Robert Morris Colonials: A History of NCAA Tournament Appearances
Robert Morris University, located in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, boasts a diverse athletic program with a rich history of NCAA tournament appearances. This article will cover the NCAA Tournament history of both the men's and women's basketball teams, as well as the volleyball team.
Women's Basketball: Building a Legacy of Success
The Robert Morris Colonials women's basketball program started in 1970. The team achieved 11 straight winning seasons from 1978-79 to 1988-89. Under RMU Athletic Hall of Fame head coach Dan Swalga, the Colonials achieved their first 20-win season in 1981-82 at 20-8, won the Pennwood West tournament after a 23-5 campaign in 1983-84, and captured their first ECAC Metro (now Northeast Conference) Tournament championship in 1988.
After a period of struggles, Sal Buscaglia was hired to revitalize the program. While the first season saw a 3-24 record, the team rebounded remarkably, achieving a 20-10 record in 2004-05. This turnaround was recognized as the third-largest single-season turnaround in NCAA history.
Coach B, as he is respectfully called, has continued to raise the standard for the program. In his first season, the Colonials made it back-to-back NEC tournament championships and played in their fifth NCAA tournament, then followed that with a school-record 25 wins and Postseason WNIT berth in 2017-18. In 2018-19, RMU went 16-2 in league play - including a 11-0 start, winning their eighth NEC tournament and sixth NCAA tournament bid.
NCAA Tournament Appearances (Women's Basketball)
The Colonials have made six appearances in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. In addition to their NCAA Tournament appearances, the Colonials have appeared in two Women's National Invitation Tournaments (WNIT) and one Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI).
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Men's Basketball: Upset Victories and Tournament Bids
The Robert Morris Colonials men's basketball team also represents Robert Morris University. The Colonials currently compete in the Horizon League, with Andrew Toole serving as the head coach.
NCAA Tournament Appearances (Men's Basketball)
Robert Morris has appeared nine times in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, most recently in 2025. The Colonials picked up their first ever tournament win in the Preliminary Round of the 1983 NCAA Tournament over Georgia Southern, and at the 2015 NCAA tournament, the Colonials beat North Florida in the First Four for their second win before losing to No. Five years earlier, in the 2010 NCAA tournament, the 15-seed Colonials nearly upset 2-seed Villanova in the First Round before losing in overtime.
The team is also known for its upset over No. 1-seeded (and 2012 national champion) Kentucky at the buzzer in the opening round of the 2013 National Invitation Tournament and another upset over traditional Big East powerhouse St. John's in the opening round of the 2014 NIT. However, in both cases, the Colonials lost in the second round.
The Colonials' NCAA Tournament record is 2-9. They have also appeared in three National Invitation Tournaments (NIT) and two CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournaments (CIT).
Men's Basketball: 2024-25 Season Highlights
The No. 15 seed Colonials (26-9) battled No. CLEVELAND - Twenty-six wins, a Horizon League regular season title and tournament title coupled with a berth in the NCAA Tournament is how the Robert Morris Men's Basketball team wrapped up the 2024-25 season on Saturday afternoon. Amarion Dickerson, returning to his hometown, led all scorers with 25 points on 11-of-22 shooting, adding nine rebounds, two blocks, and three steals before fouling out. Alvaro Folgueiras recorded his 14th double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Josh Omojafo contributed 12 points, while DJ Smith added 10 points.
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RMU got off to a slow start, missing seven of its first eight shots and falling behind 14-4 at the 13:35 mark. In the second half, RMU responded with a 19-8 run, culminating in an Omojafo layup that gave the Colonials their first lead of the game at 65-64 with 7:10 remaining. However, the lead was short-lived-lasting just 30 seconds.
Volleyball: Consistent Competitors
The Robert Morris volleyball team has also made its mark, consistently competing for league titles and NCAA Tournament berths.
Recent Volleyball Season Overview
RMU got big contributions from sophomore Megan Bell early in the season. specialist Darcy Thompson and junior middle blocker Rachel Leitch. overall record of 10-10.
RMU defeated St. Tournament to win its fifth straight league crown.
Facilities and Resources
In January 30, 2017, Robert Morris announced plans to build a new basketball and volleyball facility named the UPMC Events Center on the school's campus. The basketball team's former home, the Charles L. Sewall Center was to be demolished to make room for the new arena. The 2017-18 Colonials played their home games at the PPG Paints Arena and at the Palumbo Center on the campus of Duquesne University. The 2018-19 Colonials played their home games at the North Athletic Complex on campus.
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