#1 Robert Morris 65, #8 LIU Brooklyn 49
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Moon Township, PA -- The Robert Morris University women’s basketball team got red-hot in the second half to defeat LIU Brooklyn, 65-49, in the quarterfinal round of the 2014 Northeast Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament. The Colonials improve to 19-11 overall and will #4 Bryant in the NEC Tournament on Wednesday, March 12, at 7:00 p.m.

The Colonials went 19-for-31 (61.3 percent) in the second half, erasing a seven-point halftime deficit. On defense, RMU held the Blackbirds (9-21) to 27.3 percent (6-of-22) from the floor in the second half.

Robert Morris has won 11 consecutive home games and has 14 home victories this season, both numbers tying the team records.

“The first game of the tournament, any tournament anywhere in the country, men’s or women’s, there’s going to be some jitters and some nerves. I think that played a part in our slow start,” said 11th year RMU head coach Sal Buscaglia. “We have such a young team, one senior and three first-year players in our starting lineup. I was a little worried about that. And I have to give Coach Striegler and LIU Brooklyn credit. They mixed things up on us defensively and it took a while for us to get loosened up.

“I was really proud of our young ladies. They hung in there and I give credit to Artemis as a leader in the way she was able rally the troops.  Once we got on a roll there a little bit in the second half, the magnitude of the game went  away and we just starting playing basketball.”

Senior forward Artemis Spanou (Rhodes, Greece / Nea Smyrni) led all players with 22 points and 15 rebounds. She went 9-of-13 from the floor and tacked on three blocks, two steals and two assists. Freshman guard Anna Niki Stamolamprou (Thessaloniki, Greece / Aristotelio College of Thessaloniki) tacked on 14 points. Senior forward Kelly Hartwell (Woodbridge, Va. / Gar-Field) came off the bench to score 10 points.

Trailing by seven at the half, Spanou put the Colonials on her shoulders early in the second half. She scored the team’s first seven points after the break with a pair of post moves before knocking down a trey. She eventually gave RMU its first lead of the game with a lay-up with 14:27 to play. That bucket came in the middle of the game-changing 13-0 run that left RMU holding a 44-35 lead.

Over the first 13:38 of the second half, Robert Morris outscored LIU Brooklyn 31-8. The Colonials went 14-of-19 from the floor during that stretch while forcing six Blackbird turnovers. When it ended with a 19-foot jumper by Hartwell, RMU was comfortably in front, 55-39, with 6:36 to play.

Robert Morris started the game 1-for-8 as it struggled to adjust to LIU Brooklyn’s triangle-and-two defense. Sophie Bhasin scored four straight points to give the Blackbirds an 11-2 lead seven minutes into the game. After starting just 3-of-10 themselves, the Blackbirds connected on 9-of-13 shots to end the first half carrying a 31-24 lead into the break.

Bhasin came off the bench to lead LIU with 14 points. Cleandra Roberts had seven points and 12 rebounds in the first half before ending the game with 13 points and 13 boards. Kelly Robinson chipped in 12 points.

The Colonials will host the winner of the #5 St. Francis Brooklyn at #4 Bryant game which tips-off Sunday at 6:00 p.m. The NEC Semifinal contest is slated for 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 12, at the Charles L. Sewall Center.

RMU Head Coach Sal Buscaglia Opening Statement

“The first game of the tournament, any tournament anywhere in the country, men’s or women’s, there’s going to be some jitters and some nerves. I think that played a part in our slow start,” said 11th year RMU head coach Sal Buscaglia. “We have such a young team, one senior and three first-year players in our starting lineup. I was a little worried about that. And, in addition, I have to give Coach Striegler and LIU Brooklyn credit. They mixed things up on us defensively and it took a while for us to get loosened up.

“I was really proud of our young ladies. They hung in there and I give credit to Artemis as a leader in the way she was able to rally the troops.  Once we got on a roll there a little bit in the second half, the magnitude of the game went  away and we just starting playing basketball.”

LIU Head Coach Gail Striegler Opening Statement

“They’re just a very good basketball team. It’s hard when you have a player of (Artemis) Spanou’s capabilities because she can score inside or out and she’s impossible to guard one-on-one. And then you add the two shooters on the outside, that’s a really tough combination. They’re a good defensive team. They threw a lot at us, too. They guarded man, 2-3, extended 2-3, 1-2-2, so it’s a lot to prepare offensively for. They’re just a good overall team and I expect them to have a great end to the season just like they had from the beginning.

I give our kids all the credit in the world. They played hard from start to finish. We just couldn’t score in the second half and part of that was what they were doing to us defensively and part of that was that we just didn’t hit the shots. Our team has had a lot of heart from the beginning of the year and it’s a great group of kids.”

#2 Mount St. Mary's 75, #7 Wagner 66
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Emmitsburg, MD -- Playing in the program's first home Northeast Conference Tournament game since 2002, the second-seeded Mount St. Mary's women's basketball team took down seventh-seeded Wagner, 75-66, on Sunday afternoon at Knott Arena in the NEC Quarterfinals. Senior Rachel Mathews poured in a career-high 20 points to pace the Mountaineers' offense.

The Mount (19-12) led for all but 1:23 of Sunday's game to defeat the Seahawks (9-21) to advance to the NEC Semifinals for the second season in a row. The victory was the Mount's first in NEC Tournament play at home at Knott Arena since March 1, 1997 versus Rider in the NEC Quarterfinals.

Squaring off with NEC Defensive Player of the Year Ugo Nwaigwe, Mathews made 5-of-7 field goals to go with a 10-of-13 performance at the free throw line. The senior from Richmond, Va. led all scorers with 20 points, besting her previous career-high of 15 set earlier this season versus FDU on Feb. 22.

Mathews was one of four Mount players in double figures, joining Sydney Henderson with 16 points, Ashley Christie with 14 and Jessie Kaufman with 13.

The Mount took a 2-1 lead on Jacqueline Brewer's layup with 18:37 left in the first half, a lead the Mount would not relinquish the rest of the day.  Midway through the opening half, a layup from Kaufman on a feed from Christie gave the Mount a 23-12 edge.

With the Mountaineers in front 26-20, Christie hustled back on defense to knock the ball away, leading to a Kaufman three on the other end. The Mount scored 10 points off seven Wagner turnovers in the first half and finished with 15 points off 13 turnovers in the game.

Wagner, which was led by 17 points apiece from Jasmine Nwajei and Jordyn Peck, trimmed the Mount's lead down to 34-30 with 1:55 showing on the first half clock on a layup by Laura Amorosa.

Two free throws from Mathews on the Mount's next possession gave the home side a 36-30 halftime lead.

Leading by just two at 47-45 midway through the second half, the Mount used an 8-0 run for a 55-45 edge with 8:48 remaining. The closest Wagner would get the rest of the game was five points at 55-50 with just under seven minutes left.

The Mount's lead grew back to 10 points with a pair of Henderson free throws putting the advantage at 62-52. In the final two minutes, the Mount made nine free throws to put the game out of reach.

For the game, the Mountaineers converted 28-of-37 free throws (75.7 percent). The Mount committed a season-low seven turnovers, marking the third time the team has committed fewer than 10 turnovers in a game this season.

The Mountaineers move onto the NEC Semifinals where they will host third-seeded Saint Francis U on Wednesday, March 12, at 7 p.m. at Knott Arena.

GAME NOTES: The Mount improved its overall record versus Wagner to 37-15… In NEC Tournament games versus Wagner, the Mount is now 2-1… The Mount evened its record to 19-19 overall in NEC Tournament games.

Mount St. Mary’s Head Coach Bryan Whitten
“Just really pleased with our effort.  I thought offensively we did some very good things.  We executed very well, and in the second half, we did a great job of getting the ball inside.  We shot the foul shot very well today too.  Two foul shots are as good as a lay-up any day.”

“It was our ability to get the ball inside that got us to the foul line.  If you are not scoring from the field, at least you are in the bonus and double bonus.”

Rachel Mathews
“I knew it was going to be a tough matchup. Ugo (Nwaigwe) is the defensive player of the year in our conference. All week in practice Coach Whit said keep posting up, we are going to get you the ball.”

Sydney Henderson

“The atmosphere here is amazing. It won’t be easy, but it feels good to be playing at home instead of the road.”

“First I look for my teammates before anything because I know once they start hitting, it will open up things for me.”

Wagner Head Coach Lisa Cermigano

“I give a lot of credit to Coach Whit and Mount St. Mary’s.  They have had a tremendous year.  I think they played with a lot of experience.  I couldn’t be prouder of my kids.  It’s a huge learning component for us.  We are moving forward with it.  We’ve not only formed a team that won eight games in the conference, but formed a family.  We are building a tradition.  There’s one thing that you can’t teach in experience, and we don’t have that.”

#3 Saint Francis U 132, #6 Sacred Heart 124 (2 OT)
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Loretto, PA -- Before today, no team in Northeast Conference Tournament history had ever reached the century mark in points. Both teams far surpassed 100 points this afternoon and together they set the second-highest scoring mark in a single game in NCAA women's basketball history. Saint Francis U took down Sacred Heart, 132-124, in a double-overtime thriller in the NEC Quarterfinals inside DeGol Arena.

The Red Flash (14-16, 11-7) got another 47 point effort from Alli Williams (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle), tying the career-high she set last Monday against Wagner. Alexa Hayward (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) set a new career-high with 43 points, meaning the Flash got a combined 90 points from its two captains.

Gabrielle Washington scored a career-high 47 points for the Pioneers (12-18, 9-9) en route to setting a new Sacred Heart single game scoring record. The 47 points for Washington and Alli Williams (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) set a new Northeast Conference Tournament single game scoring record.

"We were confident coming into the Northeast Conference Tournament and we can beat anyone if we play our game," SFU head coach Joe Haigh said.

Saint Francis trailed by seven with just 38 seconds to play in regulation after two free throws from Gabrielle Washington. After a lay-in by Hayward and steal from Corissa Archer (Clermont, Fla./East Ridge) the Flash gained some life and was able to tie it up as Williams scored with just a second to spare.

"Down the stretch we had to play the foul game, and I think we did a great job of denying the inbounds pass," Haigh continued.

In the first overtime, it looked as if Sacred Heart was going to come away with the game again as it led by three with just 20 seconds to play. Hayward converted on an old-fashioned three-point play and the score was knotted at 115 apiece as time expired.

The Flash proved to be too much in the second overtime as they went on a 10-4 run and led by seven with 1:37 to play. Sacred Heart narrowed the margin again to four, but sound free-throw shooting from SFU clinched the win.

It was a game of runs right from the beginning; the Red Flash started the contest on a 10-0 streak to force a Pioneers timeout. Sacred Heart battled back immediately and scored eight straight points.

Sacred Heart held a six point lead with less than five minutes to play in the opening frame before Saint Francis embarked on a 12-1 run to regain the advantage. The Red Flash led 53-47 at the halftime break.

Saint Francis posted single digit turnovers for the second straight game. SFU finished with just nine, while they forced 18. Each team recorded 48 rebounds in the contest.

Saint Francis makes the short trek to Emmitsburg, Maryland on Wednesday night to take on No. 2 Mount St. Mary's in the NEC Semifinals, tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game can be viewed on ESPN3.

The Red Flash and Mountaineers split in the regular season series. SFU won the first match-up at home on Jan. 20, 81-66, but fell on Feb. 24 at The Mount, 97-80.

Saint Francis U Head Coach Joe Haigh

Going into the game...
"We were confident coming into the Northeast Conference Tournament and we can beat anyone if we play our game."

What transpired down the stretch in regulation…
"Down the stretch we had to play the foul game, and I think we did a great job of denying the inbounds pass."

Alli Williams

On it possibly being her last game...
"I was thinking at a point, wow this could be my last college game. I am so appreciative of my teammates for stepping up down the stretch."

Alexa Hayward

On three-point play to tie game up in overtime number one…
"I know [Gabby Washington] didn’t want to foul me, just driving in I felt confident. I went into her a little bit and made sure I could get the shot up. I just wanted to make the shot and hit a free throw to take us home."

On the win...
"We wanted to win it for our seniors tonight."

Sacred Heart Head Coach Jessica Mannetti

On her team’s performance…
"It’s a shame somebody had to lose today because I couldn’t have asked for a better effort and a better game, actually, to be a part of. It was unbelievable the energy and excitement the playoff atmosphere created. To watch our team, who has really hit some bumps over the last couple games down the stretch of the regular season, show up with a lot of energy and excitement and optimism, they played their hearts out tonight."

On her team’s effort…
"Saint Francis did a great job hitting some shots at the end. They really, really made us play as perfect as we could, and unfortunately some turnovers cost us, but what a great game. I can’t really say I’m disappointed in our effort at all."

Adaysha Williams

On taking a bigger role in the offense…
"Throughout the season we’ve dealt with Gabby [Washington] being denied. So I just took it upon myself to be like, ‘well, this is do-or-die time.’ I really didn’t want our season to end today, so I tried to do what I thought was the best possible. They gave me the shots, and I took them. The team had confidence in me to knock them down."

Gabrielle Washington

On being the player to carry the team…
"They were denying me the ball. At some points I thought I should have shot more. I did some things that I could have, but there is room to improve. Even though it seems like I had a pretty good game, it obviously wasn’t enough to win."

On playing a double overtime game…
"It was all adrenaline. Like when something big happened, stuff came out of us that I didn’t know was possible. We were just starting to talk and it kind of helped us and pushed us. It just didn’t go our way."

#4 Bryant 58, #5 St. Francis Brooklyn 53
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Smithfield, RI -- Behind an inspired defensive effort, the #4 Bryant University women's basketball team topped #5 St. Francis Brooklyn, 58-53, in the Northeast Conference Tournament Quarterfinals, Sunday night at the Chace Athletic Center.

They say one of the hardest things in basketball is beating a team three times in the same season, however on Sunday, the Bulldogs (17-13, 11-7 Northeast Conference)  completed the feat by topping the Terriers (17-13, 11-7 NEC) for the third time this year, earning the right to play #1 Robert Morris in the NEC Tournament Semifinals on Wednesday.

Sunday's win marks the first Division I postseason victory in program history and the first playoff win for the Bulldogs since the 2007-08 season.

Senior forward Naana Ankoma-Mensa (Brampton, Ont.) put up her 14th double double of the season with 12 points and 14 rebounds in 39 minutes while Courtney Schissler (Branford, Conn.) lead the Bulldogs in scoring with 13 points to go along with eight boards. Seniors Jenniqua Bailey (Bloomfield, Conn.) and Stephanie Cardamone (Freehold, N.J.) each added 10 points apiece with Bailey dishing out five assists.

Katie Fox led all scorers with 14 points and a game-high seven assists, while Leah Fechko, Jaymee Veney and Sarah Benedetti each chipped in a dozen.

Falling right in line with the first two matchups between the Bulldogs and Terriers, the first half was a defensive battle with both teams shooting less than 30 percent from the field. But it was Bryant who open up the five-point advantage, 17-12, with just under three minutes to play until the halftime break.

Fechko answered the mini run with a deep corner 3-pointer to cut the deficit to just a basket but Bryant rallied just before the end of the half to build the lead to six points, 21-15, heading into the locker room.

The Black and Gold put up a balanced performance in the first half with six player making it into the scoring column led by six from Schissler. Fechko and Veney paced the Terriers with six points apiece.

The second half brought on better shooting fortunes for the Bulldogs who sat at 50 percent (5-10) nearly halfway through the period, however the Terriers (despite shooting just over 30 percent at the same point) did not allow Bryant's lead to grow any larger than nine through the 10-minute mark.

The Bulldog defense continued to stymie the St. Francis offensive attack of the next three minutes, who seemingly could not get anything to fall, as Bryant's lead grew to its largest of the night, 41-31, with 6:44 left on the clock. Moments later, a huge 3-pointer from Cardamone push the Bulldog's edge to 14 points, 48-34, with just over four minutes left.

The Terriers did not go down without a fight when three-straight trifectas, including a pair from Benedetti, brought the visitors with seven, 50-43, with just over three minutes remaining in the game. Forced to apply full court pressure, St. Francis was unable to get stops on the defensive end and struggled scoring on the opposite side as the Bulldogs held on for the 58-53 victory.

The Black and Gold will head to Moon Township, Pa., for the second time this season for a NEC Semifinal showdown with top-seeded Robert Morris, Wednesday night at 7 p.m.