NORTHEAST CONFERENCE CONTEST
ROBERT MORRIS COLONIALS (12-13, 8-5) vs. QUINNIPIAC BOBCATS (13-9, 6-6)
Saturday, February 14 ? 4:00 p.m.
Charles L. Sewall Center (3,056) ? Moon Township, Pa.
Internet: www.sports.yahoo.com (live & archived)
Adam Gusky, play-by-play & Matt Kirk, color
Websites: www.RMUColonials.com ? www.QuinnipiacBobcats.com
Top Story
Robert Morris (12-13, 8-4 NEC) will try to end a three-game losing skid and put back-to-back one-point losses behind them when they host the Quinnipiac Bobcats (13-9, 6-6 NEC) in a 4:00 p.m. contest at the Charles L. Sewall Center this afternoon. Each of the Colonials last two losses have come in the game's final seconds, and both times it was their opponent knocking down free throws. On Monday, St. Francis (N.Y.) broke a tie game with RMU when Terrier Kendra Williams hit a freebie with 0.6 seconds left. Thursday night, Sacred Heart's Alisa Apo turned a one-point deficit into a three-point lead by hitting four straight free throws in the final 16 seconds. Quinnipiac comes into today's game having lost three of their last four games.
Musket Shots
· Three of the Colonials five conference losses have been by two points or less.
· Junior Monet Johnson leads the league in double-doubles (14) and has recorded four consecutive
· RMU has won 28 of its last 31 games at the Sewall Center dating back to the 2006-07 season
· Since 2004-05, RMU is 58-9 (.866) at the Charles L. Sewall Center
· Robert Morris is 11-2 when holding opponents under 60 points
· RMU was selected to win the Northeast Conference according to a poll of league coaches
· Robert Morris won the NEC regular season and tournament titles in 2007 and 2008
All-Time Series vs. Quinnipiac
Robert Morris trails Sacred Heart, 7-12, in the all-time series and have lost three straight to Bobcats dating back to the 2006-07 season. Quinnipiac clipped the Colonials by two points earlier this season, edging out RMU 61-59 at the TD Banknorth Sports Center. The last time Robert Morris won in this series, which dates back to 1998-99, was on Jan. 8, 2007. RMU topped the Bobcats 79-68 behind 19 points and 16 rebounds from Sugeiry Monsac.
On Tap
Robert Morris travels to Wagner College on Staten Island for a 4:00 p.m. contest against the Seahawks on Saturday, February 21.
Scouting the Bobcats
Quinnipiac, 13-9 overall and 6-6 in the Northeast Conference, has lost four of its last five, including a 72-56 setback at Sacred Heart on Monday night. The Bobcats are scoring 62.5 points per game on 38.2 percent shooting and 33.1 percent conversion from three-point range. Defensively, they allow 60.9 points a game and 39.1 percent shooting. The Bobcats make up the shooting percentage difference by forcing 20.3 turnovers a contest. Erin Kerner leads the team in socring at 16.7 points per game, converting at 38.7 percent. Mandy Pennewell adds 12.3 points a game and is the team's top three-point threat, knocking down 49 at 35.8 percent. Kathleen Neyens leads the team in rebounding at 5.2 and adds 7.6 points.
Logan Looking Dapper - www.post-gazette.com/dapperdan
Senior guard Sade Logan is one of four finalists for the 2009 Dapper Dan Sportswoman of the Year, the most prestigious award for professional and collegiate athletes in southwestern Pennsylvania. Logan was the NEC Player of the Year last season, finishing third in the nation in scoring and tying the NCAA Division I record for three-pointers with 126. The winner of the award is selected by both public vote and the Dapper Dan Charities' executive committee.
Kendra's Killing It
Over the last six games, senior guard Kendra Williams has twice eclipsed her career high for points and recorded her first career doube-double. Over the five-game span, she is shooting 33-for-68 (.485), including 12-26 (.462). At Central Connecticut State, Williams tallied a career-best 22 points, knocking down 8-of-17 shots including three trifectas. The three-year starter scored a then career-high 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds against Monmouth in a 61-55 win, one game before logging, her first career double-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in a 91-80 victory over reclassifying NEC member Bryant.
Johnson & Johnson ? Double & Double
Junior forward Monet Johnson has recorded more double-doubles (14) than any other player in the conference this season. She has recorded four straight and 10 of the last 12 games. The junior transfer is averaging a double-double for the season at 16.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. In Northeast Conference games, Johnson is putting up 13.5 points a game and ripping down 11.7 caroms.
Home-Sweet-Home
When the Colonials play at the Charles L. Sewall Center, they are difficult to beat. In the last five seasons, Robert Morris has posted a 59-9 record at home, including a team record 14 home wins in 2006-07. RMU was 12-3 in 2004-05 and 12-1 in 2005-06, both numbers that tied the previous wins record. Since the opening of the Sewall Center during the 1985-86 season, RMU has compiled a 163-141 record for a .536 winning percentage.
Home and Away, Night and Day
Robert Morris is 10-2 at home this season compared to 2-10 on the road and 2-11 including neutral site contests. In home games, RMU is averaging 66.8 points per game while shooting 44.3 percent, almost 10 percent better than when on the road at 34.8 percent. At the same, their defense is better by 11.9 points per game and their field goal pecrcentage defense is .363 compared to .415 on the road.
Under 60, Over 60
All but one of Robert Morris' wins this season have come when they hold their opponents to under 60 points. On the offensive, the Colonials are just 1-5 when they score 59 points or under and post an 11-5 record when scoring at least 60 or more points.
What Happened to That Defense? (see below)
After holding opponents to 57 points or fewer in seven straight games, Robert Morris has given up an average of 69.5 points in the last three games. RMU is 1-3 in those contests. The Colonials gave up 80 points to Bryant, then 76 to Central Connecticut State and 61 to St. Francis (N.Y.) and Sacred Heart.
Getting Defensive
In a seven-game stretch, Robert Morris held opponents under 57 opponents on all but one occasion en route to a 7-1 record during the defensively dominant run. The Colonials allowed an average of just 54.6 points per game and 33.3 percent shooting. They also dominated the glass during the stretch, outrebounding opponents to the tune of 5.5 per game.
100 Down & 11 To Go
Head Coach Sal Buscaglia caputred his 100th victory with Robert Morris, becoming the second Colonials coach to achieve the century mark. The sixth-year head coach and 30-year veteran has produced 102 wins in 175 games with the Colonials, second most in program history (211-137; Dan Swalga - 1978-91). Next on the charts for Buscaglia is 600 career wins. Since beginning his coaching career in 1978-79, he has racked up 589 career wins compared to just 274 losses.
