#1 UCONN HUSKIES Saturday, March 19 // 11:00 a.m.
Storrs, Conn. // Gampel Pavilion The CapsuleThe Robert Morris women's basketball team returns to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time and second time in the last three years when they take on the #1 UConn Huskies in a First Round game at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn., Sat., March 19, at 11:00 a.m. The Colonials also made the field of 64 in 2007, 2008 and 2014.
NEC Championship NotesRMU has won NEC championships in 1988, 1991, 2007, 2008, 2014 and 2016. The Colonials made the conference title game three straight seasons and are 6-3 in nine title appearances.
The Series vs. UConnThis is the inaugural meeting between the Colonials and Huskies.
20-Win AgainThe 2015-16 team is the ninth in team history to reach 20 wins. Seven of those 20-win seasons have come under the tutelage of 13th year head coach
Sal Buscaglia.
Milestone Watch> Anna Niki Stamolamprou, 207 treys, needs two three-pointers to pass Jenna Burkett (208) and set the RMU career record
> Stamolamprou needs 15 assists to reach 300
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Mikalah Mulrain needs one block to move into fourth at RMU with 102 in her career
NEC All-Tournament HonorsJunior guard Anna Niki Stamolamprou was named the NEC Tournament MVP averaging 17.7 points, 6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals in three playoff games.
Ashley Ravelli was also named All-Tournament thanks to a game-high 14 points and seven assists in championship game. She averaged 12 points, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals in the tourney.
Coach Sal Sailing OnThe 2015-16 season will be the last for 13th year RMU head coach
Sal Buscaglia who will retire at the conclusion of the season after 38 years on the bench. Coach Sal, as he is respectfully called, has won 712 games at four schools and has 443 wins as a Division I coach.
Musket Shots> RMU is 132-38 (.776) at the Sewall Center since 2004-05, including 90-18 (.833) in NEC games
> Anna Niki Stamolamprou was named to the All-NEC Second Team, her third honor from the league in as many seasons
> Anna Niki Stamolamprou, with 207 treys, needs just two more to become RMU's all-time leader
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Ashley Ravelli hit the 1,000 point plateau against CCSU, the 21st player in team history to reach 1K
> The Colonials shot 57.1% against Mount St. Mary's, the fourth-best shooting percentage in team history
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Sal Buscaglia became the winningest coach in RMU history winning his 212th game against Sacred Heart Jan. 2
> Buscaglia won his 700th career game with a 64-44 victory against Wagner Jan. 4
> Anna Niki Stamolamprou became the 20th RMU player to reach 1,000 career points eclipsing the mark Jan. 2 vs. SHU
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Rebeca Navarro leads the NEC in three-point shooting converting at 45.2 percent (47-104)
> RMU hit 12 three-pointers against both Northern Kentucky and Sacred Heart, second-most in program history
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Mikalah Mulrain is fifth all-time at RMU with 101 career blocks in just 64 career games
> RMU set team records for points (124), scoring margin (+65), FGs (49), assists (37) and rebounds (67) vs. WV Wesleyan
> Robert Morris has made the NEC playoffs 11 times in the last 12 seasons under
Sal Buscaglia> Seven of the Colonials 14 players hail from outside the United States
> RMU has won four of its sixNEC Championships with Buscaglia on the bench
That Escalated QuicklyRobert Morris broke open a tie game against Bryant going on a 14-3 run in the fourth quarter. The squad scored five points in 23 seconds after a Bryant timeout attempted to stop the run.
Sizzling Second HalfThe Colonials went 21-29, 72.4 percent, in the second half at Bryant after going just 8-of-24 in the opening frame. RMU committed just one turnover in that second half.
Postseason PrizewinnersJunior guard Anna Niki Stamolamprou was named to the All-NEC Second Team. She led the team in scoring (13.4), three-pointers (62) and assists (97). Stamolamprou is a three-time league honoree, earning a first team nod in 2014-15 and an all-rookie selection in 2013-14.
Perennial Playoff PotentialRobert Morris has clinched an NEC playoff berth for the 11th time in the last 12 seasons. RMU had eight consecutive playoff appearances from 2004-05 through 2011-12, finishing first in three of those seasons, earning the top seed in 2010.
Ten Tickle the TwineThe Colonials have had 10 or more players find the scoring column in 12 different games this season. It's all part of a bench effort that is averaging over 21 points per game.
Tres, Trois, Tpia,TreThe Colonials foreign born players have accounted for all but 12 of the team's 215 three pointers this season.
The Rain From SpainJunior
Rebeca Navarro, a native of Galicia, Spain, leads the Northeast Conference in three-point shooting at 45.2 percent. She is 47-104 this season and is fourth all-time at Robert Morris shooting .383 from beyond the arc for her career.
Doing It With DefenseAccording to the most recent NEC statistics, Robert Morris leads the league in points allowed (58.6), field goal percentage defense (.375), scoring margin (+5.7), three-point FG defense (.273) and is second in rebounding margin (+1.7).
Seven-Point PossessionThe Colonials had a seven-point possession against CCSU, a three-pointer by
Ashley Ravelli coming at the same time
Megan Smith was fouled setting a screen. Smith scored twice from the line, but not before
Rebeca Navarro hit two from the chalk thanks to a technical foul call on the Blue Devils bench.
Sharp ShootingThe Colonials shot 57.1 percent (28-49) at Mount St. Mary's, tying the fourth-highest field goal percentage in team history. RMU was 22-31 — 71.0 percent — on shots from inside the arc and 6-18 on three-pointers.
Two With Double-Digit BoardsMikalah Mulrain and
Megan Smith each had 12 rebounds against Saint Francis U. It was the first time since March 3, 2014, that a pair of Colonials had 10 or more boards.
Seven Score MoreRobert Morris has had seven different players lead the team in scoring this season. Anna Niki Stamolamprou,
Ashley Ravelli,
Mikalah Mulrain,
Leah Wormack,
Megan Smith,
Rebeca Navarro and
Jocelynne Jones have all finished games with top scoring honors for RMU.
BCT Sportsperson of the YearRMU head coach
Sal Buscaglia was named the Beaver County Times Sportsperson of the Year. The 13th-year RMU head coach was selected as much for his promoting and growing women's athletics as for his on the court accomplishments.
Winner, Winner, Carmine's DinnerHead coach
Sal Buscaglia, who's favorite on-the-road dinner destination in Carmine's in New York, became the winningest coach in RMU history when the Colonials beat Sacred Heart, 78-63, on Jan. 2 in the team's NEC opener. The victory was the 212th for Buscaglia who surpassed Dan Swalga (1978-90) for the record.
A Dozen Threes, PleaseRobert Morris buried a dozen three-pointers twice this season, the second-most made treys in team history. RMU hit a dozen in a two-point setback against Northern Kentucky and also nailed 12 in its NEC opening victory against Sacred Heart.
Ravelli Reaches 1KSenior guard
Ashley Ravelli became the 21st player in RMU history to reach 1,000 career points. She did it with foul shot in the first half against Central Connecticut (Feb. 8). She is the second player this season to hit the 1K mark.
Thessaloniki ThousandAnna Niki Stamolamprou, a native of Thessaloniki, Greece, became the 20th player to record 1,000 career points when she tallied 22 points against Sacred Heart on Jan. 2. She joins all-time great Artemis Spanou (2010-14) as the only two Greek players in the club.
Chuck's CharmsThe Charles L. Sewall Center, a.k.a. "The Chuck", has lent a certain advantage for the Colonials over the past 12 seasons. Since 2004-05, RobertMorris is 132-38 (.776) in home games, including an even more impressive 90-18 (.833) record against Northeast Conference opponents.
Things To Look ForRMU is 16-3 when leading at the half and 20-3 when leading at the end of the third quarter. They are 3-7 when trailing at half and winless, 0-8, when trailing at the end of the third quarter. RMU is 14-2 when winning the rebounding battle, 18-2 when holding opponents to less than 60 points, and 16-0 when outshooting its opponent.
Consecutive Games With a ThreeRobert Morris has hit a three-pointer in 98 consecutive games dating back to Feb. 18, 2013. That streak includes a trey in every game from 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. It's a long way off of the team record of 285 consecutive games stretching from Jan. 7, 2002 through March 8, 2011.
Depth Coming ThroughThe Colonials have had at least eight players score in all but four games this season and have had 10 or more players find the scoring column 11 times. RMU is averaging over 21 points off the bench and nine players are averaging over 11 minutes per game.
Six Reach Double-DigitsSix Colonials hit double-digits in the scoring department in its season opener, the first time that's happened in a home since 2008, and the first time overall since the end of the 2013-14 season.
Mikalah Mulrain led all scorers with 20 points, Anna Niki Stamolamprou and
Rebeca Navarro added 15 each,
Jocelynne Jones a career-best 13 along with
Lou Mataly and freshman
Nia Adams tacking on 11 points.
Coach In WaitingWith the imminent retirement of head coach
Sal Buscaglia, associate head coach
Charlie Buscaglia, will take over the reins of the program in 2016-17. Coach B, as he is respectfully called, is in his 13th season with the Colonials.
Decade of DominanceFrom 2004-05 through 2014-15, Robert Morris posted a record of 141-57 in Northeast Conference play and won four regular season titles. The Colonials .712 winning percentage is second only to Sacred Heart (149-49, .753) with each team claiming four regular season championships and three tourney titles.
Insurmountable LeadRobert Morris has never lost a game in which it has held the lead at the end of the game. The Colonials are 20-0 in such situations this season. All-time, RMU is 515-0 when leading at the final whistle.
Near Playoff Perfection At HomeRobert Morris is 17-2 all-time in home playoff games. The squad had won 14 consecutive home playoff contests before falling to St. Francis Brooklyn in the 2015 NEC Final.
Nationally KnownRobert Morris has played in a national tournament in six of the last nine seasons. In 2007 and 2008, the Colonials took part in the NCAA Tournament. A Preseason WNIT berth followed in 2008-09 and a Postseason WNIT in 2009-10. The 2011-12 season ended with the top seed in the Women's Basketball Invitational before RMU returned to the Big Dance in 2014.
International LoveThe Robert Morris roster once again features members from all over the world. The Colonials 14-player roster features seven international players and seven domestic products. RMU's imported players hail from Canada, France, Greece, Italy and Spain.