By Paul Meyer
RMUColonials.com
Feb. 14, 2013

Meyer on Morris Link

Moon Township, Pa. - We all know that the Robert Morris University Colonials have prided themselves over the past month or so on taking things one day at a time and one game at a time.

And, hey, no arguing how that's turned out. The Colonials have won nine of 10 Northeast Conference games since beginning the league schedule with two home losses.

But let's be honest here. We're at the point of the season - less than three weeks remain in the regular season, after all - where it's almost impossible not to look ahead. At least a little.

So here's what the Colonials are looking at down the stretch as they begin the real struggle for seeding in the NEC Tournament and maybe finishing the regular season in first place.

RMU plays four of its final six games on the road, beginning tonight at Quinnipiac (6-5 in the NEC). The Colonials are at Sacred Heart (7-4) Saturday, and after home games against Monmouth and Fairleigh Dickinson, they finish at Bryant (9-2) and Central Connecticut State (6-5).

You'll note that all four remaining road opponents have winning NEC records and boast a combined record of 28-16 in the league.

You can also bet that RMU coach Andrew Toole has noted that, too.

"I think we're fortunate to be 9-3 and I think we're moving in the right direction,'' Toole said. "But it doesn't get any easier. It actually gets harder, having to play four of our last six on the road against very good teams. The top half of our league is now staring at us on the road. It's going to take some really good team efforts to get those wins.''

The Colonials might have received some insight on exactly how difficult these road games will be in their home game against Wagner last Saturday night. Even though they led by 20 points in the first minute of the second half, the Colonials had to go into overtime before grounding the Seahawks, 83-79.

"Each and every game is going to be hopefully not that exciting,'' Toole said. "But there are going to be some anxious moments at times, and that's where you hope what you do in practice and your preparation are able to carry you through some of those things.''

One aspect the Colonials might focus on in their practices and their preparation is their offensive against a full court press. Wagner's frenzied press last Saturday night bothered Robert Morris severely. It didn't help the Colonials that starting point guard Velton Jones had to battle not only the press but also a still-sore right shoulder and foul trouble and that backup point guard Anthony Myers-Pate was out because of a concussion.

"It would have been good to have (Myers-Pate),'' Toole said.

Might Myers-Pate be able to play at Quinnipiac?

"I'd hope he'd be back,'' Toole said. "I can't imagine by Thursday that he's not feeling better.''

Much of the Colonial ball handling against Wagner's press in the second half had to be done by shooting guards Coron Williams and Karvel Anderson.

"They handled it OK,'' Toole said. "It's just that we're so much less effective at times against pressure (with them). Like you can attack it and get a good shot, (but) sometimes they don't always see that, where Velton and Ant can see that. They did a fine job of moving the ball from Point A to Point B, but you miss some of the things that are outside that tunnel vision. At times when we looked down the court against the pressure, we got layups. We just didn't do it enough.''

No question, there are lessons that could be learned by the Colonials from the Wagner game. At least one or two, anyway.

"There's a million lessons to be learned,'' Toole said. "Decision making. Being strong with the ball. How to play with a lead. How to play against pressure. How to maintain the right balance of being aggressive offensively, but not losing your mind. There were a couple possessions when they started to (really) cut into the lead where we certainly helped them when a couple guys who I thought would be our most poised guys - Russell (Johnson) and Velton - maybe took some wild shots where it's like, 'Whoa! It's a nine-point game. We're not down nine. We're up nine, so let's execute.'

"A couple times we had some sets that were called that were broken off. This isn't the time to start free lancing here. If we call a set, let's run that set. If nothing else, we run some time off the clock and maybe we get a good shot. Obviously if you're wide open, then you want to step up and make a shot. But we took some contested shots like we're trying to get back up by 21. You don't have to win the game by 21. You have to win the game by one. That's got to be another huge lesson that we can talk about and teach.''

One positive that emerged from the Wagner game was a hint that Williams' offensive slump could be over. He at least interrupted that slump with a 14-point performance that included making 6-of-11 shots from the field. In his previous seven games, the junior scored only 29 points and made just 9-of-41 field goal attempts.

"Kinda. Sorta,'' Williams said. "I still have some things to work on. I missed a couple easy shots that I should make, but I'm going to get it back.''

Did the slump get into Williams' head?

"As a shooter, it shouldn't,'' he said. "I should just keep shooting every shot like it's going in. They just haven't fallen for me. It shouldn't bother me, and it won't. I've been working on it. I'll be fine.''

Johnson scored 21 points against Wagner, continuing his senior-season surge. In his past seven games, Johnson has averaged 13.7 points a game while shooting almost 50 percent (30-of-62) from the field.

"It's just coming in the gym and shooting a lot more with the coaches from time to time, shooting game shots,'' Johnson said. "And working on it by myself and getting it together.''

Lucky Jones also scored 21 points against Wagner. The sophomore is on a nine-game run in which he's averaging 15.1 points per game.

His two free throws with 3.3 seconds remaining in the overtime gave Robert Morris the cushion it needed to win a tough game.

"We've been preaching about that all year, guys staying together in the rough moments,'' Johnson said.

"We're a team that perseveres through a lot,'' Williams said. "I didn't have any doubt in my team.''

"It was just staying positive and continuing to do what we're capable of doing and doing what we know we can do,'' Johnson said.

That mindset will serve the Colonials well down the stretch.

"Whatever opponent's in front of us, it's going to be a war,'' Williams said.

Beginning Thursday night at Quinnipiac.

Quinnipiac was scheduled to play at Central Connecticut State last Saturday night, but the Nemo snowstorm wound up postponing that game indefinitely. Heavy snow in Connecticut, plus freezing rain on Monday which hampered the snow removal efforts, led to CCSU deciding it just wasn't able to host a game.

The Blue Devils did practice - but wound up with nobody to play.

"We had a good practice with lots of energy," CCSU coach Howie Dickenman told the Connecticut Post. "It was very competitive, maybe because the players were tired of sitting in their rooms. The cafeteria is open. That's about the only time they'll get out."

Quinnipiac has won two in a row and seems to be ready to have another good February. Over the previous four seasons, the Bobcats were 27-7 in February.

"Our teams have always finished strong, and we pride ourselves in that,'' Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore said. "We've gotten on streaks, and I'm hoping this team is doing similar things. I'm seeing similar things from this team.''

Robert Morris beat Quinnipiac, 87-75, at the Charles L. Sewall Center, Jan. 19, even though the Bobcats shot 56.3 percent from the field that night. Beating a team that shot that well doesn't seem to compute.

"We're kind of a statistical anomaly,'' Toole said. "We kind of just figure it out as we go.''

The Colonials have six more games to continue to "kind of just figure it out.''

It should be an interesting and exciting stretch.