Women's Basketball | 1/18/2019 12:12:00 PM

GAME #16
Robert Morris Colonials (7-8, 4-0 NEC) @ Bryant Bulldogs (4-11, 2-2 NEC)
Saturday, January 19, 2019 // 1:00 p.m. // Smithfield, R.I. – Chace Athletic Center (2,600)
Live Video: NEC Front Row // Live Stats: BryantBulldogs.com
 
Notes Package: Robert Morris // Bryant

Musket Shots
> The Robert Morris University women's basketball team begins the second leg of its four-game road swing when it travels up to New England for a Saturday tilt against Bryant. The Colonials are one of two remaining NEC unbeatens, having just trounced LIU Brooklyn, 89-37, this past Saturday in their largest road win in program history. The Bulldogs own a 2-2 league mark, last falling at Sacred Heart, 49-48.
> This is the seventh time that RMU has started the conference schedule with a 4-0 mark, and the third year in the last four it has been accomplished. All four of the Colonials' NEC victories have come by a double-digit margin, marking the second time that has happened (2009-10). Those triumphs have come by an average of 26.3 points, where the 2009-10 start had an average scoring margin of 20.0 points.
> Freshman guard Esther Castedo was named NEC Rookie of the Week on Wednesday, marking the second straight week a Colonial freshman has won the award. Castedo averaged 15.0 points per game on 60.0 percent shooting in RMU's Brooklyn sweep.
> This four-game road trip is tied for the longest of the season, matching the team's swing through Bowling Green, Loyola Marymount, and Iowa. After this stretch, RMU will play no more than two consecutive home and road games for the remainder of the regular season.
 
Series History w/ Bryant
Overall: 16-5 | Home: 11-0 | Away: 5-5 | Streak: W3
Last Meeting: Feb. 24, 2018; Smithfield, R.I. – Robert Morris 67, Bryant 61
> This will be the 22nd meeting between Robert Morris and Bryant. The Colonials own a 16-5 edge in the series, but are just 5-5 all-time in Smithfield. Two of those road wins came during the 2015 and 2016 NEC Tournament semifinals. 
> RMU pulled its record to .500 at Bryant with a 67-61 triumph last February. The win was the Colonials' 20th of the season, meeting that mark for the 11th time in program history. RMU converted half of its 24 attempts from deep, led by Honoka Ikematsu's 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
> On March 12, 2017, the Colonials punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament with a 65-52 win over fourth-seeded Bryant in the NEC Championship Game and final game at the Charles L. Sewall Center. Anna Niki Stamolamprou '17 was named NEC Tournament MVP after leading the way with 23 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
 
Scouting the Bulldogs
> Led by 27th-year head coach Mary Burke, Bryant has split its four NEC games and sits in a tie for fifth in the standings - one spot lower than its Preseason Coaches' Poll selection of fourth. The Bulldogs have picked up wins over LIU Brooklyn (69-62) and Mount St. Mary's (73-68) in the early league slate.
> Junior forward Sydney Holloway is the engine that powers the Bulldogs. She leads the NEC in rebounding (12.5 RPG) and ranks fourth in scoring (17.5 PPG) and seventh in field goal percentage (.449). Senior guard Kierra Palmer slots second in the league in assists per game (4.2), while sophomore forward Hannah Scanlan's 47.6 percent conversion rate from the field is fourth best.
> Behind Holloway, Bryant is one of the conference's top rebounding teams. The Bulldogs rank second in rebounding margin (+3.6) and tops in offensive and defensive rebound percentage at .352 and .708, respectively. Bryant doesn't attack from deep much, averaging just 4.1 three-pointers per game, the lowest mark in the league.
 
Making a Statement
> Robert Morris' 89-37 victory at LIU Brooklyn on Monday was one for the record books. The 52-point margin was the program's largest in a road victory, surpassing an 83-40 triumph at Mercyhurst during the 1983-84 campaign.
> RMU's 52-point win is the fifth largest margin of victory in school history, behind two games against Saint Francis U, and wins over Chatham and West Virginia Wesleyan. The difference was also its biggest in an NEC contest, topping the 95-50 triumph over Wagner on Feb. 19, 2007.

Top Five Largest Margins of Victory (All)
+65 | W, 124-59 vs. West Virginia Wesleyan | Nov. 13, 2015
+61 | W, 85-24 vs. Chatham | Feb. 28, 1980
+58 | W, 88-30 vs. St. Francis (Pa.) | 1983-84
+54 | W, 95-51 vs. St. Francis (Pa.) | 1980-81
+52 | W, 89-37 at LIU Brooklyn | Jan. 14, 2019

Top Five Largest Margins of Victory (Road)
+52 | W, 89-37 at LIU Brooklyn | Jan. 14, 2019
+43 | W, 83-40 at Mercyhurst | 1983-84
+39 | W, 86-47 at Wagner | Jan. 12, 2015
+36 | W, 72-36 at St. Francis (N.Y.) | Dec. 2, 2010
+34 | W, 91-57 at Sacred Heart | Dec. 31, 2017
 
Lugo's Finest
> Freshman guard Esther Castedo earned her first NEC Rookie of the Week award on Wednesday, following the best weekend of her young career in Brooklyn. Castedo averaged 15.0 points and 60 percent shooting and 50 percent from deep, and set a career-high in scoring with 17 points at LIU Brooklyn.
> Castedo is the 14th player in program history to collect NEC Rookie of the Week accolades. She is also the second straight RMU freshman to be honored, as Isabella Posset picked up the plaudit for the third time on Jan. 9. Castedo and Posset join teammates Megan Callahan, Shakema Dashiell, Nneka Ezeigbo, and Honoka Ikematsu as current Colonials to be bestowed the honor.
> A native of Lugo, Spain, Castedo has represented her home country on the U15, U16, and U18 prior to attending Robert Morris. She helped lead Porta XI Ensino de Lugo to promotion in Liga Femenina 2 last season, and currently ranks seventh in the NEC in three-point percentage (.403).
 
The Bench Brings It
> Robert Morris has gotten great contributions from its bench this season, as its reserves are averaging 24.3 points per game and 10.5 more than its opponents' bench.
> The Colonials' bench has scored 30 or more points six times this season, going 5-1 in those contests. In the previous two seasons, RMU's reserves have reached the 30-point mark on just six occasions. On Nov. 11, the Colonials received a season-high 42 points from their bench in a 67-39 win over La Salle.
 
The Magic Number
> Robert Morris has scored 70 or more points in its last four games, averaging 76.3 points per game over this stretch. This is the first time since the 2013-14 season that the Colonials have reached the 70-point mark in four consecutive games, previously doing it over a five-game set from Feb. 17, 2014 to March 3, 2014.
> When RMU reaches 70 points under head coach Charlie Buscaglia, it's been game over for opponents. Since Buscaglia took over in 2016-17, the Colonials are 17-0 when scoring 70 points or more. The team is 5-0 this season once it meets that standard, and went 6-0 in both 2016-17 and 2017-18.
 
New Year, New Colonials
> A 3-8 non-conference record isn't exactly what Robert Morris wanted to close out 2018, but the New Year has brought a lot of success in the early going.
> RMU has gone 4-0 in NEC contests, winning each of them by double-digit margins. Since entering conference play, the Colonials have seen notable improvements in points per game (55.9 to 61.3), points allowed per game (59.7 to 57.1), scoring margin (-3.8 to +4.2), field goal percentage (.336 to .361), three-point field goal percentage (.318 to .334), field goal percentage defense (.404 to .379), three-point field goal percentage defense (.320 to .303), rebounding margin (-1.8 to 0.0), turnovers per game (18.5 to 16.7), and turnover margin (+2.2 to +3.9).
> The Colonials' 70-58 triumph over Mount St. Mary's on Jan. 5 moved them to 14-1 in their first conference game of the season since the 2004-05 campaign. RMU is 21-13 all-time in ECAC Metro / NEC opening contests.
 
The Defense (Never) Rests
> Defense has been the Colonials' calling card over the last few seasons, and 2018-19 isn't shaping up to be any different. Four times this season, RMU has held its opponent to 50 points or fewer - Nov. 11 against La Salle (39), Nov. 13 against Rhode Island (46), Jan. 7 against Fairleigh Dickinson (49), and Jan. 14 at LIU Brooklyn (37). The Colonials held the Blackbirds to a 20.9 percent (9-43) clip from the floor, making them the 18th different opponent to shoot under 30 percent since 2016-17.
> The Colonials also forced 23 turnovers out of LIU Brooklyn, the ninth game in which they have made their opponent make 20 or more mistakes. They're averaging 20.80 forced turnovers a game, a mark that leads the NEC and ranks 32nd nationally. Last season, RMU forced 20 or more turnovers on 15 occasions.
> Through 15 games, RMU currently paces the NEC in scoring defense by allowing 57.1 points per game, which also slots 36th nationally. The Colonials have established a new school record two years running in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 57.0 PPG in 2016-17 and 54.1 PPG last season. Last season's mark also ranked eighth nationally.
 
Insurmountable Lead
> Robert Morris has never lost a game in which it has held the lead at the end of the second half. The Colonials are 7-0 in such situations this season and went 25-0 last season. All-time, RMU is 605-0 when holding the lead at the final whistle.

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