GAME 30
#10 RMU (11-18 / 5-15 #HLWBB) at #7 Milwaukee (10-18 / 8-12 #HLWBB)
Tuesday, February 28 | 8:00 p.m.
Klotsche Center (3,500) | Milwaukee, Wis. 

TV: ESPN+
Talent: Matt Menzl (pxp),  (analyst)
Twitter & Instagram: @RMUWBasketball
 
Opening Tip

• The Robert Morris women's basketball team was tabbed the #10 seed and opens the 2023 Barbasol Horizon Tournament (Link) at #7 Milwaukee on Tuesday, Feb. 28, with tip-off set for 8:00 p.m.
• The Colonials wrapped up the regular-season on Saturday (2/25) against Youngstown State, where they erased an 18-point halftime deficit but the Penguins fourth quarter surge downed RMU 65-51 at the UPMC Events Center.
• Led by 6th-year head coach Charlie Buscaglia, RMU finished the 2022-23 regular-season with an overall record of 11-18 (.379), including a mark of 5-18 (.250) in the Horizon League.
• The Colonials were down as many as 18 in the third quarter before RMU used a 15-0 run in a span of over four minutes to trim the Penguins advantage. YSU would take control in the fourth quarter using a 14-0 run to stretch their lead.
• A trio of Colonials finished in double-figures, led by Phoenix Gedeon. She finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, two steals, and a perfect seven-for-seven from the charity stripe
• Simone Morris chipped in 12 points and grabbed six boards with a steal and as assist, while Danielle Vuletich recorded 10 points, two caroms, and a steal. Freshman Louella Allana paced the team with four assists and connected on a pair of triples, while Mackenzie Amalia grabbed three steals, two assists, and two rebounds in the loss.

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The All-Time Series (Milwaukee) – Come Tuesday night, it'll be the seventh all-time meeting and the first-ever meeting between the Colonials and Panthers in the Horizon League Tournament. The two teams split the season series with each squad winning at their home court. Milwaukee captured a 72-60 victory in January (1/20) before RMU secured a 50-45 win at the UPMC Events Center last Sunday (2/19). In the first meeting, Phoenix Gedeon paced the Colonials by carding her eighth double-double, finishing with 20 points and 10 caroms. Alejandra Mastral chipped in 11 points and led the team with four assists and two steals. Rebecca Dwomoh finished with seven points, while Simone Morris, Louella Allana, and Danielle Vuletich all registered six points in the loss.

In the second meeting, Robert Morris used a hot shooting performance from behind the arc and defensive stops to secure their first win against the Panthers. The Colonials put on one of its best performances from three-point range, shooting 50 percent (8-of-16) for the game. Mastral tied her career-high as she was 4-of-5 from long range, while registering a career-high 16 points. Gedeon carded her 12th double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 caroms. She shot 8-of-14 from the charity strip while dishing out three assists and collecting a steal. Morris chipped in nine points on 4-of-8 shooting from the floor and grabbed three rebounds, while Dwomoh and Natalie Johnson each scored six points. Mackenzie Amalia and Allana each tallied three steals during the win.

Scouting The Panthers – Milwaukee enters the conference tournament as the #7 seed after finishing the regular season with a 10-18 overall record, behind an 8-12 mark in league action. Dating back to 2001-02, Milwaukee holds a 16-20 record in the Horizon League tournament. The Panthers were crowned champions in 2006, while being Horizon League Regular Season Co-champions during the 2005-06 and 2020-21 campaigns. Two Panthers earned Horizon League honors, Kamy Peppler was selected to the All-Freshman Team while Megan Walstad was tabbed to the All-Defensive Team announced by the conference earlier today. Peppler finished the regular season averaging 6.5 points per game while leading the team with 3.4 assists per contest. She has finished with three assists or more in 17 games this season and leads the team with 1.0 steals per game. Walsted is one of the top shot blockers in the conference, averaging 1.3 blocks per game which is second best in the league. She has carded two or more blocks in 11 games this season while trying her career-high five blocks against Cleveland State.

Kendall Nead paces the team with 10.9 points while grabbing 4.2 rebounds per game. Emma Wittmershaus sits second on the team with 10.0 points and 5.8 caroms per contest. She's dishing out 1.0 assists and securing a block for the Panthers. Walsted chips in 9.6 points and paces the team with 7.9 boards per game. She is tallying 2.3 assists and is shooting .885 from the charity stripe.

Horizon League Accolade – In a vote by Horizon League head coaches, sophomore forward Phoenix Gedeon was named to the 2022-23 #HLWBB Third Team announced by the conference earlier today. It marks the first All-League honor for an RMU women's basketball student-athlete since the Colonials joined the Horizon League in June of 2020. Gedeon, a native of Montreal, Quebec, is the second player for the RMU women's basketball program to earn a regular season award. Sol Castro was the first, back in the 2020-21, making the All-Freshman team. Throughout the 2022-23 campaign, Gedeon averaged 13.3 points per game and 8.5 boards. She was first in both statistical categories for the Colonials and was ranked third in the conference in rebounds and seventh in scoring across the Horizon League. On 12 different occasions, Gedeon recorded a double-double which was the third most in the conference. Four different times, she posted 20+ points. In the middle of the season when conference play picked up, Gedeon picked up six double-double efforts across an eight-game period.

Inside The Numbers – With a limited bench for half the season, RMU has had to have a balanced attack. Gedeon paced the Colonials in multiple statistical categories, while Simone Morris sits second on the team at 7.8 points per game. Morris has grabbed 5.1 rebounds per contest and has carded a block in five of the last six games for the Colonials. Danielle Vuletich leads RMU with a .455 shooting percentage (87-for-191) while coming off the bench for a majority of the season. She's averaging 7.7 points and 4.1 boards per contest for the Colonials. Rebecca Dwomoh paces the team with 34 three-pointers made while averaging over one per contest. The duo backcourt of Mackenzie Amalia and Louella Allana sit one and two on the team in assists. Amalia leads the team with 78 assists and Allana ranks second on the team with 64. Amalia has led the Colonials in assists 14 times during the 2022-23 campaign.

Conference Tourney History – Since joining the Horizon League conference in June of 2020, Robert Morris holds a record of 1-2 in the league tournament. The Colonials registered its first-ever Horizon League tournament win last season when they knocked off Purdue Fort Wayne 70-56 at the UPMC Events Center. In three games in the tourney, Robert Morris is averaging 55.0 points per game.

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