Women's Basketball | 12/3/2016 12:12:00 PM

GAME 9
Howard (1-5) at Robert Morris (3-5)
Sunday, December 4, 2016 • 1:00 p.m.
Charles L. Sewall Center (3,056) • Moon Township, Pa.

Video: RMUColonials.com • NECFrontRow.com
Video Talent: Adam Gusky (play-by-play), Justin Pyles (color commentary)
Twitter: @RMUWBasketball • Instagram: rmuwbasketball
 
The Capsule
After three weeks away from the Charles L. Sewall Center, Robert Morris finally returns home for a Sunday tilt against Howard. This will be the Colonials' last home game before the turn of the calendar as they return to the road following this with non-conference contests at Iowa and Morgan State, along with the first Northeast Conference trip to Sacred Heart and Fairleigh Dickinson.




The Series vs. Howard
The Colonials and Bison have only played once in the past, almost exactly eight years ago. In their inaugural meeting, RMU defeated Howard at The Chuck, 64-54, thanks to a game-high 25 points from Monet Johnson. Angela Pace added 11 points and five steals for the Colonials, who held the Bison to 32.8 percent shooting from the field.

Scouting the Bison
Howard has played a tough non-conference slate thus far, owning just a 1-5 record entering December. However, the Bison are coming off their first win just four days ago when it defeated St. Francis Brooklyn on the road, 78-63. Redshirt senior guard Te'Shya Heslip has been Howard's go-to player on offense in the early going, averaging team highs in points (18.7) and assists (4.2) while shooting 46.2 percent (12-26) from beyond the arc and 78.8 percent (26-33) at the free throw stripe.

Last Time Out
Robert Morris led Delaware for 36 minutes on Thursday, but a late push by the Blue Hens lifted the hosts over the Colonials, 59-57. Rebeca Navarro led the visitors with 17 points, putting in a 5-of-8 performance from distance. Anna Niki Stamolamprou and Nneka Ezeigbo added 12 and 11 points, respectively, while Megan Smith flirted with a double-double, tallying nine points and 10 boards.
 
Smith Stars for RMU
Junior forward Megan Smith has been a big source of offense for the Colonials in their first eight games, averaging 13.8 points per contest while adding an per-game average of 8.1 rebounds. Smith, who was named to the All-Tournament Team last weekend at FIU, has been incredibly efficient, converting field goals at a 54.7 percent rate and has made 13 of her 23 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 15 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 2.27 assist-to-turnover ratio through the first seven games. If she continues this pace, Brown (34a, 15t) would be the first RMU player to post a ratio (minimum 3.0 assists per game) of 2.00 or higher since 2009-10 when Angela Pace led the NEC with a 2.36 mark.
 
Chuck's Charms
The Charles L. Sewall Center, regularly referred to as 'The Chuck', has been a house of horrors for Robert Morris' opponents in its history. Since 2004-05, the Colonials have gone 133-39 (.773) at home and own a 90-18 (.833) mark in Northeast Conference contests.
 
Record Book Movement
With 18 points at Vanderbilt on Nov. 22, senior guard Anna Niki Stamolamprou moved past Kim Mong (1981-85) into sole possession of fifth place on the program's all-time scoring list. Stamolamprou now has 1,394 career points and is 15 shy of surpassing Sheri Horvath (1992-93, 94-97) for fourth place.
 
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 last weekend in Miami  ... Nneka Ezeigbo scored a career-high 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting in 22 minutes at Delaware on Thursday  ... Anna Niki Stamolamprou has been a constant presence on the floor for RMU this season, averaging 37.3 minutes per contest ... 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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