old fashioned way. The Bobcats lead hit five with 1:23 seconds remaining in the game, making the score 84-79. The Colonials cut the lead back to one point with 22 seconds left after a Williams jumper, but Pennewell iced the game with two free throws, giving Quinnipiac an 87-84 victory. Jenna Burkett (Altoona, Pa. / Altoona Area) with 12 and Williams with 11 points. Nesbit also tallied a team high eight rebounds, while Monsac tallied seven. Lee led the Bobcats with 28 points and 15 rebounds.
The Colonials return to action Feb. 17, when they begin a three-game homestand by hosting St. Francis (N.Y.). Tip-off is at 4:30 p.m.
Notes: For the game, the Colonials shot 54.4% (37-of-68) from the field, including 25% (4-of-16) from beyond the three-point arc. They also shot 66.7% (6-of-9) from the free throw line. The Bobcats shot 53.5% (38-of-71) from the field, including 20% (2-of-10) from beyond the three-point arc. They also made 75% (9-of-12) from the free throw line.
