Hackensack, N.J. / Stratis Arena-The Robert Morris University women's basketball team tried to erase a 23-point second half deficit, but came up three-points short in a 79-76 loss at Fairleigh Dickinson Monday night. Freshman Artemis Spanou (Rhodes, Greece / Greek National Team) had a career-high 28 points and added 11 rebounds to pick up her 10th double-double of the season. Classmate Kelly Hartwell (Woodbridge, Va. / Gar-Field) also had a career-high in points scoring 12 as the Colonials fall to 13-13 overall and 10-6 in the Northeast Conference. The Knights improve to 14-13 and 7-9 in conference.
Spanou went 10-of-22 from the field, knocking down 4-of-9 three-pointers while playing all 40 minutes. Hartwell played 29 minutes off the bench and had three rebounds along with two steals. She was 4-of-5 from the field and 4-of-6 from the charity stripe. Junior Mary Durojaye (London, England / English National U-20 Team) scored 10 points and had seven caroms.
Mariyah Laury splashed a pair of three pointers as she scored eight unanswered points early in the second half, stretching the lead to 17 points, 54-37. The Knights pushed the lead to as many as 23 points with 12:55 to play in the game. Over the next seven minutes, however, they managed to score just four points and the Colonials cut the lead to 11, 68-57, with 5:23 left.
The team's traded baskets over the next two minutes as a Danielle Pankey jumper gave the Knights a 13-point lead. Spanou splashed a three-pointer, then followed a Jasmine Tate (Columbus, Ohio / Harvest Prep) with her own lay-in to cut the lead to six points, 74-68, with 1:35 to play.
Two freebies by Jordan Sykes pushed the margin back to seven, but Spanou had the answer again with a trey. Freshman Danielle Bounds (Oklahoma City, Okla. / Putnam City West) drilled a three-ball from the left wing after two free throws by Alyssa Mayrose to make the score 78-76 with 12 seconds left. A Pankey miss and make gave RMU life with nine seconds left to play, but the Colonials never got off a good three-pointer as they fell, 79-76.
Trailing 8-7 early in the first half, the Knights went on a 6-0 run to take a 13-8 lead. Five consecutive points by the Colonials tied the game with 13:24 to play and the team's traded baskets to a 19-19 tie.
A 7-0 run capped by a Mariyah Laury jumper gave the Knights a 26-19 edge as they continued to push the lead. They ended the half on a 6-0 march, carrying a 44-32 lead into halftime.
Fairleigh Dickinson used a stout man defense, forcing 16 Robert Morris turnovers that they turned into 18 points on the offensive end. The Knights also owned the paint, scoring 28 points there while allowing just 18.
Laury finished with 24 points for the Knights while Jasmyra Saunders chipped in with 12. FDU took advantage of 25 RMU turnovers, converting those into 28 points.
Robert Morris returns home for the final two games of its regular season schedule. The Saturday, Feb. 26, contest against Mount St. Mary's will serve a multitude of purposes for the Colonials. It will be the team's Senior Day as well as the WBCA Pink Zone game and a celebration of National Girls and Women In Sports Day (NGWSD). Tip-off is slated for 4:00 p.m. with NGWSD activities beginning at approximately 3:00 p.m.
