PDF Release
NEC Player of the Week: Anna Niki Stamolamprou, RMU
NEC Rookie of the Week: Nneka Ezeigbo, RMU
Previous NEC Releases: Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1 | Preseason Poll Release | Preseason All-NEC Release
NEC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
ANNA NIKI STAMOLAMPROU, ROBERT MORRIS
G, Sr., 5-9, Thessaloniki, Greece
WEEK 4 STATS: 2 games, 15.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 3.5 apg, 3.0 spg, .550 FG pct., .500 3FG pct.
Stamolamprou was more than just a scorer for the Colonials last week. The Greek-born guard averaged 15.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 steals per game as Robert Morris split a pair of non-conference contests. Playing 35 minutes during what was RMU’s first home appearance in the last three weeks, Stamolamprou posted game highs in points (19) and assists (4) to power the Colonials past MEAC member Howard. The 5-foot-9 combo guard also grabbed nine rebounds, including eight on the defensive end, and made three steals in the wire-to-wire 59-42 triumph over the Bison. Logging a game-high 38 minutes in a 67-65 setback at CAA member Delaware, Stamolamprou accounted for 12 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. All 12 points came via the three-point shot. Stamolamprou, who sank 6 of her 12 attempts from beyond the arc, shot 55 percent from the floor for the week. The preseason all-NEC selection has made 16 three-pointers over eight games and averages a team-high 14.0 points per outing.
NEC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
NNEKA EZEIGBO, ROBERT MORRIS
C, Fr., 6-2, Ewing, NJ/Notre Dame HS
WEEK 4 STATS: 2 games, 11.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.5 bpg, 1.5 apg, .630 FG pct.
Continuing to make her presence felt in Robert Morris’ frontcourt, Ezeigbo boosted her scoring output while shooting 63.0 percent (10-for-16) from the field last week. Earning two more starts, the freshman forward accounted for a pair of double-digit scoring performances and used her shot-blocking ability to wreak havoc on the defensive end. Ezeigbo averaged 11.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steal per contest as the Colonials visited Delaware before returning home for a date with Howard. Scoring in double figures for the first time as a collegian, Ezeigbo tallied 11 points, five rebounds and two blocks against CAA member Delaware. She played 22 minutes before fouling out in the 67-65 setback. Making her first career start at the Sewall Center, the 6-foot-2 rookie scored 11 points in 21 minutes to help the Colonials to a wire-to-wire win over MEAC member Howard. She swatted five shots and dished out three assists while being charged with only one foul on the 59-42 triumph.
TWEET SHEET
@NelCastBHJ
(Dec 4) #LIUWBB notches win #1 of the season with a 58-48 win vs Stony Brook at the Steinberg Center.
@CoachOliverLIU
(Dec 4) #proudcoach (understatement)
@RMUWBasketball
(Dec 4) After missing our first 8 games due to injury, sophomore Nia Adams made her season debut in the first half. Welcome back Nia!
@toddsmith222
(Dec 4) @RMUWBasketball Nice win today over Howard!
@BryantAthletics
(Dec 4) @Bryantwbball capture third place in Ocean State Tip-Off, following a 62-56 win over Rams
@CoachWhitMSM
(Dec 3) Great teams have a variety of individual personalities, but they all have one singular, common goal - win together. That’s @TheMountWBB
FINE LINES (WEEK 4)
The following players earned “NEC Prime Performer status” after accounting for some fine statistical lines...
ACE HARRISON (SAINT FRANCIS)
She was ACES again last week. The graduate transfer forward averaged 18.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 5.0 steals per game as the Flash faced Cornell and Youngstown State.
HANNAH KIMMEL (SACRED HEART)
Approaching 20-and-10 territory, the senior small forward averaged 20.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest.
ANNA NIKI STAMOLAMPROU (ROBERT MORRIS)
The senior combo guard, who scored 19 points in Sunday’s win over Howard, shot 55 percent and tallied 15.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 steals per contest last week.
MIKAL JOHNSON (MOUNT ST. MARY’S)
The graduate student averaged 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 three-pointers per contest. Leading the Mount to a 54-48 win that snapped a three-game slide, Johnson tallied 14 points, seven rebounds and two assists vs. Coppin State.
AROUND THE ARC
BRYANT, which played back-to-back days at the inaugural Ocean State Tip-off tournament this past weekend, completes a five-game road swing this week by visiting ACC member Pittsburgh (Dec. 6) and A-10 foe Massachusetts (Dec. 10).
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT, which is coming off a setback to Syracuse on the road, will face another ACC member during its December 7 visit to Virginia Tech. The Blue Devils, who are 0-9 all-time versus ACC foes, have never faced the Hokies prior to this season.
FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON faces an America East member for the second game in a row, visiting UMass Lowell on December 5. The Knights watched a 15-point halftime lead evaporate against Binghamton (Dec. 2) last time out.
LIU BROOKLYN, which broke into the win column against Stony Brook last week, gears up for three consecutive road contests, a span that begins with a mid-week trip to North Jersey to face Big East member Seton Hall (Dec. 7).
MOUNT ST. MARY’S used suffocating defense to post a 54-48 home win over Coppin State (Nov. 30), limiting its opponent to 22 percent shooting from the field. The Mountaineers rank second amongst NEC team leaders in both scoring defense (61.1 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (.386).
ROBERT MORRIS has carried its defensive prowess over from last season’s conference championship run. As they did last year, the Colonials pace the circuit in both scoring defense (60.9 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (.380).
SACRED HEART looks for its second win over a MAAC member this season when Monmouth visits the Pitt Center (Dec. 8). The Pioneers, who are currently mired in a three-game slide, opened the season with a 56-44 road win over Fairfield (Nov. 11).
SAINT FRANCIS U, which lost two games by a combined seven points last week, continues to make three-pointers with regularity. The Red Flash are hitting a league-high 11.00 triples per contest and own the conference’s second-best three-point field goal percentage (.328).
ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN’s last win came against a MAAC member and the Terriers hope their next win will, too. The Terriers, who posted an 87-78 home win over Monmouth on November 16, look to snap a five-game slide when they host MAAC member Manhattan (Dec. 7).
WAGNER will look to become the first NEC team to defeat Army this season. The Seahawks visit the red-hot Black Knights, who have beaten LIU, FDU and SFBK, on December 5.
LONG ROAD CONTINUES FOR ROBERT MORRIS
The Colonials made a cameo at the Sewall Center last week, but won’t be settling down in Moon anytime soon.
Playing its first home game since November 13, Robert Morris was in total control throughout its 59-42 victory over MEAC member Howard on December 4.
Prior to the brief homecoming, RMU contested six straight away games, a stretch that included a trip to Miami for the FIU Thanksgiving Tournament.
Now, they’ll head back on the road for four more.
Robert Morris will close out its non-conference slate by visiting Iowa (Dec. 9) and Morgan State (Dec. 18) before lifting the lid off its NEC schedule with back-to-back away dates. The reigning league champions tip off their title defense against Sacred Heart, the 2016 NEC Tournament runner-up, in Fairfield on December 29.
RMU has lost four straight games away from home after starting 2-0 on the road with wins over Lafayette and Kent State.
The Colonials’ two most-recent road losses came in heart-breaking fashion, both by two-point margins (Delaware, FIU).
"Although we didn't handle [being on the road] well because we came up short in some close games, we have learned from it," said first-year head coach Charlie Buscaglia. "Hopefully with what we've learned over the last couple weeks, we can go out there and do some nice work at Iowa. We've been out there before, so we're familiar with their great program."
The Sewall Center provided the backdrop for only two of RMU’s 10 non-conference games against Division I opponents.
After their win over the Bison moved their record to 134-39 (.775) within the friendly confines of the Charles L. Sewall Center (since 2004-05 season), the Colonials will not play their next game at "The Chuck" until January 7, 2017 when St. Francis Brooklyn lands in Moon.
QUOTABLE
CHARLIE BUSCAGLIA (ROBERT MORRIS), Head Coach
“It was a step in the right direction,” said first-year head coach Charlie Buscaglia. “We have to get used to playing for 40 minutes, and to sustain our energy and intensity. That lull in the third quarter happened, but we responded and got back to doing the things that got us the lead in the beginning.”
- after the Colonials snapped a four-game slide by posting a 59-42 home win over Howard on Dec. 4
“We played the game for 95 percent of the time. But we didn’t close out the end of the first half well and we didn’t close out the game well. You can work hard for 38 minutes out of the 40 and still lose games, and we’re proving that right now. We have to be mentally tougher and need to understand that when the going gets tough, we have to get going.”
- after the Colonials were out-scored, 19-12, in the fourth quarter of a 67-65 setback at CAA member Delaware
PETE CINELLA (Fairleigh Dickinson), Head Coach
“We played our best first half of the year, but in the second half you have to give Binghamton credit, in the second half they came right at us. We missed some easy shots in the fourth quarter and had seven turnovers.”
- after FDU watched a 50-35 halftime lead evaporate in an 80-69 setback to America East member Binghamton