Moon Township, Pa. – Freshman forwards Megan Smith and Mikalah Mulrain combined for 32 points and 17 rebounds to lift the Robert Morris University women's basketball to a 71-60 win over Northeast Conference rival Saint Francis University at the Charles L. Sewall Center Saturday afternoon.  The victory is the 17th consecutive home league win for the Colonials who improve to 15-13 overall and 13-4 in the NEC.
 
Smith led the Colonials with 18 points and came one rebound shy of collecting a double-double. She was 5-of-10 from the field, hit a pair of treys and was 6-of-6 at the charity stripe. Mulrain came off the bench for 14 points and eight boards and was an efficient 5-of-6 from the floor and 4-of-6 from the chalk. She added two assists, two blocks and two steals.
 
Anna Niki Stamolamprou and Ashley Ravelli also reached double-digits with 11 and 10 points, respectively. RMU enjoyed a healthy 46-41 advantage on the glass and dominated the paint to the tune of 22-8. The Colonials did not allow the Red Flash to record a two-point basket in the second half until just over one minute remained in regulation.
 
Saint Francis (5-23, 4-13 NEC) was able to stay in the game courtesy of the long ball. They were 10-of-24 from downtown led by 24 points from Alexa Hayward. She was 8-of-23 from the field and 3-of-10 from deep. Aisha Brock was 3-of-6 from long range for 14 points and both players hit 5-of-6 from the chalk.
 
A tightly contested game featured five ties and 13 lead changes. Robert Morris, however, had the last push after the midway point of the second half. A putback by Mulrain erased a one-point deficit for the Colonials and represented the final lead change of the game with 8:58 to play. That was followed by free throws from Ravelli and then a run out lay-up for Stamolamprou after a steal by Jocelynne Jones.
 
The Red Flash trimmed the game to four points, 57-53, when Hayward hit her final two free throws with 3:59 to play. Ravelli answered with two of her own from the stripe to start a 12-0 run. Stamolamprou had five points during the surge that ended with RMU holding a 69-53 lead with just over one minute to play.
 
Saint Francis held its biggest lead of the game, hitting three-pointer to open the scoring. An 11-3 push featuring three-pointers from Smith and Rebeca Navarro would put the Colonials up by five just five minutes after tip. RMU remained on top for the next nine minutes.
 
The Red Flash used a 10-1 run, including eight consecutive points, to pull ahead 22-21 on a Hayward trey with 5:39 left in the first half. The teams battled back and for the remainder of the half before Hayward's baseline jumper knotted the game, 30-30, at the break.
 
The Colonials, now tied for second in the league, finish out the regular season Monday, March 2, when they host the Wagner Seahawks in a 1:00 p.m. game at the Charles L. Sewall Center.