Moon Township, Pa. – The third time was the charm for the Robert Morris University women's basketball team against Wright State this afternoon, as the Colonials led wire-to-wire to pick up their first-ever Horizon League victory, a 50-43 decision over the Raiders from the UPMC Events Center. With the win, RMU moves to 1-8 overall and in the league, while WSU falls to 9-4 (9-2 HL).
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Carrying an eight-point lead into the fourth quarter, the Colonials saw that advantage dwindle to two with 5:36 remaining in regulation. With the Raiders riding an 8-2 run, RMU buckled down and forced three straight defensive stops, then tried to add to its advantage on the back of Megan Callahan. Callahan missed her initial three-point attempt, but Esther Castedo was there to grab the offensive board and the redshirt junior made the most of her second chance, canning a trey from the top of the key to make it 45-40. Nina Augustin then drew a charge on the defensive end, and the Colonials broke the WSU press with ease, as Sol Castro dropped a floater over a defender on the fastbreak to make it a seven-point game with 2:37 to play.
QUOTABLE
"Learning experiences sometimes will come through all forms of wins, losses, tough moments, great moments," said RMU head coach Charlie Buscaglia. "You have to be able to learn from everything. Sometimes a tough loss like we faced at Wright State two games in a row – losses where we battled but didn't come away with a win – those moments are to teach you on how you need to give a little extra and stay relentless. That missed shot by (Megan Callahan) and rebound by Esther (Castedo), and that next shot by Cally where she wasn't afraid to shoot – that was the relentless pursuit we teach and continue to be successful on possessions."
YOU GOTTA HAVE SOL
Freshman forward Sol Castro put together her best performance in a Colonial uniform this afternoon, leading the charge with career-highs in points (23), rebounds (11), and minutes played (35). Castro caught fire early, netting nine points in the first quarter on 2-of-3 shooting and a 4-of-4 effort at the free throw stripe. She added five points in both the second and third frames, then capped her line with a pair of buckets in the final stanza. The double-double is the first of the Argentinian's collegiate career, as she passed previous bests of 14 points (Jan. 2, 2021 vs. IUPUI) and seven caroms (Jan. 15, 2021 at Wright State).
QUOTABLE
"Sol (Castro) gave outstanding effort," said Buscaglia. "Whether if the shot went in for her and she was making a great play, or a bad moment where something happened that she could have hung her head, she played wise beyond her years today. She was able to come down the next time and make a nice play on the defensive end, grab a big round, and talk on the floor. There were some mistakes offensively and defensively, but the attitude and toughness as a freshman – that was what I was most proud of her for. She was a big part of this win."
START IT OFF
RMU grabbed control from the jump, as Castro opened the scoring with a pair of free throws on consecutive possessions. Holly Forbes then put back a miss from the freshman, forcing an early WSU timeout at the 8:23 mark. The lead grew to seven at 11-4 on a Castro trifecta, but the Raiders chipped away and used an 8-2 rally to make it 13-12 with 2:05 left in the frame. Mackenzie Amalia answered with her first of two treys on the ensuing possession, giving RMU a 16-12 advantage through 10 minutes.
THE DEFENSE (NEVER) RESTS
The Colonial defense was at full display this afternoon, holding WSU to 24.1 percent (13-54) shooting and a 20.0-percent (2-10) mark on three-pointers. The 48 points allowed are RMU's fewest since March 5, 2020, when it held Saint Francis U to 29 in a 62-29 triumph to conclude the 2019-20 regular season. The hosts also forced 14 turnovers, extending their streak of causing double-double mistakes to 170 straight games.
MILESTONE TRIUMPH
Not only was today RMU's first Horizon League victory in program history, but it also came against one of the league's top programs. Wright State entered this weekend ranked 91st out of 342 eligible teams – and third in the Horizon League – in the NCAA's NET rankings, and received 11 points in the receiving votes section of this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. The Raiders have finished in the top three of the league in seven consecutive seasons – making a pair of NCAA Tournaments and four Women's Basketball National Invitation Tournaments (WNIT) over that time.
QUOTABLE
"It was a very hard fought win today," said Buscaglia. "I'm very proud of the team for continuing to stay tough as there were moments where we could have hung our heads after a missed shot or a bad pass. The effort was continuous throughout the game to get to the next possession, to get that next stop, to make that next play. We just kept knocking on the door."
HIGH HONORS
Callahan followed Castro on the scoresheet with seven points, but contributed a team-high three assists and three steals in 27 minutes. Tyler Frierson registered a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double for the Radiers, while Jada Roberson collected a game-leading four steals defensively.
UP NEXT
RMU and Wright State complete their four-game set tomorrow from the UPMC Events Center. Opening tip is set for noon and the game can be seen on ESPN+.
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