Smithfield, R.I. – The Robert Morris University women's basketball team saw its nine-game winning streak come to an end as it fell to Bryant University in overtime, 62-59, this evening in Northeast Conference (NEC) action.
Haley Connors drilled a trifecta for Bryant (14-13, 9-7 NEC) with 16.9 seconds remaining in regulation, knotting the contest up at 54-54. Nia Adams drove to the basket for Robert Morris' (17-10, 12-4 NEC) on the next possession, but her attempt was off the mark, sending the game to an extra frame.
The teams traded free throws to start the overtime period before Morgan Olander scored a pair of buckets at the block, bookending a 1-of-2 trip to the foul line by Anna Niki Stamolamprou. Janee Brown pulled the Colonials within one with 45 seconds left, and the hosts then forced a shot clock violation, but the ensuing three-point attempt was deflected and corralled by Sydney Holloway of the Bulldogs.
"We definitely set the tone early on and had control of the tempo," said head coach Charlie Buscaglia. "But as the game went on we lost our focus in a lot of ways and need to be more mentally tough. Those breakdowns ultimately cost us by putting us in a tough position at the end of the game to finish it."
The first quarter was back-and-forth for the first nine minutes, with RMU holding a slight 11-9 advantage over Bryant. The visitors then picked up a Stamolamprou three on their next possession, and Nneka Ezeigbo followed that up with a steal and putback. Adams then got into the action, swiping the ball from Chanel Ramcharran at the top of the key before finishing on the fastbreak.
After trailing for the entire first half, the Bulldogs used 10 points from Alex Klein to carry a 39-38 lead into the fourth quarter. The Colonials responded well after falling behind, scoring eight straight points to begin the final stanza of regulation, but after a 6-2 stretch in favor of the hosts, RMU saw Ezeigbo, Mikalah Mulrain, and Megan Smith all foul out within a 21-second span starting at the 5:43 mark.
"Two of the fouls were deadball ones where [Bryant] was running an out-of-bounds play," said Buscaglia. "That was tough to lose [Nneka Ezeigbo and Mikalah Mulrain] on those, and then Megan [Smith] put herself in position by picking up some early fouls. Losing three of our best inside presences meant that we needed someone to step up and seize the moment more than we did."
Despite the foul trouble, the Colonials pushed their lead to 53-47 with five points from Stamolamprou. However, Bryant scored four of the next five points to put itself in position for Connors' tying three.
Stamolamprou led all scorers with 20 points, while Smith added 10 on 4-of-7 shooting.
Brown finished the night with nine points, a season-high eight assists, five rebounds, and three steals. It was the senior point guard's 125th career game, which established a new program record.
"We pride ourselves on our humility and willingness to battle," said Buscaglia. "Tonight was a very physical game and some calls didn't go our way, but we have to get through that and be tougher. This senior class has to be the ones to set the standard down the stretch and guide the younger players. Everyone has to become stronger leaders here."
The nine consecutive wins for RMU was tied for its fourth longest streak in school history.
Robert Morris returns to Moon Township to close the regular season with a pair of home games. The Colonials take on first-place Sacred Heart on Saturday, Feb. 25 at noon on a game that will be broadcast on ESPN3.
