Women's Basketball | 11/30/2016 10:40:00 AM

GAME 8
Robert Morris (3-4) at Delaware (4-2)
Thursday, December 1, 2016 • 7:00 p.m.
Acierno Arena (5,000) • Newark, Del.

Video: BlueHens.com
Twitter: @RMUWBasketball • Instagram: rmuwbasketball
 
The Capsule
Robert Morris will look to snap a three-game skid on its final day of a season-long six-game road trip as it takes on Delaware. The Colonials began their stint away from Moon Township with a pair of victories over Lafayette and Kent State, but have since fallen to Vanderbilt, Stetson, and Florida International.




The Series vs. Delaware
The Colonials and Blue Hens met for the first time 11 months ago at the Sewall Center, with the hosts earning a narrow 53-50 victory. RMU outscored Delaware, 32-19, in the middle quarters and made nine of 19 attempts from beyond the arc to come away with the win.

Scouting the Blue Hens
Delaware owns a 4-2 record in the early parts of 2016-17, but is coming off a pair of losses to No. 24/19 Michigan State and Detroit Mercy at the Cal State Northridge Thanksgiving Tournament over the weekend. It has been a balanced scoring effort for the Blue Hens this season as three players (Erika Brown, Sade Chatman, Nicole Enabosi) are averaging double-figures. Enabosi paces the team at 11.7 points per game, while also owning the top spot for steals (13) and blocks (7). Chatman is right behind her in points (11.2) and is Delaware's top rebounder at 7.5 per contest.

Know Your Enemy
When it came to shooting from beyond the arc last season against Delaware, it was like throwing a tennis ball into the ocean for Megan Smith and Rebeca Navarro. Smith canned all four of her three-point attempts en route to a game-high 16 points, while Navarro went three-of-three from distance. The trifecta twosome also provided help on the glass, as they collected five and six rebounds, respectively.

Last Time Out
The Colonials' second half success continued at FIU on Sunday, but unfortunately the first half carried over as well in a narrow 59-57 defeat to the Panthers. RMU shot just 31 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes and fell behind the hosts, 38-25, in the first half. The Colonials were led by Megan Smith and Rebeca Navarro, who each scored 11 points.

Smith Stars for RMU
Junior forward Megan Smith has been a big source of offense for the Colonials in their first seven games, averaging 14.4 points per contest while adding a per-game average of 7.9 rebounds. Smith, who was named to the All-Tournament Team over the weekend at FIU, has been incredibly efficient, converting field goals at a 59.4 percent rate and has made 13 of her 22 attempts from beyond the arc.

Boarding Pass
Senior guard Anna Niki Stamolamprou is on the cusp of gaining entrance into the exclusive 500 rebound club at RMU, needing just 23 more caroms to become its 15th member. If she achieves that feat, she will also become just the third player in program history to tally 500 rebounds and 300 assists, joining Artemis Spanou (1563r, 370a) and Angela Pace (508r, 303a).

The Floor General
Senior guard Janee Brown has had a strong start to her final season in a Colonial uniform, owning a 2.00 assist-to-turnover ratio through the first seven games. If she continues this pace, Brown (28a, 14t) would be the first RMU player to post a ratio (minimum 3.0 assist per game) of 2.00 or higher since 2009-10 when Angela Pace led the NEC with a 2.36 mark.
 
Shakema Sinks a Three
A big portion of RMU's offense comes from beyond the arc with junior guard Shakema Dashiell being one of the team's most consistent contributors from international waters. In the Colonials' last 10 contests, Dashiell has made at least one three-pointer in eight of them and is riding a current streak of four straight games with a trifecta.
 
Musket Shots
In the Colonials' three victories this season, they have held a lead going into the fourth quarter … RMU outscored Stetson and FIU in the fourth quarter by a combined 14 points over the weekend … Nadège Pluviose played the best game of her early career at FIU, tallying six points and a team-best eight caroms in 19 minutes … Anna Niki Stamolamprou has been a constant presence on the floor for RMU this season, averaging 39.0 minutes in her five starts … Robert Morris has played three new opponents this season in Lafayette, Vanderbilt, and Florida International … The Colonials won back-to-back season openers for the first time since 2005-06, when they rattled off three consecutive opening day victories … RMU returns 74 percent of its scoring from 2015-16, including five of its six leading scorers … 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

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