Bulldogs head to Robert Morris Monday

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SEARCHES FOR FIRST NEC WIN, AT RMU MON. AT 10 AM

Game Notes

ON TAP AT THE CHARLES L. SEAWALL CENTER

The Bryant University women's basketball program continues its 2012-13 campaign when it heads to Moon Township, Pa. for a showdown with Northeast Conference-foe Robert Morris, Monday at 10 a.m.

SERIES HISTORY

This will be the sixth matchup between the two programs, after meeting at least once in each of the last four seasons. Last year, the two teams split a pair of contests, with Bryant winning in Smithfield, 75-71, on Jan. 9, while Robert Morris avenged its loss with a 72-68 victory in Pa. on Feb. 20. Entering Monday's contest, the Colonials lead the all-time series, 4-1.

LAST SEASON IN MOON TOWNSHIP, PA.

The Bryant University women's basketball team trailed by just two points with less than eight minutes to play in the second half, but Robert Morris used a late surge to hand the Bulldogs a 72-68 defeat.

Trailing at one point by eight, the Bulldogs quickly cut it to a one-possession game with 7:30 to play, but the Colonials countered that surge with a 9-3 scoring run and withheld a late charge in the final minute to win for the fourth straight game.

Katie Whittington (Twinsburg, Ohio) led the Bulldogs in scoring with 15 points on 3-of-9 shooting from long range, while Naana Ankoma-Mensa (Brampton, Ont.) and Courtney Schissler (Branford, Conn.) finished with 13 points apiece. Ankoma-Mensa earned her team-leading eighth double-double of the year by means of her team-high 13 rebounds and also added one block.

The Colonials saw a strong performance from the conference's leading rebounder in Artemous Spanou. A First Team All-NEC selection in 2010-11, Spanou finished with a game-high 24 points and 15 rebounds while accumulating two steals and a swat.

Josette Campbell went 4-for-8 from long range en route to an 18-point outing while amassing a game-high four steals. Briannica Tye finished with 13 points – including 10 in the second half – while dishing a game-high eight assists, and April Williams went 4-for-4 from the free throw line while adding 11 points for the home side.

The Colonials out-rebounded the Bulldogs by just three (48-45) and both teams finished with an identical 14 giveaways. Robert Morris held five blocks to Bryant's one, as Anna Gailite finished with an impressive four rejections.

Both teams registered shooting percentages in the 30s, as Bryant finished 23-for-65 (.354) from the field but just 5-of-18 (.278) from outside. The Colonials also struggled from long range after logging an 8-for-30 (.267) clip from beyond the arc; the home team finished 22-of-65 (.338) from the field. RMU capitalized at the free throw line, going 20-of-24 (.833) on the evening from the stripe. Bryant, meanwhile, went 17-of-26 (.654) from the line.

SCOUTING THE COLONIALS

The Colonials enter Monday's matchup with a 2-10 overall record, 1-0 in the Northeast Conference. After starting the season 0-10, the NEC-foe has rattled of two-straight victories, including a convincing 65-48 victory over Central Connecticut St. on Saturday.

Robert Morris is led by Preseason All-NEC selection Artemis Spanou who averages 18.4 points and 13.5 rebounds per contest (both tops in the NEC). The do-everything junior also leads her team in steals at 2.27 per game (6^th in NEC) and minutes played with 38.55 (1^st in NEC). Lou Mataly and Ashley Ravelli also rank near the top in scoring for the Colonials with 9.0 ppg and 8.2 ppg, respectively.

After playing a tough non-conference slate which included the likes of Michigan St., Iowa and Minnesota, the Colonials are beginning to hit their stride at the right time with the beginning of NEC play.