Bracket

Moon Township, Pa. / Charles L. Sewall Center – The Robert Morris University women's basketball team dodged national number-one Connecticut, instead drawing the #2 team in the country in the form of undefeated and #1 seed Notre Dame. The Colonials, making their third NCAA Appearance since 2007, will take on the 32-0 Fighting Irish in a 1:30 p.m. game at Savage Arena in Toledo, Ohio. The game is to be aired on ESPN.
 
Robert Morris, who last made the field of 64 in 2008, will be a 16-seed after earning a 15-seed in 2008 and a 14-seed in 2007. The Colonials (21-11) earned the Northeast Conference's automatic bid by capturing the regular season and tournament crowns. RMU defeated Saint Francis, 78-64, in the last conference final of championship week Sunday.
 
"These are intelligent young ladies, they know the task at hand," said 11^th year RMU head coach Sal Buscaglia. "It's a David vs. Goliath type of thing, no question about that. But you have to play who they give you. It's certainly a big challenge."
 
Senior forward Artemis Spanou, the two-time NEC Player of the Year, leads what is otherwise a young RMU squad. Spanou is one of just seven players in NCAA history to record 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 300 assists and 100 blocks in a record-breaking career. She owns 15 RMU career, 10 season and three game records. This season, the Rhodes, Greece-native is averaging 19.8 points per game and is second nationally averaging 14.8 rebounds. Her 86 career double-doubles, including a nation's best 27 this season, place her third in NCAA history.
 
A bevy of young talent supports Spanou. Freshman guard Anna Niki Stamolamprou and rookie center Cassie Oursler were both selected to the NEC All-Rookie team. Stamolamprou, an all-tournament selection as well, is averaging 12.5 points per game while shooting 34.1 percent from long range. Oursler, who's taken advantage of the passing ability of Spanou, is scoring 7.5 points per game while corralling 5.0 rebounds. Her 53 blocks this season are third-most in team annals.
 
Sophomore Ashley Ravelli, the 2013 NEC Rookie of the Year, is scoring an average of 9.0 points per game. More importantly, she's emerged as a feisty lock-down defender on the perimeter for RMU. Freshman Rebeca Navarro continues to make strides defensively while leading the team in three-point percentage at .390 (41-105). Senior Kelly Hartwell is a spark off the bench whose athleticism and aggressive can take over the game at times.

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