RMU Women’s Basketball: Colonials Gun For NEC Title, NCAA Berth At Moon Township

The Battle of Pennsylvania is enjoined once again as top-seeded Robert Morris University hosts No. 3 Saint Francis University at 3 p.m. this afternoon in the 2014 Northeast Conference women’s basketball championship game.

Both squads claimed five-point wins in their Wednesday semifinal round matchups for the opportunity to see who will go dancing as the recipient of the NEC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The Colonials held off the Bryant University Bulldogs 72-67 in their mid-week semifinal contest in Moon Township.

With only 2:33 on the clock and the outcome still very much in doubt after Bryant had pulled to within two points,

senior forward Artemis Spanou took control of the game. The two-time NEC Player of the Year buried a 15-foot jumper as the shot clock wound down.

On the ensuing Bulldogs possession, Spanou blocked a shot and corralled the rebound before freshman guard Rebecca Navarro hit a 10-footer to give RMU a six-point advantage.

It was a lead that Robert Morris would not surrender. Bryant’s sophomore guard Breanna Rucker scored on a lay-up with 17 seconds remaining, but Colonials’ sophomore guard Ashley Ravelli answered the call as she knocked down a pair of freebies that pushed the lead back to five points and sealed the deal for the Colonials.

Spanou had 24 points to go along with 12 rebounds, eight assists and two blocked shots on the night for the Colonials. Navarro had 10 points while freshman center Cassie Oursler contributed 13 points.

Today’s contest marks the return of RMU (20-11, 14-4 NEC) to the NEC Championship for the first time since 2008. For Saint Francis University (15-16, 11-7 NEC) it will be their 16th appearance in the championship game in the past 21 seasons. The last time for the Red Flash to appear in the title game was 2011, and they trail only UConn with 20 for most conference championship game appearances.

These two programs have met 75 times with Robert Morris holding a slim 38-37 advantage in the all-time series. Also of note, the home team has won each of the last four games. The Colonials are 18-13 against the Red Flash at the Chuck.

Saint Francis University comes into the championship game after upsetting No. 2 Mount St. Mary’s 68-63 on the road Wednesday night at Knott Arena in Emmitsburg, Md. They were led by junior guard Alexa Hayward’s 20 points while senior All-NEC forward Alli Williams put up 16 points and nine rebounds.

Sophomore guard Aisha Brock contributed 13 points for the Red Flash. It was the first time in the 2013-2014 season where SFU scored under 78 points and won the contest.

The Red Flash has won a league-leading 11 NEC championships while the Colonials are second in the league with four. SFU and RMU split their two-game regular season series with each team winning on its home court. In fact, Saint Francis has not won at the Chuck since February of 2011.

Robert Morris under head coach Sal Buscaglia has hit the 20-win mark for the sixth time during his 11-year tenure, and the eighth time in program history. He brought home the 2014 Brenda Reilly NEC coach of the year award for the third time in his career.

With the Colonials riding a 12-game win streak at home, the game will be televised from the Charles L. Sewall Center on ESPNU.

Fans across the country can also access the game by using the WatchESPN app on a tablet or mobile device. The contest will be on local radio on 970 ESPN AM with Adam Gusky and Mike Asti on the call.