Kent, Ohio / Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center - Junior forward Artemis Spanou (Rhodes, Greece / Nea Smyrni) scored 21 second half points to lead the Robert Morris University women's basketball team to a 60-51 win at Kent State University Sunday afternoon. The victory is the first of the season for the Colonials who improve to 1-10 with the victory. The Golden Flashes, meanwhile, fall to 1-11.

Spanou finished with a game-high 28 points to go along with 16 rebounds. She also had a career-best seven steals and dished out three assists while playing all 40 minutes.

"I'm very excited for our players and staff to get this win. They've all worked so hard and to realize the thrill of victory is very exciting," said RMU head coach Sal Buscaglia. "We believe that now that we know how to win, many more wins will be coming our way. Kent State recently beat Temple out of the Atlantic 10, so you know they are certainly a capable team."

Freshman Ashley Ravelli  (Milan, Italy / The Hun School) tacked on 10 points and two assists and did not turn the ball over. Junior Kelly Hartwell (Woodbridge, Va. / Gar-Field) and freshman Lou Mataly (Toulouse, France / Lycee-Bellevue) each added eight points.

A 22-20 Kent State lead at the break, the pace of the game picked up to start the second half and RMU was able to deadlock the score, 26-26, on a put-back by Spanou followed by Randi Jackson (Oakland, Calif. / Bishop O'Dowd) driving the length of the floor before banking in a runner. The team's traded the next seven points before an 8-0 run by the Golden Flashes - with four points coming at the charity stripe - gave the host team a 41-33 edge.

The Colonials defense turned on the pressure over the final 12 minutes, however, going on a 27-10 run to end the game. After a lay-up by Trisha Krewson with 11:53 to play, the Golden Flashes made just two more field goals the rest of the game. The key surge of that extended run came from the start as the Colonials owned a 14-1 surge to turn an eight-point hole into a five-point lead over a course of just 5:30.

Offensively, Robert Morris improved to shoot 46.9 percent (15-32) in the second half, 12-18 on two-point attempts, as they outscored the host squad 40-29 in the final 20 minutes. The Colonials dominated the

In the first half, a three-pointer by Ravelli pulled the Colonials to within one point, but the Golden Flashes responded with seven unanswered points, two baskets by Trisha Krewson, to surge ahead 17-9 midway through the opening frame.

The Colonials, spurred by the play of Hartwell off the bench, went on an 11-5 run over the final five minutes to send the game into half with Kent State leading, 22-20. Hartwell had six points during the surge that ended with a three-pointer by Spanou at the halftime buzzer.

Krewson led Kent State with 12 points and seven rebounds. Amber Dunlap added 11 points while Tamzin Barroilhet tied for team-best honors with seven caroms.

Robert Morris opens play in the Northeast Conference Saturday, January 5, when they welcome Central Connecticut State to the Charles L. Sewall Center for a 4:00 p.m. contest.