RMU Women’s Basketball Defeats Fairleigh Dickinson to Claim Second Place in NEC
By Larry Snyder
The defending Northeast Conference champions continued their surge as the Robert Morris women’s basketball squad claimed its seventh consecutive victory Monday defeating Fairleigh Dickinson 71-58 in league action at the Charles L. Sewall Center.
Sal Buscaglia‘s Colonials moved their record to 10-11 on the season and 8-2 in the NEC, while Pete Cinella‘s Knights saw their mark drop to 6-14 overall and 3-6 in the league.
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RMU is 5-3 at home in conference play and has taken sole posession of second place, behind Central Connecticut. The Bryant University Bulldogs, having dropped into third, have the opportunity to reclaim the second-place tie if they win over the Saint Francis University Red Flash in tonight’s action.
Robert Morris recorded its first 12 points all on long-range production with two each from sophomore guards Rebeca Navarro and Anna Stamolamprou in a little over five minutes to begin the contest. The Colonials had a double figure lead, at 17-7, at the 12:03 mark of the first half.
The RMU bench contributed 42 of the team’s points in a matchup that saw 10 of 11 players make their way onto the scoresheet. It marked the ninth time this season that at least 10 Robert Morris players have been in the scoring column. The tale of the box score did not end there as the Colonials appreciated 20-11 advantages in both points off turnovers and second chance points.
The offensive assault from the bench was led by a team-high 12 points from junior Lou Mataly. The 5-foot-10 French-born guard went 4-of-8 from three-point range which was a season-high scoring effort. Freshman Jocelynne Jones, also off the bench, was the other Colonial in double-digits as she put up 10 points. The 6-foot forward from New Jersey added five rebounds with four coming on the offensive end.
One of the starters not to be overlooked was freshman Megan Smith as she did a little of everything to help the Colonials win. The 6-foot-1 forward from Ontario had six points, four boards, five assists, one block, and two steals.
Robert Morris finished the first half shooting 7-of-14 from deep while holding the Knights to just 6-for-24 for 25% shooting from the floor and without a three. The Colonials owned a 16-point lead 35-19 at halftime.
The Fairleigh Dickinson crew started the second half with a 9-8 run capped by senior guard Amanda Andrades’ three-point play. That effort was not enough as redshirt senior forward Jolie Olingende and Jones combined for 16 points over a seven minute stretch that saw Robert Morris up 61-38 with 8:29 left on the clock.
It was from that point, the Knights behind junior guard Kelsey Cruz‘s nine points and the team’s 8-for-13 shooting, finished the contest with a 20-10 run. It included their two three-pointers of the contest. FDU outscored their opponents in the second half for the 14th time this season, but it was not enough as RMU captured the 71-58 win.
The Colonials won the battle of the boards, 39 to 36, and outshot FDU 41.9% to 36.4%. It should be noted the Knights shot better in the second half 45.2% to 40.5%.
The two NEC combatants return to the hardwood this Saturday, Feb. 7 with tip-off set for 2 p.m., with the Knights hoping that home-court advantage will work in their favor, when they meet for the rematch at Stratis Arena at the Rothman Center in Hackensack, N.J.