BOX SCORE

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (Feb. 11, 2012) – Robert Morris erased a seven-point halftime deficit with a red-hot second half to down Saint Francis University, 77-65, at the Sewall Center on Saturday afternoon.

The Red Flash led, 35-28, at the intermission after shooting 52 percent from the field, however it cooled to shoot 32 percent in the second.  Meanwhile, the Colonials fired at a blistering 65 percent clip to rack up 49 points in decisive the second stanza.

“We just didn't play defense in the second half,” said SFU head coach Susan Robinson Fruchtl. “You can't give up 49 points and expect to win.  I give credit to [RMU coach] Sal [Buscaglia] for making some good adjustments, but we just half to play better.”

The setback, coupled with a Monmouth loss, means Saint Francis remains tied for third place in the Northeast Conference standings.

The Flash (11-12; 8-5 NEC) extended its advantage to a game-high 11 points on a pair of Alli Williams (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) free throws less than two minutes into the second, but a 9-to-4 Colonials (13-11; 7-6 NEC) run several minutes later made the score, 51-49, to turn the game into a back-and-fourth battle for the next six minutes.

Williams led the Red Flash with 26 points – including a 5-for-6 performance from the foul line – and eight rebounds.  Williams' miss in the second half was her first in three games.

RMU's Artemis Spanou tallied a game-high 32 points, 22 of which came in the second half.  The Colonials' Briannica Tye chipped in 16 points.

Robert Morris out-rebounded the Flash 33-to-28 on the afternoon but committed 20 turnovers, which SFU converted into 23 points.

Alexa Hayward (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) scored nine points for Saint Francis, all in the first half and all on 3-pointers.  Rhonda Watts (Alabaster, Ala./Thompson) tossed in seven points while grabbing a career-high four steals.

Saint Francis and Robert Morris meet again on Wednesday of next week to wrap up Northeast Conference's two-week long “Rivalry Week.”  Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Maurice Stokes Athletics Center.