Women's Basketball | 12/8/2016 11:10:00 AM

GAME 10
Robert Morris (4-5) at Iowa (7-3)
Friday, December 9, 2016 • 8:00 p.m. (ET)
Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500) • Iowa City, Iowa

Video: BTN Plus ($)
Live Audio & Stats: HawkeyeSports.com
Twitter: @RMUWBasketball • Instagram: rmuwbasketball
 
The Capsule
Robert Morris returns to the road for a four-game swing to close 2016, starting with a matchup against Iowa this Friday, Dec. 9. The Colonials were at home for a brief moment on Sunday, defeating Howard, 59-42, in its final non-conference game of the season at the Charles L. Sewall Center. RMU doesn't play in Moon Township again until 2017, when it hosts St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday, Jan. 7.
 


The Series vs. Iowa
Despite failing to come away with a victory against the Hawkeyes in three chances, Robert Morris has held its own against its regular Big Ten foe. In two of the three meetings, the Colonials have trailed by just one to three points at halftime. In their inaugural game on Nov. 20, 2012, Lou Mataly scored 13 points off the bench, but a 35-24 second half advantage lifted Iowa to a 58-44 victory over RMU. Last season, the Colonials trailed 29-28 after 20 minutes and 47-41 heading into the fourth quarter, but the Hawkeyes held on with a 22-9 difference in the final stanza.

Scouting the Hawkeyes
Iowa owns a 7-3 overall record after a pair of victories this week against Hawkeye State foes Northern Iowa and Iowa State. Offensively, the Hawkeyes are led by senior Ally Disterhoft and the sophomore duo of Megan Gustafson and Tania Davis, who all are averaging double-figures in scoring. Disterhoft is at a team-best 17.6 points per game and has shot 61.2 percent (63-103) on field goals and 51.7 percent (15-29) from beyond the arc. Gustafson, who is averaging a double-double with 16.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per contest, has actually been Iowa's most efficient scorer from the field, converting at a 67.0 percent (69-103) rate. Davis has made a team-high 17 three-pointers this season and is averaging 10.8 points per game.
 
Know Your Enemy
In their first two meetings with Iowa, senior guards Anna Niki Stamolamprou and Rebeca Navarro have played up to the level of Big Ten competition. As a freshman in 2014, Stamolamprou led the Colonials against the Hawkeyes with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting, while adding seven rebounds in 39 minutes of action. She scored 13 points in Iowa City last season, matching Navarro's total from that contest. The sharp shooter from Spain tailed her 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including a 3-of-4 performance from beyond the arc, and grabbed seven boards in 29 minutes.

Last Time Out
Robert Morris used a hot start, strong closing stretch, and some relentless defense to snap a four-game skid with a 59-42 victory over Howard on Sunday. The Colonials bookended the game with a 43-15 advantage over the Bison in the first and fourth quarters and held the visitors without a three-point field goal. Anna Niki Stamolamprou (19), Megan Smith (13), and Nneka Ezeigbo (11) were all in double-figures scoring for RMU.
 
A Clean Sweep
The Colonials swept the Northeast Conference (NEC) weekly awards on Monday as senior guard Anna Niki Stamolamprou was named Player of the Week and freshman center Nneka Ezeigbo collected Rookie of the Week accolades. This marked the first time RMU had brought home both weekly honors since Feb. 10, 2015 when Stamolamprou and Megan Smith were recognized by the league.
 
Boarding Pass
Senior guard Anna Niki Stamolamprou is on the cusp of gaining entrance into the exclusive 500 rebound club at RMU, needing just six 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).
 
Lockdown D
Robert Morris was on the top of its game defensively on Sunday against Howard, holding the Bison to just 42 points on 23.9 percent shooting. This was the sixth time during the 2016 calendar year that the Colonials have limited their opponent to less than 50 points and the third occurrence where RMU's foe shot under 30 percent from the field.
 
Smith Stars for RMU
Junior forward Megan Smith has been a big source of offense for the Colonials in their first nine games, averaging 13.7 points per contest while adding an per-game average of 8.3 rebounds. Smith, who has two double-doubles on the season, has been incredibly efficient, converting field goals at a 53.4 percent rate and has made 14 of her 24 attempts from beyond the arc.
 
The Floor General
Senior guard Janee Brown has had a strong start to her final season in a Colonial uniform, owning a 1.84 assist-to-turnover ratio through the first nine games. Brown (35a, 19t) currently leads the Northeast Conference, which hasn't been done since 2009-10 when Angela Pace topped the league with a 2.36 mark.
 
Record Book Movement
Adding to an already illustrious career, senior guard Anna Niki Stamolamprou moved past Sheri Horvath (1992-93, 94-97) for fourth place on the programs all-time scoring list after a 19-point effort against Howard on Sunday. Also with a chance to move up the record books soon is junior center Mikalah Mulrain, as she sits four blocks shy of tying the second-place mark of 114 set by Elise James (1996-00) and Artemis Spanou (2010-14).

Musket Shots
In the Colonials' four victories this season, they have held a lead going into the fourth quarter ...  RMU is outscoring teams by a combined 24 in the first and fourth quarters  ... Megan Smith posted a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double against Howard, her second of the season and third of her career  ... Anna Niki Stamolamprou has been a constant presence on the floor for RMU this season, averaging 37a conference-high 37.0 minutes per contest ... Nia Adams made her season debut against the Bison on Sunday after missing the Colonials' first eight games due to injury … Robert Morris has played three new opponents this season in Lafayette, Vanderbilt, and Florida International ... 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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