at #19 IOWA HAWKEYES
Sunday, November 16, 2014 — 3:00 p.m. ET
Iowa City, Iowa — Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Radio: HawkeyeSports.com
Streaming: None
Live Stats: HawkeyeSports.com
Twitter: @RMU_WBB & @RMUScoreboard; @iowawbb
 
The Capsule
The Robert Morris University women's basketball team opens the 2014 season with a pair of challenging Big 10 opponents, taking on the 19th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes Sunday, Nov. 16, before traveling to Champaign, Ill., to take on the Fighting Illini Tuesday, Nov. 18. Tip-off against the Hawkeye's is slated for 3:00 p.m. Eastern at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. RMU opens the year on the road for the first time since the 2008-09 season, and in fact, plays five straight road games before the home slate opens Dec. 3.
 
The Series vs. Iowa
The Colonials and Hawkeyes have met just once before, a 14-point loss in 2012. Iowa stretched a 23-20 halftime lead into a 58-44 victory.
 
In Season Openers
The Colonials start the year on the road for the first time since 2008-09 after five straight home season openers. RMU is 13-25 all-time in season openers, 4-7 under head coach Sal Buscaglia. The Colonials are 5-15 when playing their first game on the road.
 
Preseason Favorite
Robert Morris earned five first-place votes and was picked first in the NEC Preseason Women's Basketball Coaches Poll. It's the second straight season RMU is the preseason favorite and the fourth time overall.
 
Musket Shots
• In 11 seasons at the helm, Sal Buscaglia has led the Colonials to six 20-win seasons
• RMU has won three of its five NEC Championships with Buscaglia on the sideline
• Sal Buscaglia was named the Brenda Reilly Coach of the Year for the third time
• The Colonials went 22-12 in 2013-14, winning the NEC and earning their third NCAA Tournament berth
• Sophomores Anna Niki Stamolamprou and Cassie Oursler earned spots on the 2014 NEC All-Rookie team
• RMU is 112-30 (.789) at the Sewall Center since 2004-05, including 75-15 (.833) in NEC games
• Robert Morris has a 13-game home winning streak and set a team record for home wins with 15 last season
• The Colonials also set season records for rebounds, three-pointers and defensive rebounds
• Four starters and nine letterwinners return from last season's NEC Championship squad
• The Colonials were selected first in the 2014 NEC Preseason Poll garnering five first place votes
• Robert Morris has made it to the NEC Tournament semifinals in eight of the last 10 seasons
 
The Road to The NCAA Touranment
The Colonials earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Northeast Conference Tournament, taking advantage of the top seed they secured by winning the regular season title witha 14-4 record. RMU has won five NEC titles, earning NCAA Tourney berths in 2007, 2008 and 2014. A 16-seed last season, the Colonials lost to #1 seed Notre Dame, 42-93.
 
Bringing Home the Hardware
Four Colonials were honored with NEC Postseason accolades in 2013-14. Artemis Spanou was the Player of the Year for the second straight season while Sal Buscaglia was the Brenda Reilly Coach of the Year for the third time. Anna Niki Stamolamprou and Cassie Oursler earned spots on the All-Rookie team.
 
Team Records For Home Wins
The Colonials went 15-4 at home last season, setting a team record for home wins. RMU has won 13 straight games at the Chuck, the longest such win streak in team history.
 
Third Best Scoring Squad
RMU scored 2,283 points in 2013-14, the third-most points by a Colonials squad in program history. They averaged 69.2 points per game, fourth in team annals.
 
Three-nomenal
Robert Morris hit seven three-pointers in the NCAA Tournament game against Notre Dame, and in the process set a new team record for three-pointers in a season. The Colonials knocked down 203 shots from long-range last year, eclipsing the previous record of 199 set by the 2008-09 and 2011-12 teams.
 
Rebounding Review
With 1,374 rebounds last year, the Colonials broke the team record for boards by 38. The Colonials +5.9 rebounding margin in 2013-14 was the second-best in team history. The margin is bolstered by four games in which RMU outrebounded its opponent by at least 25 rebounds.
 
International Love
The Robert Morris roster once again features members from all over the world. The Colonials 14-player roster features eight international players. Of the six Americans, all come from different states with Maryland, New Jersey, New York and California represented. RMU's imported players hail from Canada, Democratic Republic of the Congo, France, Greece, Italy and Spain.
 
Chuck's Charms
The Charles L. Sewall Center, a.k.a. "The Chuck", has lent a certain advantage for the Colonials over the past 10 seasons. Since 2004-05, RobertMorris is 111-30 (.788) in home games, including an even more impressive 74-15 (.831) record against Northeast Conference opponents.
 
20 Win Again
The 2013-14 squad reached the 20-win plateau for the eighth time in school history. Six of those 20-win seasons have come in the 11 seasons that Sal Buscaglia has been at the helm of the program.
 
Dialing Long Distance ... From Europe
The Colonials European born players have accounted for 198 of the team's 203 three-pointers in 2013-14. Anna Niki Stamolamprou had 59, Ashley Ravelli 53 and Rebeca Navarro 44.
 
Perennial Playoff Potential
Robert Morris has missed the NEC playoffs just once since 2004-05. RMU had eight consecutive playoff appearances from 2004-05 through 2011-12 and finished first in three of those seasons, earning the tournament's top seed in 2010. The Colonials returned to the postseason last year by taking the regular season title.