Record scoring fuels Colonials in home opener

Vince Russo, Staff Reporter

Last year, the Robert Morris University women’s basketball team made 248 three-pointers on their way to a second place finish in the Northeast Conference Tournament.

They just might break that record again this year. After all, records are made to be broken.

The Colonials hit nine threes and broke school records in points, rebounds, assists, field goals made, and point differential en route to a 124-59 blowout victory over Division II opponent West Virginia Wesleyan (0-1).

The game marked the home opener for the Colonials (1-0), who moved to 122-35 at home since 2004-05, including 39-19 in non-conference play.

The Colonials could seemingly do no wrong. The team sliced through the Bobcats defense the entire contest, going 49-of-88 (55.7%) from the field, including 9-of-17 (52.9%) from behind the arc. They out-rebounded the Bobcats 67-38, who were a plebeian 18-of-78 (23.1%) from the field.

“I like the energy that we came out with, I thought we were really ready to play,” said head coach Sal Buscaglia.

The contest was close early, with the visiting Bobcats sticking within two of Robert Morris, who would then score the next 18 to blow the game open at a score of 25-5.

The Colonials ended the first quarter up 30-14, and took a halftime lead of 66-26 into the locker room. The new four quarter format seemed to give the Colonials time to keep fresh and to rotate new bodies in left and right.

“Well I’m used to it because that’s kind of international rules, so I’m totally used to it. I had no problems,” said All-NEC preseason selection Anna Niki Stamolamprou, a native of Greece. “It’s kind of FIBA rules.”

The second half saw more of the same, as the Colonials defense stifled West Virginia Weslyan, all the while pouring it on offensively. At the end of the third quarter, the Colonials led 105-32, limiting the Bobcats to just six points over ten minutes. The Bobcats finally outscored the Colonials in the fourth quarter, 26-19, with RMU playing four underclassmen, including two freshmen.

Sophomore Mikalah Mulrain paced the Colonials with a 20 point, 13 rebound double-double. Stamolamprou and junior Rebeca Navarro both added 15, while senior Lou Mataly, sophomore Jocelynne Jones, and freshman Nia Adams also reached double-digit point totals.

In total, 13 of the 14 Colonials scored on the day, including nine with at least eight points.

The Colonials will take to the road for their next four games, starting with the University of Charlotte 49ers on Saturday, Nov, 13. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.