Top Story - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team continues its quest for a league-record sixth Northeast Conference championship Wednesday night when it hosts No. 2 seed Mount St. Mary's at the Charles L. Sewall Center for the 2009 NEC Tournament championship game in an 8:30 p.m. tip that will be broadcast live on ESPN2. The Colonials advanced to their first NEC championship game since 2000 and seventh overall thanks to a 75-48 win over No. 5 seed Quinnipiac (3/8/09) in the semifinals. All-time in NEC Tournament play, the Colonials own a record of 25-19 (.568), including a mark of 17-6 (.739) in tourney home games. At the Sewall Center, RMU boasts a record of 12-5 (.706) in NEC Tournament tilts.

RMU in the NEC Tournament - Robert Morris owns an all-time record of 25-19 (.568) in the NEC Tournament, with the 25 wins ranking second in conference history to Fairleigh Dickinson (27) ... Broken down, the Colonials own a record of 17-6 (.739) in tournament games played at home, including a record of 12-5 (.706) in games at the Charles L. Sewall Center, 3-6 in road games and a mark of 5-7 in neutral site contests ... RMU has appeared in the NEC Tournament in each of the past six seasons, advancing to the semifinals four times over that span and the NEC Championship game once (2009) ... In seven career NEC Tournament tilts, senior guard Jeremy Chappell has averaged 17.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game ... RMU has hosted the NEC Tournament championship game four times (1983, 1989, 1990, 1992), with the Colonials a perfect 4-0 in those games ... Chappell is looking to become the 10th player in league history to win NEC Player of the Year honors and go on and claim NEC Tournament MVP accolades ... Robert Morris is the only current team in the Northeast Conference to have won back-to-back league titles, having accomplished the feat twice (1982 and 1983 and 1989 and 1990) ... Former members Marist (1986 and 1987) and Rider (1993 and 1994) also won back-to-back NEC titles, with Rider the last team to turn the trick ... The Colonials have advanced to the semifinals of the NEC Tournament 13 times in school history, the second most of any team in the league behind only Fairleigh Dickinson (17) ... The 43 points RMU held Saint Francis (Pa.) in the 2004 tournament quarterfinals is the fewest points scored in a tourney game ... The Colonials are one of four teams to score 100 points in a tournament game, joining Long Island, Wagner and Saint Francis (Pa.) ... Former Colonial Gene Nabors (1995-2000) owns two of the top six tournament scoring games in league history, with 38 points against the Red Flash (3/3/00) and 35 against Mount St. Mary's (3/4/00) ... Former Colonials Vaughn Luton (1986-89) and Myron Walker (1990-94) are two of nine players in league history to be named the NEC Player of the Year, then went on to claim NEC Tournament MVP honors ... Robert Morris owns a share of the longest NEC Tournament winning streak in league history at eight games ... The Colonials owned an eight-game tourney winning streak from 1982-84, while Rider had an eight-game surge from 1993-95.

Quick Stat of the Night - The marquee matchup in the NEC in recent seasons, Robert Morris and Mount St. Mary's will meet for the 12th time in the last four seasons Wednesday night with the NEC Tournament championship and subsequent berth in the 2009 NCAA Tournament on the line. Eight of the previous 11 meetings between the two programs have been decided by 10 points or less, including seven by five points or less. In each of the last three years, the team that was swept in the regular-season series went on to knock the other out of the NEC Tournament. Mount St. Mary's has knocked RMU out of each of the last two NEC Tournaments.

NEC Championship Opponent and the All-Time Series - RMU and Mount St. Mary's will tip for the 46th time Wednesday, with the Mount holding a 24-21 edge in the all-time series. The two programs have met 11 times over the last four seasons, with the Colonials owning a 7-4 record in those games. Robert Morris earned a sweep of the 2008-09 season series, garnering a 77-70 win at Knott Arena (1/5/09) in Emmitsburg, Md., followed by a 66-63 win at the Sewall Center (2/28/09) in the 2008-09 regular-season finale for both clubs. Junior forward Rob Robinson averaged 17.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in the two games, converting 52 percent (13-for-25) of his shots from the floor.

Probable Starters (#2 Mount St. Mary's vs. #1 Robert Morris)

#2 Mount St. Mary's (19-12)

#1 Robert Morris (23-10)

Head Coach Mike Rice (Second Season; Fordham '91) - Making a good first impression is important in any profession, and if Mike Rice's first season as head coach of the Robert Morris University men's basketball team is any indication, the program is in good hands and on stable ground.

In his first year as a head coach, Rice helped guide the Colonials to their first Northeast Conference regular-season championship and postseason appearance in 16 years, as RMU finished with a 16-2 mark in league play while advancing to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) for the first time in the 32-year history of the program.

A total of 13 school records were broken last season under Rice's watch, including victories (26), NEC wins (16), consecutive victories (14), road wins (14) and consecutive road victories (10). For those efforts Rice was named the 2008 NEC Jim Phelan Coach of the Year as well as the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) District 3 Coach of the Year.

Rice, who owns an overall record of 49-18 (.731), including a mark of 31-5 (.861) against Northeast Conference foes, brings to RMU a vast background in collegiate coaching, having served as an assistant coach at alma mater Fordham (1991-94), Marquette (1994-97), Niagara (1997-98), Chicago State (1998-2001), Saint Joseph's (2004-06) and Pittsburgh (2006-07).

Scouting the Mount - Mount St. Mary's owns an overall record of 19-12 entering its tilt with Robert Morris Wednesday after posting a 68-63 win over No. 3 seed Sacred Heart (3/8/09) in the semifinals of the 2009 NEC Tournament. The Mount was led by junior forward Kelly Beidler in the win over the Pioneers with 13 points and supplies averages of 11.0 points and a team-high 6.9 rebounds per contest. Junior guard Jeremy Goode is tops for Mount St. Mary's in scoring (15.3 ppg), assists (4.1 per game) and steals (1.9 per game), while sophomore guard Jean Cajou scores at a 13.3 points per game clip and is tops for the Mount in three-pointers with 50.

Mount St. Mary's Head Coach - Milan Brown (Howard '93) is in his sixth season as head coach at the Mount and owns an overall record of 79-103 (.434) entering Wednesday's game. Brown has guided Mount St. Mary's to the semifinals of the NEC Tournament each of the last four years and two straight championship games. The Mount won the 2008 NEC Tournament, culminating with a berth in the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

RMU's Last Game - Senior guard Jeremy Chappell, the 2009 Northeast Conference Player of the Year, tied a season high with 25 points in helping lead No. 1 seeded Robert Morris to a 75-48 win over No. 5 seed Quinnipiac Sunday afternoon in a 2009 NEC Tournament semifinal game at the Charles L. Sewall Center. Thanks to the win the Colonials improve to 23-10 overall on the 2008-09 campaign and will host the 2009 NEC Tournament championship game Wednesday, March 11, at 8:00 p.m. against No. 2 seed Mount St. Mary's live on ESPN2. Chappell scored 17 of his game-high 25 points in the first half, including six straight to end the stanza that bolstered RMU to a 40-27 lead at intermission. Robert Morris jumped out to an early 9-4 advantage before the Bobcats (15-16) used a 7-2 spurt to knot the score, 11-11, with 12:34 left before halftime. Sophomore forward Justin Rutty started the run with a layup off an offensive rebound, while freshman guard James Johnson buried a jumper and junior guard Jeremy Baker drained a three-pointer. The Colonials regained the lead on a three-pointer from senior guard Bateko Francisco, and the lead eventually increased to 27-19 for Robert Morris after a pair of Francisco free throws. Senior guard Bryan Geffen pulled Quinnipiac within 27-21 thanks to a jumper in the paint with 4:42 to go before intermission, but Robert Morris closed the half on a 13-6 run to take a 40-27 halftime advantage. The Bobcats were unable to trim to their deficit to single digits in the second half, as a 22-4 Colonial run over eight minutes gave RMU its biggest advantage of the game, 71-32, with 5:08 to play. Chappell scored eight points during the surge, while junior forward Rob Robinson added five. Chappell finished 10-for-17 shooting from the field, including a 5-for-12 performance from beyond the arc, and also added eight rebounds and three assists. Francisco and junior guard Jimmy Langhurst each added 12 points for the Colonials, who shot 58.8 percent (30-for-51) from the field. Quinnipiac was led by James Feldeine, who scored 16 points on 4-of-14 shooting.

Leading Scorers: Chappell (25), Francisco (12), Langhurst (12), Nwigwe (8)
Leading Rebounders: Chappell (8), Whitehead (3), Four tied with ... (2)
Assists: Francisco (5), Chappell (3), Nwigwe (3), Langhurst (2)

Home Is Where the Heart Is - Robert Morris will host its fifth NEC Tournament championship game Wednesday night against Mount St. Mary's, and playing at the Charles L. Sewall Center should be a boost for the Colonials. RMU enters the conference championship game having won 10 straight games at home, averaging 77.3 points per contest over that span. Robert Morris has shot 52.9 percent (281-for-531) from the field in its last 10 home games and overall this season has shot 50.4 percent (404-for-801) in 15 home games. The most consistent Colonial has been junior forward Rob Robinson, who in averaging 12.2 points at the Sewall Center this year has converted 62.9 percent (66-for-105) of his shots from the floor. RMU has been solid defensively at home, as well, allowing opponents to average just 60.3 points on 40.7 percent (211-for-518) over its last 10 home games and 66.3 points and 42.7 percent (341-for-798) shooting overall in 15 games.

Paint By Numbers - Robert Morris carries a four-game winning streak into the 2009 NEC Tournament championship game Wednesday against Mount St. Mary's due in large part thanks to its production in the post. Over the last four games, the Colonials are averaging 32.0 points in the paint per contest. That total is almost seven points better than RMU's season average of 26.4 points in the paint per game. Included in that stretch is 36 points down low in a 66-63 win over the Mount (2/28/09) in the 2008-09 regular-season finale, which tied a season high against an NEC opponent. So far this season the Colonials own a record of 11-2 (.833) in games in which they score at least 30 points in the post.

Supporting Cast - Much has been said about the exploits of what senior guard Jeremy Chappell has accomplished in a Robert Morirs uniform over the last four years. Chappell is RMU's all-time leader in career double-figure scoring games with 98, having scored at least 10 points in 80.3 percent (98-of-122) of the games he's played at Robert Morris. But consider this: In the 24 games over his career in which Chappell has failed to reach double figures in scoring, Robert Morris has posted a record of 13-11 (.542). More importantly, RMU has won eight straight games in which Chappell has failed to score at least 10 points. The last loss for the Colonials when Chappell didn't score in double figures was an 82-69 setback to Sacred Heart (1/13/08) at the Sewall Center.

Three's Company - Thanks to a pair of three-pointers in a 66-63 win over Mount St. Mary's (2/28/09) in RMU's 2008-09 regular-season finale, the Colonials eclipsed 200 three-pointers for the sixth straight season. Robert Morris pushed its season total this year to 217 with nine in a 75-48 win over No. 5 seed Quinnipiac (3/8/09) in the semifinals of the 2009 NEC Tournament. Thanks to five trifectas from senior guard Jeremy Chappell and two from junior guard Jimmy Langhurst in the win over the Bobcats, the duo have combined for 143 three-pointers this season. Chappell leads RMU with 81, while Langhurst owns 62. It marks the most three-pointers by a pair of RMU teammates in a season, eclipsing the 142 former Colonials Aaron Thomas and Maurice Carter combined for in 2003-04.

Free Is For Me - Senior guard Jeremy Chappell finished 2-for-2 at the free-throw line in a 73-60 win over St. Francis (N.Y.) in the quarterfinals of the 2009 NEC Tournament, pushing his career total in free throws to 209. Chappell cracked the Top 20 at Robert Morris for career free throws with his pair against the Terriers and ranks tied for 19th all-time at RMU with former Colonial Mike Brunson (1984-88). Sitting in 18th place at Robert Morris for career free throws is Damien Delts, who drained 223 attempts at the charity stripe from 1994 to 1998. Chappell currently leads the Colonials in free-throw percentage at 85.7 percent (72-for-84), which is good enough to rank third in the NEC.

Block Party - RMU has established a new team record for blocks this season and enters the NEC Tournament championship game against the Mount with 112. The old mark of 102 had been held by the 1982-83 Colonials. Junior forward Rob Robinson is tops for the Colonials with 33 blocks this year, which ranks second in the single-season record book. The single-season school record is held by former Colonial Roy Dudley (1982-84), who finished with 34 during the 1982-83 campaign.

The Complete Player - Senior guard Jeremy Chappell enters the twilight of his Robert Morris career looking to add to his already impressive résumé with his production this season. Thanks to 16 points in a 74-62 win @ Saint Francis (Pa.), Chappell became the sixth player in school history to score at least 500 points in a season. Chappell owns 559 points so far this year and with at least two games left this season is on pace to finish year with 593 points, which would rank second in the RMU single-season record book. Chappell also became the 12th player to pull down at least 200 rebounds in a season when he finished with five in a 73-60 win over St. Francis (N.Y.) (3/5/09) and owns 209 this season. If Chappell can push his 2008-09 season total in boards to 218, he would be the first player in school history to post one of the Top 10 single-season marks in both points and rebounds.

The One And Only - Thanks to a pair of steals in a 69-64 win over Quinnipiac (2/14/09), senior guard Jeremy Chappell pushed his career total in the category to 250. Thanks to the feat, Chappell becomes the first player in the 28-year history of the Northeast Conference to compile career totals of at least 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists, 250 steals and 200 three-pointers. Chappell owns career totals of 1,849 points, 669 boards, 333 assists, 261 steals and 240 three-pointers entering the 2009 NEC Tournament championship game Wednesday against Mount St. Mary's.

Who Shot J.R.? After sitting out the first eight games of the 2008-09 campaign to concentrate on academics, junior forward Dallas Green has returned to the rotation and provided Robert Morris with a spark. Over the last 20 games, all as a member of the starting lineup, Green has provided the Colonials with averages of 7.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest while shooting 56.3 percent (54-for-96) from the field and 76.5 percent (39-for-51) from the free-throw line.

On The Down Low - While junior forward Dallas Green has provided balance to the starting lineup for Robert Morris, his presence has helped open up things for the other forward in RMU's starting five in junior forward Rob Robinson. Since the calendar has switched to 2009, Robinson has averaged 12.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in 20 games, converting 56 percent (103-for-184) of his shots from the floor. Included in that stretch is a career-high 22 points in a 69-64 win over Quinnipiac (2/14/09) and a trio of 20-point games. Robinson has also grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds twice over that span, which are the most caroms by a Colonial in a game so far this season. In the last 20 games Robinson and Green have also combined for 47 blocks, with Robinson posting 24 blocks and Green 23.

My Name Is Earl - Junior guard Jimmy Langhurst's marksmanship from downtown in Northeast Conference games this season was a key reason the Colonials finished 15-3 in the league and claimed their second straight regular-season championship. Against league foes this year, Langhurst shot 48.1 percent (38-for-79) from long range, which led the conference. Overall on the 2008-09 campaign Langhurst has converted 42.5 percent (62-for-146) of his shots from beyond the arc, which ranks third in the circuit behind Wagner's Chris Martin (.455) and Sacred Heart's Chauncey Hardy (.427). Over the last three years, RMU owns a record of 28-6 (.824) when Langhurst scores in double figures.

Mr. Clean - While RMU's defense was solid in its 15-3 record in the Northeast Conference, another area the Colonials excelled was their work on the backboards. Robert Morris outrebounded 13 of its 18 league opponents this season, as its rebounding defense of 31.2 caroms per game against league opponents led the NEC and its rebounding margin +4.2 margin ranked third in the circuit. So far this season the Colonials own a record of 17-1 (.944) when outrebounding their opponent and in two seasons under head coach Mike Rice own a mark of 34-2 (.944) when turning the trick.

Zoned In - Senior guard Jeremy Chappell has done his part to step up for Robert Morris in his final season of eligibility in 2008-09, and his numbers across the board prove it. Chappell entered the season with career averages of 14.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game but has increased those averages this year to 16.9 ppg (+2.4), 6.3 rpg (+1.1) and 2.5 steals (+0.5) per contest. Probably the most impressive aspect of Chappell's 2008-09 campaign has been his shooting from long range. A career 35.1 percent (159-for-453) shooter from beyond the arc entering the season, Chappell has converted 40.9 percent (81-for-198) of his three-pointers so far this year, which ranks sixth in the NEC.

Stay On Target - Senior guard Jeremy Chappell, who has established a new RMU career record for three-pointers this season and currently owns 240, posted a new career high in triples thanks to four in an 85-79 win over Sacred Heart (2/12/09). So far this season Chappell owns 81 three-pointers, which currently ranks third in the Colonial single-season record book. Chappell, just the third Colonial in school history to drain at least 80 three-pointers in a season, is on pace to finish the season with 86 trifectas, which would rank second all-time in the single-season record book at Robert Morris.

M.V.P? With the loss of a pair of All-NEC performers from last season in Tony Lee and A.J. Jackson, it's no secret that a big key for RMU this season has been the production of junior forward Rob Robinson. When Robinson is on the court, Robert Morris has outscored its opponents by 224 points (1,336 to 1,112). The plus/minus ratio for Robinson of +7.47 this season is tops on the club, and he is one of five Colonials to average a plus/minus of 5.00 or better. Junior Jimmy Langhurst owns a plus/minus ratio of +6.52, while senior Jeremy Chappell is at +5.73. Junior Dallas Green ranks fourth (+5.68), followed by senior Bateko Francisco (+5.21).

The Chappell Show - Senior guard Jeremy Chappell led Robert Morris in a 75-48 win over No. 5 seed Quinnipiac (3/8/09) in the semifinals of the 2009 NEC Tournament with 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field, marking the 29th time this season and 98th time over his career he has scored in double figures. Chappell owns the Robert Morris career school record for double-figure scoring games, eclipsing former guard Chipper Harris. From 1980 to 1984, Harris reached double figures in scoring a total of 96 times.

Defense Wins Championships - Mike Rice has preached as head coach at Robert Morris that defense wins championships, and the numbers bear that out. RMU's 75-48 win over Quinnipiac (3/8/09) in the 2009 NEC Tournament semifinals improved the club to 16-3 (.842) this season when holding its opponent under 70 points. Over the last eight years, RMU owns a record of 92-23 (.800) when turning the trick, including a mark of 33-4 (.892) in two seasons under Rice.

20/20 Vision - Senior guard Jeremy Chappell scored at least 20 points in a game a total of eight times in 2007-08, the most of any Colonial on the roster. It hasn't taken long for Chappell to make his presence felt this year, either, as he's eclipsed 20 points 10 times through RMU's first 33 games of the 2008-09 campaign. Chappell tied a season-high with 25 points in RMU's 75-48 win over No. 5 seed Quinnipiac (3/8/09) in the semifinals of the 2009 NEC Tournament. Chappell, who scored at least 20 points five times in 18 league games this season, also scored 25 points in a 75-62 win over Monmouth (1/31/09). The performance against Quinnipiac marked the 26th time Chappell has scored at least 20 points in a game on his career.

Home Sweet Home - Robert Morris has learned to protect its home court at the Charles L. Sewall Center. Over the last four seasons the Colonials own a record of 46-12 (.793) at home, including at least 11 wins in each of the last four seasons. RMU is 13-2 at home this season and all-time owns a record of 199-114 (.636) in the venue since it opened in 1985.