Women's Basketball | 11/18/2016 10:50:00 AM
GAME 4
Robert Morris (2-1) at Kent State (2-0)
Saturday, November 19, 2016 • 2:00 p.m.
Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center (6,327) • Kent, Ohio
Video: KentStateSports.com
Twitter: @RMUWBasketball • Instagram: rmuwbasketball
Â
The Capsule
The
Robert Morris University women's basketball team continues its six-game road swing on Saturday by making the short trek just over the Pennsylvania-Ohio border for a date with Kent State. The Colonials won their road opener on Wednesday, using a suffocating defense to force 27 turnovers in a 62-51 victory at Lafayette.
The Series vs. Kent State
This will be the teams' first meeting in four seasons after being a regular opponent on each other's schedules from 2006 to 2012. Although the series is tied at 4-4, RMU has held the upper hand as of late, carrying a two-game winning streak into this matchup.
Scouting the Golden Flashes
Kent State has been impressive thus far, owning its first 2-0 record since 2010-11 with victories over Bradley (77-52) and Eastern Kentucky (80-67). Senior guard Larissa Lurken is off to a blistering start, averaging 24.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, while converting 5-of-9 attempts from deep. Junior forward Jordan Korinek and freshman guard Ali Poole also are averaging double-figures in scoring, with 13.5 and 10.0 points per contest, respectively.
Last Time Out
Robert Morris rebounded from a home loss to Monmouth by forcing 27 turnovers en route to a 62-51 victory at Lafayette on Wednesday. The Colonials made 9-of-20 (45.0 percent) attempts from beyond the arc and 13-of-14 shots (92.9 percent) from the stripe in the win.
Record Book Movement
Senior guard Anna Niki Stamolamprou could move into the program's top five for career points this weekend, needing just 13 to take sole possession of fifth. Stamolamprou surpassed former NEC Player of the Year, Sade Logan (2007-09), on Wednesday with a 22-point performance in the Colonials' victory at Lafayette. The 22-point effort was her 17th game with at least 20 points in her career.
Nearly Perfect
Robert Morris converted all but one of its attempts from the line in its 62-51 win at Lafayette on Wednesday, making 13-of-14 free throws for a conversion rate of 92.9 percent. The last time the Colonials were perfect from the chalk was on Jan. 26, 2015 at Mount St. Mary's when they sank all 11 attempts in a 68-44 victory.
Smith Stars for RMU
Junior forward
Megan Smith has been a big source of offense for the Colonials in their first three games, averaging a 13.7 points per contest while adding an per-game average of 10.0 rebounds. Smith, who posted her second career double-double against Point Park (19p, 13r), has been incredibly efficient, converting field goals at a 53.6 percent rate and has made six of her eight attempts from beyond the arc.
A New, but Familiar Voice
After spending 13 seasons under his father,Â
Charlie Buscaglia enters his first season as head coach of the Colonials. Coach B, as he is respectfully called, has served as the associate head coach for eight seasons under Sal Buscaglia and was an assistant for the five seasons before that. A 2003 graduate of Manhattan College, Coach B has excelled on the recruiting trail during his career, bringing to Moon Township some of the program's all-time greats, such as Artemis Spanou, Angela Pace, and Sade Logan, among many others.
Musket Shots
> Robert Morris is 133-39 (.773) at the Sewall Center since 2004-05, including 90-18 (.833) in NEC games
> The Colonials won back-to-back season openers for the first time since 2005-06, when they rattled off three consecutive opening day victories
> Anna Niki Stamolamprou is one of 21 members of the program's 1,000-point club, having joined on Jan. 2 against Sacred Heart
> Sal Buscaglia retired after the 2015-16 season, leaving behind a legacy of success with a school record 224 victories, 712 career wins, and four NEC Tournament titles
> The Colonials return 74 percent of their scoring from last season, including five of their six leading scorers
