Women's Basketball | 3/4/2017 2:53:00 PM
GAME 30
#8 Fairleigh Dickinson (8-21, 6-12 NEC) at #1 Robert Morris (19-10, 14-4Â NEC)
2017 Northeast Conference Tournament Quarterfinals
Sunday, March 5, 2017 • 1:00 p.m.
Charles L. Sewall Center (3,056) • Moon Township, Pa.
Radio: ESPN 970 AM
Video: NEC Front Row • RMUColonials.com
On-Air Talent: Adam Gusky (play-by-play), Justin Pyles (color commentary)
Twitter: @RMUWBasketball • Instagram: rmuwbasketball
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The Capsule
For the third consecutive season, Robert Morris opens the Northeast Conference Tournament by hosting Fairleigh Dickinson in a quarterfinal contest. The Colonials and Knights will play on Sunday, March 5 at 1:00 p.m. at the Charles L. Sewall Center. RMU swept the regular season series against FDU, picking up a 66-64 victory in the Garden State on Dec. 31 and a 62-48 win this past Monday.
The Series vs. Fairleigh Dickinson
Robert Morris holds a 38-25 edge over the Knights in its history, thanks in large part to a 23-9 difference on its home floor. The Colonials are riding a three-game winning streak against Fairleigh Dickinson and have won eight of the last 10 meetings.
RMU in the Playoffs is…
> 16-2 in home contests
> 4-1 all-time as the #1 seed
> 2-1 all-time against the #8 seed
> 3-1 against FDU in the postseason, including a 68-59 victory last season
> 11-5 in the NEC Tournament Quarterfinals
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Perennial Playoff Potential
Robert Morris is participating in its 12th NEC Tournament over the last 13 seasons. RMU had rattled off eight consecutive postseason appearances from 2004-05 to 2011-12, finishing first in three of those seasons. This is the third time that the Colonials will enter the NEC Tournament as the top seed, previously accomplishing this in 2010 and 2014.
Coach B Weekly
On the 15th episode of
Coach B Weekly, head coach
Charlie Buscaglia discusses the following topics: RMU's turnaround from 3-3 in the conference to an NEC regular season title, the difference between the Colonials' two games against Sacred Heart, the offense's efficiency in RMU's win against Fairleigh Dickinson, why the team has been so strong in the first quarter of games, and what goes into prepping for a postseason contest in comparison to a regular season one.
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Last Time Out
Robert Morris closed the regular season with a 62-48 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson on Monday, Feb. 27, clinching the NEC regular season championship after Saint Francis U defeated Sacred Heart just minutes later. The Colonials never trailed in the contest, thanks in part to a 7-of-13 performance from beyond the arc.
Anna Niki Stamolamprou led all scorers with 22 points, while
Rebeca Navarro added 11.
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The Search for Seven
Robert Morris has won six NEC Tournament titles in its history, including two over the past three seasons. That is the second most in league history behind Saint Francis U, who has won 11 championships. However, RMU has won four of its titles since 2006-07, which is twice as much as any other institution during that span.
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All Gold Everything
RMU claimed a pair of NEC major awards and saw three players make all-conference teams on Friday.
> Charlie Buscaglia (Brenda Reilly Coach of the Year)
> Anna Niki Stamolamprou (Player of the Year, First Team)
> Megan Smith (Third Team)
> Nneka Ezeigbo (Rookie Team)
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Starting Off On the Right Foot
What's one of the secrets to RMU's 14-4 NEC record? A fast start. The Colonials have outscored their opponents, 278-190, in the first quarter of their league contests, giving them an average cushion of 4.89 points entering the second frame.
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Never Change
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 (57.0) and field goal defense (.371), and has held seven teams to under 30 percent shooting - which is its most since eight opponents were held below that mark in the 2009-10 season. The scoring defense number is currently the lowest in program history, just under the 57.1 mark set by the 2009-10 team.
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Chuck's Charms
The Charles L. Sewall Center, regularly referred to as 'The Chuck', has been a house of horrors for Robert Morris' opponents in its history. Since 2004-05, the Colonials have gone 141-41 (.775) at home and own a 97-20 (.829) mark in Northeast Conference contests.
Hard (to Guard) in the Paint
Robert Morris has gotten consistent production from its pair of centers, freshman
Nneka Ezeigbo and junior
Mikalah Mulrain. In a combined 38.8 minutes per game, the duo are averaging 12.7 points on 51.2 percent shooting, while pulling down 9.5 rebounds per contest. Both players have posted a double-double this season and share a season-high in scoring of 18 points.
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Feelin' It
Senior guard
Anna Niki Stamolamprou is averaging a career-high 16.4 points per game in her final hurrah and surpassed Laura Lindak (1989-94) for second place on the program's all-time scoring list on Jan. 30 at Saint Francis U. Stamolamprou now has 1,743 career points and has tallied a per-game average of 14.4 points during her time in Colonial blue and white.
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Lift Off
First-year head coach
Charlie Buscaglia now owns the winningest debut head coaching season in program history as his 19-10 record has surpassed Dan Swalga's 14-win campaign in 1978-79.
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As We Go On, We Remember
The senior trio of
Janee Brown,
Rebeca Navarro, and
Anna Niki Stamolamprou has accomplished so much during their time at Robert Morris. They have been a part of 76 overall wins at RMU and 53 NEC victories, and helped guide the program to three trips to the NEC Championship Game, two NEC titles, and a pair NEC regular-season crowns.
Musket Shots
> This is the fifth time that Robert Morris has won or shared the NEC regular season title (2007, 2008, 2010, 2014)
> The Colonials are 5-0 when scoring 70+ points and 9-0 in contest where the team allows fewer than 50 points
> Senior guard
Janee Brown has played in 127 career games, the most in program history
> The Colonials' NEC Tournament games will be the final ones at the Charles L. Sewall Center, as construction on the UPMC Events Center is set to begin this July
