WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN BOBCATS
Friday, November 13, 2015 // 10:00 a.m.
Moon Township, Pa. // Charles L. Sewall Center (3,056)
 
The Capsule
The Robert Morris University women's basketball team opens the 2015-16 season Friday, Nov. 13, by playing host to West Virginia Wesleyan in 10:00 a.m. contest at the Charles L. Sewall Center. The early start comes as part of the team's annual Elementary School Day game, drawing attendance from local schools.
 
The Series vs. West Virginia Wesleyan
This will be the inaugural meeting between Robert Morris and West Virginia Wesleyan.
 
In Season Openers
Robert Morris opens the season at home for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. The Colonials are 10-18 when opening their schedule at home. RMU is 13-26 all-time in season openers and 4-8 under head coach Sal Buscaglia.
 
Preseason Favorite
Robert Morris earned seven first-place votes in the 2015-16 NEC Preseason Poll and was selected first in the preseason poll for the third straight season. They won the NEC Tournament in 2014 and made it to the championship in 2015 as the preseason leader. This marks the fifth time overall that the Colonials are the preseason favorite.
 
Coach Sal Sailing On
The 2015-16 season will be the last for 13th year RMU head coach Sal Buscaglia who will retire at the conclusion of the season after 38 years on the bench. Coach Sal, as he is respectfully called, has won 692 games at four different schools. With 205 wins at RMU, Buscaglia needs just seven more to break the program record of 211 (Dan Swalga, 1978-90).
 
Musket Shots
> The Colonials were selected first in the 2015-16 NEC Preseason Poll garnering seven first place votes
> RMU is 121-35 (.776) at the Sewall Center since 2004-05, including 83-16 (.838) in NEC games
> Robert Morris is 13-26 all-time in season openers, 4-8 under head coach Sal Buscaglia
> Anna Niki Stamolamprou was named  Preseason All-NEC by the league coaches
> Anna Niki Stamolamprou was 15th nationally shooting 42.0% on three-pointers and 45th making 2.55 per game
> Stamolamprou's 82 three-pointers last season were second in RMU single season history
> The Colonials had 10 or more players reach the scoring column in 12 games this season
> Ashley Ravelli is tied for fourth all-time at Robert Morris with 153 career three-pointers
> Megan Smith and Mikalah Mulrain were named to the 2014-15 NEC All-Rookie Team
> Robert Morris has had two All-Rookie team selections in each of the last three seasons
> At 7.8 three-pointers made per game, RMU led the NEC and was 24th in the nation last season
> Robert Morris has made the NEC playoffs 10 times in the last 12 seasons under Sal Buscaglia
> The Colonials set a team record with 248 three-pointers last season, crushing the previous mark of 203
> Eight of the Colonials 15 players hail from outside the United States
> RMU has won three of its five NEC Championships with Buscaglia on the bench
> Robert Morris has made it to the NEC Tournament semifinals in eight of the last 10 seasons
 
Postseason Prizewinners
A trio of Colonials players received post-season accolades from the coaches in 2014-15. Anna Niki Stamolamprou was named to the All-NEC First Team honor. Mikalah Mulrain and Megan Smith both earned spots on the All-Rookie team, the third consecutive season RMU has had two members on the league's all-rookie squad.
 
Coach In Waiting
With the imminent retirement of head coach Sal Buscaglia, associate head coach Charlie Buscaglia, will take over the reins of the program in 2016-17. Coach B, as he is respectfully called, is in his 13th season with the Colonials.
 
Chuck's Charms
The Charles L. Sewall Center, a.k.a. "The Chuck", has lent a certain advantage for the Colonials over the past 12 seasons. Since 2004-05, RobertMorris is 121-35 (.776) in home games, including an even more impressive 83-16 (.838) record in Northeast Conference opponents.
 
Record Three-Point Performance
The 2014-15 team crushed the team record for three-pointers, knocking down 248. The Colonials ranked 24th nationally hitting 7.8 treys per game.
 
Fantastic Four
Anna Niki Stamolamprou, who wears number four, was named to the All-NEC First Team as a sophomore. She finished 2014-15 ranked 15th in the nation shooting 42.0% from three-point range while leading the team in scoring (15.2 ppg) and rebounding (5.6 rpg). Her 81 three-pointers last season rank second in single season history.
 
Three-mendous
As currently constructed, this Robert Morris team is the best three-point shooting squad in team history. In addition to Stamolamprou's prowess, Ashley Ravelli is fourth all-time at RMU with 153 treys, Rebeca Navarro is seventh connecting at 35.2% and Lou Mataly is eighth in percentage (35.1%) and makes (92).
 
Coach Sal Collects 200th Victory
Sal Buscaglia recorded his 200th victory as the head coach at Robert Morris with a 77-58 win at LIU Brooklyn (2.9.15). Now 205-165 in his 13th season at RMU, Buscaglia is just six wins away from the team record of 211 victories held by Dan Swalga (1978-1990) in 13 seasons. Buscaglia has more 20 win seasons, NEC championships, and postseason tournament berths than the program's other four coaches combined.
 
Defensive Minded
Robert Morris led the NEC in defensive field goal percentage holding opponents to 38.3 percent from the floor. RMU finished third in points allowed at just 64.0 per game and led the league in blocked shots with 122.
 
Near Playoff Perfection At Home
Robert Morris is 16-2 all-time in home playoff games. The squad had won 14 consecutive home playoff contests before falling to St. Francis Brooklyn in the 2015 NEC Final.
 
Decade of Dominance
From 2004-05 through 2014-15, Robert Morris posted a record of 141-57 in Northeast Conference play and won four regular season titles. The Colonials .712 winning percentage is second only to Sacred Heart (149-49, .753) with each team claiming four regular season championships and three tourney titles.
 
Insurmountable Lead
Robert Morris has never lost a game in which it has held the lead at the end of the game. The Colonials were 17-0 in such situations last season. All-time, RMU is 495-0 when leading at the final whistle.
 
Full Complement
For the first time under head coach Sal Buscaglia, the Colonials roster features a full complement of 15 players. It's likely that all will make contributions as the Colonials had 10 or more players find the scoring column on 11 different occasions last season.
 
Nationally Known
Robert Morris has played in a national tournament in six of the last nine seasons. In 2007 and 2008, the Colonials took part in the NCAA Tournament. A Preseason WNIT berth followed in 2008-09 and a Postseason WNIT in 2009-10. The 2011-12 season ended with the top seed in the Women's Basketball Invitational before RMU returned to the Big Dance in 2014.
 
International Love
The Robert Morris roster once again features members from all over the world. The Colonials 15-player roster features eight international players and seven domestic products. RMU's imported players hail from Canada, France, Greece, Italy and Spain.
 
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.