Women's Basketball | 1/20/2017 1:02:00 PM

GAME 18
Bryant (9-8, 4-2 NEC) at Robert Morris (8-9, 3-3 NEC)
Saturday, January 21, 2017 • 1:00 p.m.
Charles L. Sewall Center (3,056) • Moon Township, Pa.

Video: NECFrontRow.com • RMUColonials.com
Video Talent: Adam Gusky (play-by-play), Justin Pyles (color commentary)
Twitter: @RMUWBasketball • Instagram: rmuwbasketball
 
The Capsule
Robert Morris hosts Bryant on Saturday, Jan. 21 in the second game of a season-long three-game home stand. The Colonials had a two-game winning streak snapped on Monday versus Saint Francis U and will look to get back on track against a Bulldogs team who is positioned just ahead of RMU in the NEC standings. This is the 10th time that the Colonials have played Bryant since 2013-14 as a third meeting outside of their annual conference home-and-home series has taken place in semifinal round of the last three NEC Tournaments.
 


The Series vs. Bryant
Robert Morris owns a 12-4 advantage against the Bulldogs in its history, and has won all eight times the teams have faced off at the Charles L. Sewall Center. Last season, the Colonials rebounded from a January loss at Bryant by picking up a 72-59 victory in the NEC Semifinals. Four RMU players scored in double-figures that evening as the visitors rebounded from a 24-21 halftime deficit by scoring 51 points in the final 20 minutes.

Scouting the Bulldogs
Bryant enters the weekend with a 4-2 mark in NEC play, good enough for sole possession of fourth place. Senior forward Alex Klein, who has been named league Player of the Week twice this season, leads the Bulldogs with 16.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest. Junior guard Ivory Bailey is also averaging double-figure scoring at 12.1 per game, but she has missed Bryant's last eight games. The Bulldogs are the conference's best team at the free throw stripe (.765) and rebounding margin, averaging 6.1 more caroms than their opponents.

Coach B Weekly
In the ninth episode of Coach B Weekly, head coach Charlie Buscaglia recaps and up-and-down weekend for the Colonials, looks at Mikalah Mulrain's historic performance at Wagner, discusses Ja'lynn Burton-Jones' increasing role, and previews this weekend's crucial home stand with Bryant and Central Connecticut arriving at The Chuck.


 
Know Your Enemy
Both Anna Niki Stamolamprou and Megan Smith have averaged double-figure scoring against Bryant in their careers, tallying 15.7 and 10.0 points per game, respectively. Stamolamprou is also averaging 4.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per contest, while Smith has shot 55.8 percent from the floor and 58.3 percent on three-pointers in six games versus the Bulldogs. Shakema Dashiell has possibly the best game of her career on Jan. 23, 2016 at Bryant, as she poured in a career-high 13 points (4-6 FG, 3-4 3FG) off the bench.

Last Time Out
Robert Morris struggled to handle a persistent Saint Francis U press and saw its two-game winning streak in a 70-55 defeat to the Red Flash on Monday. Megan Smith led the Colonials with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, while Anna Niki Stamolamprou scored all of her 13 points in the second half. RMU managed to outscore SFU in the second half, 37-28, but that couldn't make up for a 42-18 first half difference in favor of the visitors.
 
Scorin' Stamolamprou
Senior guard Anna Niki Stamolamprou is averaging a career-high 15.6 points per game in her final hurrah and is closing in on third place on the program's all-time scoring list. Stamolamprou has scored 1,550 points over her illustrious career and is 14 shy of surpassing Elise James (1996-00) on the leaderboard. With 115 more points, Stamolamprou can reach second place, which is currently occupied by Laura Lindak (1989-94).
 
A New Home in 2019
On Thursday, Jan. 19, it was announced that the RMU basketball teams as well as the volleyball program will play their home contests at the new UPMC Events Center come January 2019. The new facility will feature the 4,000-plus-seat Peoples Court, a practice court, and numerous other amenities. Construction on the venue is slated to begin this July.
 
Lockdown D
Robert Morris' defensive prowess was at full display against LIU Brooklyn on Jan. 9, establishing single-game program records for points allowed in a quarter and opponent field goal percentage. The Colonials held the Blackbirds to just three points in the opening frame, fewer than the previous standard of five on Feb. 29, 2016 against Saint Francis U. For the game, LIU shot just 19.6 percent from the field as its two leading scorers were held to 1-of-20 shooting combined.
 
Keeping an Identity
The Colonials have identified themselves as a strong defensive team in the past and this season is no different. RMU currently leads the NEC in scoring defense (61.0) and field goal defense (.383), and has held four teams to under 30 percent shooting - already matching its total from the 2014-15 and 2015-16 campaigns.
 
Mulrain Makes 'Em All
Junior center Mikalah Mulrain became the first player in program history to go a perfect 8-for-8 from the floor in her season-high 18-point effort at Wagner last Saturday. The previous record for field goal percentage (min. 8 FGM) in a single game was .900, accomplished twice by Sugeiry Monsac on Feb. 5, 2007 and Maebeth Schalles on Feb. 27, 1992.
 
The Floor General
Senior guard Janee Brown has had a strong start to her final season in a Colonial uniform, owning a 1.56 assist-to-turnover ratio through the first 17 games. Brown (61a, 34t) currently leads the Northeast Conference, which hasn't been done since 2009-10 when Angela Pace topped the league with a 2.36 mark.

Musket Shots
In the Colonials' eight victories this season, they have held a lead going into the fourth quarter  ... Sophomore guard Nia Adams made her first career start on Jan. 9 against LIU Brooklyn and has been a part of the starting five in RMU's last three games  ... All 11 players scored for the Colonials in their win over LIU Brooklyn on Jan. 9, marking the first time that has happened since March 8, 2015 in the NEC Quarterfinals against Fairleigh Dickinson... RMU returns 74 percent of its scoring from 2015-16, including five of its six leading scorers
 
Tweet #ColonialPride