Robert Morris would like to prove that last year's 13-win season was simply an aberration. Riddled by injuries and other intangibles, the Colonials quest for a third straight NEC title and fifth consecutive 20-win campaign came up empty.
"We were very disappointed in last year. We were picked No. 1 and really did not meet our expectations, and of part of it was due to injuries," said head coach Sal Buscaglia.
The fact that Robert Morris lost all five of its starters from last season can be a bit deceiving. Although none of the ladies who started last year's NEC Tournament quarterfinal loss to Saint Francis (PA) are back, Buscaglia has a returning foundation of Angela Pace, Monica Jones and Bianca Hooten that should allowed RMU to contend once again.
Pace, a senior, missed the last 23 games last season due to injury, but is back at full strength. The gritty 5-foot-10 guard led the NEC in field goal percentage (.589) during the Colonials' 2008 championship run. Her 17 rebounds in an NEC quarterfinal victory that season ranks 10th in NEC Tournament single-game history.
Jones averaged 9.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in 14 appearances (13 starts) last season before missing the second semester. Meanwhile, Hooten, a 5-foot-11 guard, was required to sit out the 2008-09 campaign after transferring from Bowling Green.
"We feel we'll be back if we stay injury free," Said Buscaglia. The veteran head coach admits his team's success will also hinge on its ability to shoot the basketball. "We were lacking in shooting last year so we brought in players who can shoot the ball."
Among those newcomers are freshman Vega Martinez-Gimeno and junior college transfer Yohanna Morton. The former played at an elite level with the Spanish National Team while the latter hails from the same home country (Dominican Republic) and junior college (Arizona Western) as former NEC Player of the Year Sugeiry Monsac.
Overall Record (Past Four Years)
Last Year: 13-18
Last Two Years: 36-28
Last Three Years: 60-36
Last Four Years: 80-45
NEC Record (Past Four Years)
Last Year: 9-9
Last Two Years: 25-11
Last Three Years: 40-14
Last Four Years: 55-17
RPI Nat'l Rank/Conf. Standing
2008-09: 237/6th
2007-08: 91/1st
2006-07: 84/1st
Leading Returning Scorers
Monica Jones: 9.9 ppg
Angela Pace: 9.0 ppg
Leading Returning Rebounders
Angela Pace: 5.8 rpg
Monica Jones: 5.1 rpg