(p/c: Jose Juarez / Oakland University Athletics)
Rochester, Mich. – The Robert Morris University women's basketball team trimmed a 20-point deficit to five points late in the fourth quarter, but couldn't come any closer as it fell to Oakland, 84-77, this afternoon in Horizon League action from the Athletics Center O'Rena. RMU drops to 3-11 overall and in the league with the defeat, while the Golden Grizzlies improve to 10-9 overall and 10-6 in conference play.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Facing a 20-point gap entering the final stanza, RMU scored 18 of the frame's opening 23 points to make it 74-68 with 1:35 to play. Sol Castro answered an Oakland layup with a mid-range jumper to keep the difference at six, then two Esther Castedo layups offset four more Golden Grizzlies points with 26 seconds remaining. Natalie Villaflor's three-point play nine seconds later made it 82-77 in the closing stages, but Oakland ran some clock before being fouled and Brianna Breedy sank both free throws to seal the win.
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"Congratulations to Oakland on their win today," said RMU head coach Charlie Buscaglia. "We are working hard and learning from each moment. Our effort to stay after it and not quit was something I was very proud of today. Oakland is going to challenge you with a variety of different attacks, and we did a nice job of tightening some screws from yesterday and created some live-ball turnovers and stops."
THE CLOSING RUN
Sydney Palermo kicked off RMU's 18-5 fourth-quarter run with six of her eight points, scoring via two layups and a pair of free throws. Oakland had an answer for the free throws and first layup, but Palermo's second bucket was followed by a Mackenzie Amalia layup and Villaflor foul shot to make it 73-59 with 6:24 to play. After an Autumn Kissman free throw, Amalia sank a three off a Castedo feed, and Sol Castro scored in the paint to trim the gap to 74-64 midway through the frame. Castro again scored a minute later to cut it to single digits, and after a two-minute span without a bucket, Castedo banked in a layup to make it 74-68.
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"Foul trouble played a big part in the middle of the game for us," added Buscaglia. "There were some great moments in this game where we got tougher and kept fighting when we could have dropped our heads. It's tough to lose with such a hard-fought effort, but our focus is to always learn from these tough moments and keep working on getting a little better every day."
YOU GOTTA HAVE SOL
Freshman forward Sol Castro was one of three Colonials in double-figures scoring (Megan Callahan, Esther Castedo), tallying a team-high 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Castro has now netted double-digit points in six consecutive contests, becoming the first rookie to do so since Anna Niki Stamolamprou did it twice during the 2013-14 season. Since Jan. 22, the Rio Colorado, Argentina native has increased her points-per-game number from 6.1 to a team-best 9.9, and is averaging 15.0 points on 49.4 percent shooting over this six-game stretch.
OFFENSIVE SUCCESS
RMU's offense continues to shine as of late, and today established season highs in points (77) and field goal percentage (.500). The Colonials are averaging 68.2 points over their last five games and own a 1.35 assist-to-turnover ratio over that stretch. RMU's efficiency from the field this afternoon marks the first time it has converted at a 50.0-percent or better rate since Jan. 2, 2020 in an 86-56 win at Central Connecticut.
THE OPPONENT
Oakland had five players reach double-digit points in Kahlaijah Dean (21), Alona Blackwell (14), Autumn Kissman (12), Breanne Beatty (11), and Lamariyee Williams (11). The Golden Grizzlies showed off their dynamic offensive attack once again this afternoon, shooting at a 51.9-percent rate from the field and a 46.7-percent mark on 15 three-point attempts.
NEXT UP
RMU's next scheduled games are currently set for Feb. 19-20 at Purdue Fort Wayne after its original opponent next weekend, Detroit Mercy, suspended its season on Jan. 21. The Colonials are looking to potentially replace the Feb. 12-13 home series with another opponent, and will provide an update later in the week.
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