Photo Credit: Dale ZanineAthens, Ga. – The
Robert Morris University men's basketball team concluded its non-conference slate Tuesday with a 79-67 loss to Georgia at Stegeman Coliseum. The Colonials slipped to 2-11 overall on the 2015-16 campaign, while the Bulldogs improved to 7-3.
RMU fell behind early, 16-6, as a 10-0 Georgia run snapped an early 6-6 tie. J.J. Frazier and Williams Jackson II each hit from behind the arc to bolster the Bulldogs, while Derek Ogbeide provided a dunk and Mike Edwards a jumper.
E'Torrion Wilridge gave UGA its biggest lead of the first half, 24-12, with a layup at the 7:56 mark and the Bulldogs owned another pair of 12-point advantages until late in the stanza.
Sophomore forward
Elijah Minnie connected for RMU's first three-pointer of the game with just 12 seconds to go before the break to help Robert Morris trim its deficit to 34-27.
Frazier came through on the ensuing possession for Georgia, however, connecting from beyond the arc with four seconds left and was also fouled on the play by freshman guard
Isaiah Still. Frazier completed the four-point play to give the Bulldogs a 38-27 edge at halftime.
Junior guard
Kavon Stewart converted a pair of layups and senior guard
Rodney Pryor provided a three-point play thanks to a dunk and a free throw to open the second half as the Colonials closed to within 40-34.
Robert Morris eventually got within five, 44-39, with 15:31 to play thanks to a Minnie triple, but a 10-3 surge by the Bulldogs helped UGA get its advantage back to double digits, 54-42. Frazier gave the Bulldogs their biggest lead, 73-56, with 2:54 remaining thanks to his fourth three-pointer of the contest.
"You have to credit Georgia for putting pressure on us and making us a little bit uncomfortable on the offensive side of the floor," head coach
Andrew Toole said. "They're a good defensive team, but I think we shot ourselves in the foot at times. When you work really hard to get back into the game, we cut it six, we cut it to five, and then we go turnover twice and take a quick shot instead of trying to control tempo and work for a better shot. That really hurt."
Pryor scored a game-high 22 points to pace RMU and also added eight rebounds, a block and four steals. He scored 16 points in the second half and shot 7-for-13 from the field after intermission. Stewart added 14 points, four rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals, while Minnie came off the bench to contribute 13 points, five boards and a pair of blocks.
Yante Maten paced Georgia with 20 points as 11 different Bulldogs found the scoring column. Frazier chipped in 17 points, while Kenny Paul Geno came off the bench to supply six points and seven assists.
Robert Morris shot just 37.9 percent (22-for-58) from the field, while Georgia converted 54.4 percent (31-for-57) of its shots and recorded 23 assists.
The Colonials return home to open Northeast Conference play with a pair of games at the Charles L. Sewall Center. RMU welcomes Sacred Heart for a 4:00 p.m. tip Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016, and will also host Wagner Monday, Jan. 4, 2016 in a 7:30 p.m. tip.
Stat Of The Night55.9 – Field goal percentage RMU shot in two-point attempts against the Bulldogs.
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