FULL PREGAME NOTES (pdf)
LORETTO, Pa. (Jan. 4, 2015) – For the 77th time, Saint Francis U and Robert Morris, arguably the two most successful Northeast Conference women's basketball programs, will meet in each team's second league contest.
In a rematch of last season's Northeast Conference Championship, the Colonials come to Loretto after a rough non-conference slate, similar to the Red Flash. The NEC coach's picked RMU to repeat as champions and they are off to a 1-0 start after beating Mount St. Mary's on Saturday.
SFU struggled offensively in its opener against Wagner and are 0-1 to start league play for the second consecutive season. It was the first loss for SFU against Wagner since the 2009-10 season, and the first for
Joe Haigh as he was 3-0 entering the game. The last time SFU and RMU met in Loretto, Saint Francis won a close won, 78-73 on March 1.
A bright spot for the Flash on Saturday was senior forward
Shaqeia Stokes (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods), who had the best game of her four-year SFU career. Stokes scored nine points and set career-marks in rebounds (10), blocks (6), and steals (4).
Alexa Hayward (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) still ranks in the top-five nationally in scoring at 23.8 points per game.
The Red Flash men will follow the women's contest on Monday as the New Year's Holiday pushed their schedule to mirror the women's for NEC week one.
SFU then makes the longest trip of its conference season as it travels to face Sacred Heart and Connecticut next weekend.
