#8 St. Francis (N.Y.) (10-19) vs. #1 Robert Morris (21-10)
Thursday, March 5, 2009 - 7:00 p.m.
2009 NEC Tournament Quarterfinals
Charles L. Sewall Center (3,056) - Moon Township, Pa.
Top Story - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team begins its quest for a league-record sixth Northeast Conference championship Thursday night when it hosts St. Francis (N.Y.) for a 7:00 p.m. NEC Tournament quarterfinal game at the Charles L. Sewall Center. The Colonials, who wrapped up their 2008-09 regular season with a 66-63 win over Mount St. Mary's (2/28/09), claimed their sixth NEC regular-season championship in 2009 and will enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed. RMU is making its sixth straight appearance in the NEC Tournament and 25th overall. All-time in tourney action Robert Morris owns a record of 23-19 (.548), including a mark of 15-6 (.714) in tournament home games. At the Sewall Center, the Colonials are 10-5 (.667) in NEC Tournament tilts.
RMU in the NEC Tournament - Robert Morris owns an all-time record of 23-19 in the NEC Tournament, with the 23 wins ranking second in conference history to Fairleigh Dickinson (27) ... Broken down, the Colonials own a record of 15-6 in tournament games played at home, including a record of 10-5 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 three times over that span ... In five career NEC Tournament tilts, senior guard Jeremy Chappell has averaged 15.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game ... Chappell will look 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 12 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 - Robert Morris was able to snap a two-game losing streak and post a pair of victories in each of its last two regular-season games due to re-establishing its presence in the paint. In wins @ Saint Francis (Pa.) (2/26/09) and against Mount St. Mary's (2/28/09), the Colonials scored 36 points in the paint in each contest. That total tied a season high against an NEC opponent and ranks second overall behind the 42 points in the paint RMU scored in an 83-70 victory @ Lafayette (12/17/09). Junior forward Rob Robinson was key for RMU in the low block in a 66-63 victory over Mount St. Mary's (2/28/09), as he finished with 17 points by converting all seven of his shots from the floor and going 3-for-5 at the free-throw line.
Thursday's Opponent and the All-Time Series - Robert Morris and St. Francis (N.Y.) will meet for the 58th time on the hardwood Thursday night, with the Colonials holding a 34-23 (.596) edge in the all-time series. The Colonials and Terriers split the season series, with each club winning on the other's home court. St. Francis (N.Y.) garnered an 87-79 win over RMU in the 2008-09 NEC opener for both teams at the Charles L. Sewall Center (12/4/08) before the Colonials rebounded to post a 61-54 win in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y., at Aquilone Court (2/5/09). Senior guard Jeremy Chappell averaged 22.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in the two games.
Probable Starters (#8 St. Francis - N.Y. vs. #1 Robert Morris)
#8 St. Francis (N.Y.) (10-19)
| # |
P |
Name |
Pts. |
Reb. |
G/GS |
Hometown |
| 2 |
F |
Stefan Perunicic (6-6, 195, Fr.) |
11.0 |
2.3 |
29/29 |
Belgrade, Serbia |
| 44 |
F |
John Gooden (6-6, 220, Sr.) |
5.4 |
4.0 |
29/2 |
Bronx, N.Y. |
| 21 |
C |
Nigel Byam (6-7, 210, Jr.) |
5.6 |
3.5 |
29/22 |
Brooklyn, N.Y. |
| 3 |
G |
Jamaal Womack (5-8, 170, Sr.) |
10.1 |
2.8 |
29/23 |
Bronx, N.Y. |
| 11 |
G |
Ricky Cadell (6-2, 180, So.) |
15.1 |
3.3 |
29/28 |
New York, N.Y. |
#1 Robert Morris (21-10)
| # |
P |
Name |
Pts. |
Reb. |
G/GS |
Hometown |
| 1 |
F |
Rob Robinson (6-8, 215 Jr.) |
11.6 |
5.3 |
28/24 |
Waldorf, Md. |
| 24 |
F |
Dallas Green (6-8, 190, Jr.) |
6.9 |
4.7 |
23/18 |
Indianapolis, Indiana |
| 21 |
G |
Jeremy Chappell (6-3, 210, Sr.) |
16.6 |
6.3 |
31/31 |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 5 |
G |
Bateko Francisco (6-1, 185, Sr.) |
7.4 |
2.4 |
31/29 |
Paris, France |
| 12 |
G |
Jimmy Langhurst (5-11, 185, Jr.) |
10.1 |
2.2 |
31/27 |
Willard, Ohio |
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 47-18 (.723), 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 Terriers - St. Francis (N.Y.) concluded its regular season with an overall record of 10-19, including a mark of 7-11 in the NEC, after dropping its third straight game, a 66-54 loss to Long Island (2/28/09) in its regular-season finale. Sophomore guard Ricky Cadell, a 2009 All-NEC Second Team selection, leads St. Francis (N.Y.) with an average of 15.1 points per game and is shooting 40.6 percent (54-for-133) from beyond the arc. Freshman forward Stefan Perunicic, a member of the 2009 All-NEC Rookie Team, provides an average of 11.0 points per game and ranks second in the NEC in three-pointers with 86. The top rebounder has been junior forward Herman Wrice, who averages 5.4 caroms per contest.
St. Francis (N.Y.) Head Coach - Brian Nash (Keene State '92) is in his fourth season as head of the Terriers and was named to his current post March 30, 2005. He enters Thursday's game with an overall record of 36-80 (.310). Prior to St. Francis (N.Y.), Nash served as an assistant coach at Seton Hall from 2001 to 2005.
RMU's Last Game - In a game that featured 16 ties and 15 lead changes, junior forward Rob Robinson's layup with 1:42 remaining off an offensive rebound gave Robert Morris the lead for good en route to a 66-63 win over Mount St. Mary's, Feb. 28. RMU had a pair of opportunities to clinch the game in the final minute, but junior guard Jimmy Langhurst and senior guard Jeremy Chappell each went 1-for-2 at the free-throw line. Mount St. Mary's had one last chance with under 15 seconds to play, but Jeremy Goode's three-pointer with 11 seconds to go was off the mark. Mount St. Mary's led, 34-31, at halftime, and Goode converted a windmill layup in the lane to give the Mountaineers a 36-31 advantage out of intermission, but after a layup from Bateko Francisco with 18:33 to play, neither team led by more than four the rest of the way. Francisco's layup was part of a 6-0 surge that gave RMU a 37-36 advantage, as Langhurst hit the first three-pointer of the game for Robert Morris at the 18:04 mark of the second half. The score was tied nine times in the second half, and a jumper from Kelly Beidler helped the Mount open up a 49-45 lead with 12:46 to play and cap a 7-2 run. Chappell would knot the score, 51-51, with a layup with 9:28 to go, which started an 8-2 Colonial surge to push Robert Morris to a 57-53 advantage. Langhurst hit a three-pointer during the spurt, while Chappell converted an old-fashion three-point play. Mount St. Mary's responded, as layups from Shawn Atupem and Beidler tied the score for the 15th time, 57-57. Markus Mitchell would give the Mount a 61-59 edge with 3:48 remaining thanks to a jumper from the top of key, and the Colonials closed their deficit to 61-60 after Robinson hit the front end of a pair of free throws. Robinson would strike again a little less than a minute later, hitting a jumper in the paint to give RMU a 62-61 advantage. Beidler pushed Mount St. Mary's back in front, 63-62, with 2:15 to go thanks a jumper, but the Colonials would grab the lead for good with 1:42 to play thanks to Robinson's layup off an offensive rebound.
Leading Scorers: Robinson (17), Francisco (11), Langhurst (11), Chappell (8)
Leading Rebounders: Robinson (5), Nwigwe (5), Chappell (4)
Assists: Robinson (2), Nwigwe (2), Francisco (1), Langhurst (1), Wallace (1)
Five Against One - Senior guard Jeremy Chappell become the fifth different Colonial to be named the Northeast Conference Player of the Year when he was a unanimous choice in garnering the honor in a vote of league head coaches March 3, 2009. The first unanimous choice since Chad Timberlake of Fairleigh Dickinson in 2006, Chappell joins former Colonial greats Tony Lee (2008), Myron Walker (1992), Vaughn Luton (1989) and Chipper Harris (1984) in earning the accolade. Harris was named the NEC Tri-Player of the Year at the conclusion of the 1983-84 season. Named the 2006 NEC Rookie of the Year, Chappell is also the fourth player in league history to win the conference's top rookie honor and go on and claim player of the year accolades. He joins Rik Smits of Marist, Desi Wilson of Fairleigh Dickinson and Jermaine Hall of Wagner.
Three's Company - Robert Morris attempted just four shots from beyond the three-point line in a 66-63 win over Mount St. Mary's (2/28/09) in its 2008-09 regular-season finale, hitting a pair. The two three-pointers, which came courtesy of junior guard Jimmy Langhurst, pushed RMU's season total in the category to 201, marking the sixth straight year the club has drained at least 200 three-pointers in a season. The four attempts from downtown against the Mount mark the lowest amount of attempts from beyond the arc in over a decade for the Colonials, when Robert Morris also attempted just four in a 69-51 victory @ UMBC (11/18/97). RMU enters the 2009 NEC Tournament tops in the conference in three-point field goal shooting percentage at 39.7 percent (201-for-506). Meanwhile, the Colonials average of 6.48 triples per game ranks fourth in the circuit.
Block Party - RMU posted four blocks in its 2008-09 regular-season finale, a 66-63 win over Mount St. Mary's (2/28/09). Thanks to the four rejections, Robert Morris established a new team record for blocks in a season with 105. The old mark of 102 had been held by the 1982-83 Colonials. Junior forward Rob Robinson is tops for the Colonials with 29 blocks this year, which ranks fourth in the single-season record book. The school record is held by former Colonial Roy Dudley (1982-84), who finished with 34 during the 1982-83 campaign. Meanwhile, senior guard Jeremy Chappell has recorded 75 career blocks, which ranks fifth all-time at Robert Morris.
The Rejects - While RMU's average of 3.39 blocks per game ranks fifth in the Northeast Conference, for the first time in school history the Colonials led the league against conference foes in rejections. In 18 games against NEC opponents, Robert Morris posted 79 rejections, an average of 4.39 per contest that led the league. It was a balanced attack individually, as junior forward Rob Robinson posted 20 blocks in NEC games, while junior forward Dallas Green finished with 18 and senior guard Jeremy Chappell 16.
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 515 points so far this year and with at least two games left this season and is on pace to finish year with 548 points, which would rank fifth in the RMU single-season record book. Chappell also has posted 196 rebounds so far this year, just four shy of becoming the 12th player in school history to compile at least 200 caroms in a 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 1,805 points, 656 boards, 324 assists, 259 steals and 232 three-pointers entering Thursday's NEC Tournament quarterfinal game against St. Francis (N.Y.).
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 18 games, all as a member of the starting lineup, Green has provided the Colonials with averages of 7.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest while shooting 56.6 percent (47-for-83) 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 13.1 points and 6.1 rebounds in 18 games, converting 56.6 percent (98-for-173) 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 18 games Robinson and Green have also combined for 42 blocks, with Green posting 22 and Robinson 20.
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 42.6 percent (58-for-136) of his shots from beyond the arc, which ranks second in the circuit behind Wagner's Chris Martin (46.4 percent).
Perfection - For the second time this season, junior forward Rob Robinson produced a perfect shooting night in a 66-63 win over Mount St. Mary's (2/28/09). Robinson finished 7-for-7 from the floor in the win over the Mount, and he also finished a perfect 9-for-9 from the field in a 104-56 win over Wagner (1/17/09). Robinson, along with sophomore guard Gary Wallace, who finished 5-for-5 from the floor in the win over the Seahawks, are the fourth and fifth Colonials in RMU's 33-year Division I history to post a perfect shooting night with a minimum of five field goals. A closer look at each of the performances:
