Smithfield, R.I. – The Robert Morris University women's basketball team is returning to the Northeast Conference championship for the third consecutive season following a 72-59 win at Bryant University in the 2016 NEC Tournament presented by NRG Home Solar Wednesday night. It marks the second straight year that the Colonials won at Bryant for the right to play in the league's title game.
 
The Colonials advance to take on top-seeded Sacred Heart in the championship game of the 2016 NEC Tournament. The game will be played Sunday, March 13, at 3:00 p.m. at the William H. Pitt Center in Fairfield, Conn.
 
"It was not just the great shooting in the second half that I was proud of, it was the effort and tenacity and the way we responded to the pressure that I'm most proud of," said 13th-year RMU head coach Sal Buscaglia who will retire at the end of the season. "The execution of our offense and a few sets that we ran along with an excellent defensive effort – especially in the fourth quarter – were key for us. Experience played a big role with Ashley (Ravelli) and Anna Niki (Stamolamprou) just having an outstanding second half.
 
"Although we were outnumbered in fans and it was a hostile environment, the support of our cheerleaders and pep band that bussed 11 hours to this game provided the support we needed behind our bench and energized our players as well. We have one more game to go against a very talented Sacred Heart team on the road. We know it's a big challenge, but I know it's a challenge that our players are eager to accept."
 
Junior Anna Niki Stamolamprou finished with a team high 19 points, all in the second half, to spur an incredibly efficient second half run by the Colonials. Robert Morris went 21-29 (72.4 percent) in the second half after going just 8-of-24 (33 percent) in the opening 20 minutes. Lou Mataly finished with 10 points, seven in the third quarter alone. Ashely Ravelli added 14 points and Megan Smith chipped in 10.
 
Behind the hot hands of Mataly and Stamolamprou, the Robert Morris offense came to life in the third quarter. Each scored seven points as the Colonials outpaced Bryant, 25-19, in the frame. RMU went 10-14 in the quarter and ended the frame on a 10-3 run. Smith put the exclamation point on the run with a three-pointer that put the Colonials ahead, 46-43, heading into the final quarter.
 
Smith's three pointer started a 14-3 run over the next four minutes that ended with RMU holding a 57-45 lead with just over six minutes to play. A back-door cut and pull up jumper from Stamolamprou put RMU on top, 50-43, to start the fourth quarter. A short jumper by Klein was followed by Bryant timeout. But it was Robert Morris who took advantage of the break. The Colonials got five points in 29 seconds on a three from Ravelli and a steal and lay-in by Stamolamprou to prompt another Bulldog timeout.
 
From that point on, Robert Morris matched Bryant bucket for bucket and the Bulldogs would get no closer than seven points down the stretch. A late 6-0 surge put the game out of reach and RMU held on for the 13-point victory.
 
Bryant scored the first four points of the first half, but a post move and a three-pointer from Smith put the Colonials on top, 11-9, late in the first quarter. Robert Morris held the lead into the break 13-12 thanks to nice drive and finish from Janee Brown on the team's final possession.
 
A trey from the left wing by Nia Adams put the Colonials back on top by four points with just under seven minutes left before half. That's when the Bulldogs, and more specifically, Alex Klein responded. Klein had eight points in the quarter and scored scored six during a 10-0 run that put the home squad on top, 24-18. Shakema Dashiell came off the bench and buried a three from the right wing to end the run. Her basket with 3:27 left was the final of the half, allowing Bryant to take a 24-21 lead into the break.