Saint Francis University (0-5) at Robert Morris University (2-1)
Date | Time	Wednesday, November 20, 2024 | 7:00 p.m.
Location	Moon Township, Pa. | UPMC Events Center
Television	ESPN+
Live Stats	Sidearm
Printable Notes	Saint Francis | RMU
Stats	Saint Francis | RMU | Northeast Conference
Social Media	@RedFlashWBB  | #WIN | #BIB | Instagram | Facebook

 

Saint Francis Probable Starters
Pos.	No.	Name	Ht.	Yr.	PPG	RPG	FG%	Note
G	0	Yanessa Boyd	5-9	So.	8.4	3.0	38.2	Scored 10+ points in two of last three tilts
G	4	Marissa Shelton	5-8	Jr.	5.4	2.2	36.0	Has started four of five games
G	10	Ineivi Plata	5-3	Fr.	4.6	3.4	32.0	Leads team with seven steals
F	12	Julianna Gibson	6-2	Jr.	3.6	2.8	40.0	Posted a season-high eight points against Loyola
F	23	Marina Artero	5-11	So.	1.2	3.2	16.7	Ranks eighth in NEC in assists per game
Top Players Off the Bench
Pos.	No.	Name	Ht.	Yr.	PPG	RPG	FG%	Note
G	1	Kameryn Dorsey	5-6	So.	7.0	5.0	60.0	Posted a team-high five rebounds against NJIT
F	3	Jade Campbell	6-0	Jr.	---	---	---	Recorded three 10+ rebound games as a freshman
G	5	Natalie Johnson	5-8	Jr.	7.0	1.8	41.7	Played two seasons at Robert Morris
G	11	Harris Robinson	5-8	Sr.	3.4	1.0	35.3	Earned a scholarship after last season
G	20	Airah Lavy	5-10	Fr.	4.6	1.4	33.3	Had a career-high 16 points against Loyola
G	21	Gemma Walker	5-10	Fr.	3.0	0.0	50.0	Made collegiate debut against NJIT
G	24	Destini Ward	5-8	Jr.	---	---	---	Team captain in 2024-25
F	32	Fanta Daffe	5-10	Sr.	0.0	0.3	0.0	Playing her second season in Loretto
F	33	Giselle Eke	6-3	Fr.	2.4	2.4	38.5	Posted three blocks in collegiate debut
F	34	Alary Bell	6-2	So.	5.6	3.4	55.0	Tied for the team lead in rebounding

SELECT GAME NOTES VS. ROBERT MORRIS (FULL GAME NOTES PDF)

FRANKIES TIDBITS IN A FLASH
• Wednesday's contest between Saint Francis and Robert Morris marks the 93rd meeting in the all-time series dating back to the 1876-77 season. The Colonials lead the series 50-42, winning the last seven meetings in the series. The previous Red Flash win was a 66-56 decision in the NEC Championship Game on February 11, 2018.
• The two teams met nine times in the Northeast Conference Tournament, with the Loretto program holding a 6-3 edge in the postseason. Saint Francis won the NEC Tournament title against Robert Morris in 2004-05 and 2017-18, while the Colonials took the title away from the Red Flash in the title game in 2013-14 and 2018-19.
• Robert Morris is one of only two teams that left the Northeast Conference Saint Francis has played after it left the conference. The two teams have played twice since the Colonials joined the Horizon League in 2020-21. Loyola is the only team to return to the Flash schedule after leaving the NEC.
• This is also the first time since 2002-03, Saint Francis will play Robert Morris without a Buscaglia on the bench. Sal Buscaglia was the Colonials head coach from 2003-16 before his son, Charlie, took over the helm and coached the Moon Township program from 2016-23. The Red Flash holds a 27-24 edge in the series when a Buscaglia is not on the Robert Morris sideline.
• Saint Francis is 4-9 overall and 2-5 on the road against the Horizon League.  Head coach Keila Whittington is 0-3 against the league. The Red Flash is looking for its first win against the league since defeating Youngstown State 79-65 at home on December 9, 2017, and its first road win since defeating Wright State 98-81 on December 21, 2012.
• Saint Francis junior Natalie Johnson transferred to Saint Francis after playing her first two seasons at Robert Morris. Johnson recorded four of her seven 10+ point games at the UPMC Events Center last season, including her career-high 13 points against the College of Charleston on December 16, 2023. The junior has two 10+ point games in her previous four games with the Red Flash.
• The game at Robert Morris begins a season-long five-game road trip. The Red Flash will also travel to the University of Maryland (November 24), Saint Joseph's (November 27), Duquesne (December 1) and Delaware State (December 5) during this stretch.

AN SFU WIN WOULD
• Be the team's first win of the season
• Be the Red Flash's first win against Robert Morris since defeating the Colonials in the 2018 NEC Championship Game
• Be the first win against the Horizon League since 2017, and the first win against the circuit on the road since 2012
• Improve to 1-1 against teams from the Keystone State
• End a four-game losing streak to Loyola

ABOUT THE COLONIALS
• Robert Morris comes into the contest 2-1 after defeating Akron 59-53 on Wednesday.
• Noa Givon paced the Colonials with 16 points, while Danielle Vuletich narrowly missed a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds against the Zips.
• Givons powers the team with 11.7 points per game, while Vuletich averages double figures at 11.7 points per game. Naomi Barnwell paces the team in rebounding with 6.0 rebounds per game.
• Robert Morris finished 6-24 overall and 2-18 last season in the Horizon League, but this is the first season under head coach Chandler McCabe.

LAST TIME WE MET
• Robert Morris defeated Saint Francis 61-50 in the 2023-24 season opener for both teams on November 6, 2023, in Loretto.
• Kaitlyn Maxwell paced the Red Flash with 18 points.
• Alejandra Mastral and Simone Morris paced the Colonials with 13 points apiece.

LAST TIME OUT
• Loyola defeated Saint Francis 65-52 on Sunday at DeGol Arena.
• Freshman Airah Lavy came off the bench to score a career-high 16 points thanks to 5-for-7 shooting from the floor, 4 of 6 from behind the arc, and 2 of 2 from the free throw line.
• Junior Julianna Gibson added eight points and four rebounds for the Red Flash in the loss.

TRENDING UP
• Freshman Airah Lavy posted a career-high 16 points off the bench on Sunday against Loyola. The freshman came into the game with seven points through her first four collegiate contests.
• Junior Julianna Gibson recorded a season-high eight points and four rebounds. The junior, who has hauled in four rebounds in her last four tilts, recorded seven points in the season opener against NJIT on November 4.
• Sophomore Yanessa Boyd is the only player on the team to post at least six points in all five games this season. The sophomore had six points against Loyola after two consecutive 10-point games. It was the fourth time in her career that she has scored 10+ points in back-to-back games. She also had a season-high three assists against the Greyhounds.
• Junior Natalie Johnson is the other player besides Boyd to have 10+ points twice this season, thanks to her 10-point performance at Lafayette and 12 points against Canisius on November 15. She also had a career-high six rebounds against Coppin State.
•Junior Marissa Shelton has posted her top three scoring performances at home this season. This trend continues from her sophomore year when she had only two 10+ point games of her career at DeGol Arena.