#3 Robert Morris (18-13) @ #1 Long Island (26-8)
2011 NEC Tournament Final
Wednesday, March 9, 2011 - 7:00 p.m.
Wellness, Athletic & Recreation Center (2,500) - Brooklyn, N.Y.

Top Story - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team continues its quest for a league-record eighth Northeast Conference championship Wednesday when it travels to Brooklyn, N.Y., for a 7:00 p.m. tip against Long Island at the Wellness, Recreation & Athletic Center for the 2011 NEC Tournament championship game. The Colonials, riding a season-high eight-game winning streak, are making their third straight appearance in the NEC Tournament title tilt thanks to a 64-62 victory @ No. 2 seed Quinnipiac (3/6/11) in the semifinals. Redshirt sophomore guard Velton Jones hit a running jumper with 4.3 seconds to play to help lift RMU to the win over the Bobcats and finished with 13 points, eight assists and three steals in the victory. Robert Morris owns a record of 7-2 (.778) all-time in NEC Tournament championship games, including a perfect 2-0 in championship games on the road and a ledger of 2-1 (.667) in the title game against Long Island.

NEC Tournament Quick Hits - Robert Morris owns an all-time record of 31-19 (.620) in the NEC Tournament, with the 31 wins the most in conference history ... Broken down, the Colonials own a record of 21-6 (.778) in tournament games played at home, including a record of 16-5 (.762) in games at the Charles L. Sewall Center, 5-6 in road games and a mark of 5-7 in neutral site contests ... Robert Morris owns a share of the longest NEC Tournament winning streak in league history at eight games, originally established from 1982 to 1984 and tied with its 64-62 victory @ Quinnipiac (3/6/11) in the 2011 NEC Tournament semifinals ... The Colonials have qualified for the NEC Tournament 27 out of a possible 30 times, the most in league history ... Robert Morris has hosted the NEC Tournament championship game five times (1983, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2009), with the Colonials a perfect 5-0 in those games ... RMU is 2-0 in NEC Tournament championship games on the road, with victories @ Long Island (1982) and @ Quinnipiac (2010) ... Robert Morris is the only current team in the Northeast Conference to have won back-to-back league titles, having accomplished the feat three times (1982 and 1983, 1989 and 1990 and 2009 and 2010) ... Former members Marist (1986 and 1987) and Rider (1993 and 1994) also won back-to-back NEC titles ... The Colonials have advanced to the semifinals of the NEC Tournament 15 times in school history, the second most of any team in the league behind only Fairleigh Dickinson (17).

Wednesday's Opponent and The All-Time Series - Long Island and Robert Morris will tip for the 63rd time Wednesday, with RMU holding a 36-26 (.581) edge in the all-time series. The Colonials have won six of the last eight over the Blackbirds, but the two programs split the 2010-11 season series, with each winning on the other's home court. Robert Morris earned a 70-69 victory over LIU at the Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center (12/2/10) in Brooklyn, N.Y., in the 2010-11 NEC opener, while the Blackbirds posted an 83-67 win over the Colonials at the Charles L. Sewall Center (1/20/11). Redshirt sophomore guard Velton Jones averaged 17.0 points and 3.5 assists in the two games, including 20 points in the victory in Brooklyn.

Probable Starters (Robert Morris @ Long Island)

Robert Morris (18-13)

Head Coach Andrew Toole (First Season; Penn '03) - When it came time for Robert Morris University Director of Athletics Craig Coleman, M.D., to name a new head coach for the men's basketball program, he didn't have to look far. Andrew Toole was introduced as the eighth head coach in the 35-year Division I history at a press conference at the Charles L. Sewall Center May 11, 2010. He owns an overall record of 18-13 (.581), including a mark of 12-6 (.667) in the Northeast Conference.

Anyone familiar with the success the Colonials have had over the last three years should be familiar with Toole. Named as former head coach Mike Rice's top assistant in 2007-08, Toole spent the last two years as Associate Head Coach at RMU. Moving one office over in the basketball suite at Robert Morris seemed a natural progression and a step that Toole was ready to take.

"I'm unbelievably excited to be the head coach at Robert Morris University," Toole said at the time of his hiring. "It's an incredible opportunity that I've been given by the University, the search committee, Dr. Dell'Omo and Dr. Coleman. I'm honored they felt I was the right individual to continue the success of this program. I take that honor very seriously, and I'm going to work incredibly hard and tirelessly to prove those people right while continuing to build on the success that we've had over the last three years."

Toole is at the helm of an RMU program that has experienced unprecedented success over the last five years. The Colonials own NEC records for victories over the span of two, three, four and five years. From 2005 to 2010, Robert Morris posted an overall record of 105-56 (.652). From 2007 to 2010 with Toole as an assistant on the staff at RMU, the Colonials posted an overall record of 73-31 (.702).

At 30 years old, Toole is the youngest head coach at the Division I level.

Prior to coming to Robert Morris in 2007, Toole spent the 2006-07 season as an assistant at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. Between 2004 and 2006, Toole spent two years with The Hoop Group in Neptune, N.J.

Toole was a four-year starter at the Division I level, playing for Elon University (1998-2000) before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania (2000-03). In two seasons with the Quakers, Toole helped guide Penn to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in 2002 and 2003. A co-captain of the 2002-03 Penn team that finished with an overall record of 22-6, in two years as a starter Toole helped lead the Quakers to an overall record of 47-13 (.783).

A member of the Friars Senior Society at the University of Pennsylvania in 2002-03, Toole earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Penn in 2003. He resides in the Pittsburgh suburb of Mt. Lebanon, Pa., with his fiancée, Brooke Kelly.

Scouting the Blackbirds - The hottest team in the Northeast Conference, Long Island carries a 12-game winning streak into the 2011 NEC Tournament championship game Wednesday night against Robert Morris. The Blackbirds own an overall record of 26-5 and won the 2011 NEC regular-season crown with a mark of 16-2. LIU is the league's most dynamic offense, averaging 82.5 points per contest. Sophomore forward Julian Boyd paces the Blackbirds in both scoring and rebounding, posting averages of 13.1 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. He also shoots 53.1 percent (147-for-277) from the floor. Boyd is one of four players to average in double figures scoring for Long Island, as sophomore forward Jamal Olasewere produces 12.3 points per game, while senior guards David Hicks and Kyle Johnson score at a points per game clip of 11.4 and 11.1, respectively.

Long Island Head Coach - In his ninth season on the sidelines for the Blackbirds is Jim Ferry (Keene State '90), who owns an overall record of 228-158 (.591), including a mark of 124-139 (.471) with Long Island. Prior to his stint with LIU, Ferry spent three seasons at Division II Adelphi University, where he guided the Panthers to an overall record of 82-11.

RMU's Last Game - Redshirt sophomore guard Velton Jones' running jumper with 4.3 seconds to play helped lift Robert Morris to a 64-62 victory over No. 2 seed Quinnipiac, March 6, in the semifinals of the 2011 Northeast Conference Tournament at TD Bank Sports Center. James Johnson's last second three-pointer attempt from just outside the arc fell short, helping the Colonials extend their winning streak both overall and in NEC Tournament contests to eight games. In a game that featured 12 ties and 22 lead changes, Robert Morris owned a 61-57 lead with 1:58 to play after a layup from redshirt sophomore forward Russell Johnson. Deontay Twyman pulled the Bobcats to within one, 61-60, with a three-pointer 22 seconds later, and a pair of free throws by Dave Johnson with 57 seconds left pushed Quinnipiac back in front, 62-61. Johnson would knot the game for the 12th time, 62-62, by hitting the front end of a pair of free throws with 41 seconds to go after a foul by Lance Brown, but on the missed free throw attempt the ball went out of bounds after a number of players tried to coral the rebound. The officials awarded the ball to the Colonials with 39 seconds remaining. RMU drained the clock to 13 seconds and took a timeout, and out of the break Jones hit a running jumper reminiscent of a shot he buried late in RMU's 52-50 victory over the Bobcats on the same floor in the 2010 NEC Tournament championship game. Jones was one of four Colonials to score in double figures, finishing with 13 points while adding eight assists and three steals. Neither team led by more than seven points, with the Bobcats taking a 31-24 edge at the 1:24 mark of the first half after a layup from Dominique Langston. Robert Morris closed to within 33-29 at halftime thanks to a three-pointer from Johnson and a layup from sophomore forward Lijah Thompson. RMU opened the second half on a 10-2 spurt to take a 39-35 edge as redshirt freshman guard Coron Williams hit a three-pointer and Thompson scored three points, but layups from James Johnson and Justin Rutty helped the Bobcats tie the game, 39-39, with 14 minutes to play. From that point, neither team led by more than four.

Leading Scorers: Williams (15), Thompson (14), Johnson (14), Jones (13)
Leading Rebounders: Myers (6), Johnson (5), Jones (3), Bridges (2)
Assists: Jones (8), Williams (2), Johnson (2), Myers (1))

Quick Stat of the Night - Thanks to a 64-62 win @ No. 2 seed Quinnipiac (3/6/11) in the semifinals of the 2011 NEC Tournament, Robert Morris tied the Northeast Conference record for consecutive victories in the postseason tourney at eight. The Colonials also won eight straight games in the NEC Tournament from 1982 to 1984, while Rider won eight consecutive from 1993 to 1995. The team to snap RMU's eight consecutive wins in the NEC Tournament? Long Island, which defeated the Colonials, 87-81, in the 1984 title game. Over the last eight NEC Tournament contests, RMU has allowed just 58.1 points per game on 39.5 percent (149-for-377) shooting from the field, including 28.9 percent (37-for-128) from long range.

Advance Scouting - Since the beginning of the 2007-08 campaign, including games in the Northeast Conference Tournament, Robert Morris owns a record of 67-15 (.817) against league opponents. Over that span, the Colonials are a perfect 9-0 when facing off with a foe that it lost to earlier in the season, including a 3-0 mark in both 2010-11 and in the NEC Tournament. RMU avenged earlier season losses this year to St. Francis (N.Y.), Wagner and Quinnipiac and will look to do the same @ No. 1 seed Long Island Wednesday. The last NEC team to beat Robert Morris twice in one season was Sacred Heart, who swept the 2006-07 regular-season series from the Colonials.

Growing Up - The sign of a young team maturing can be found in the results of close games, and for Robert Morris, it has reversed a trend from earlier in the 2010-11 season. The Colonials started 1-5 (.167) this year in games decided by five points or less, but since the calendar switched to 2011 RMU owns a mark 8-1 (.889) in close games, including seven straight wins. All-time in Northeast Conference Tournament action Robert Morris owns a record of 12-6 (.667) in games decided by five points or less, including five straight victories.

Five Against One - Thanks to a 66-49 victory over Wagner (2/26/11) in its 2010-11 regular-season finale, Robert Morris broke its own school and Northeast Conference record for victories over a five-year span. The Colonials had compiled 105 wins from 2005 to 2010 but enter Wednesday's game @ No. 1 seed Long Island with 108 victories since the beginning of the 2006-07 campaign. In addition, RMU's 58 wins in the league over the last four years is a school and league record, while the Colonials have amassed 116 victories in the NEC since the beginning of the 2001-02 campaign, the most in the league in the last 10 seasons.

The CW Network - Redshirt freshman Coron Williams has given the Colonials a spark after sophomore guard Karon Abraham was lost for the season due to an injury to his achilles @ Monmouth (2/19/11). Williams exploded for a career-high 26 points in a 66-49 victory over Wagner (2/24/11) in RMU's 2010-11 regular-season finale, which tied the Robert Morris freshman single-game record for points. All-time leading scorer Myron Walker (1990-94) also finished with 26 points in a 99-71 victory over Mount St. Mary's (1/24/91) at the Sewall Center. Williams enters Wednesday's game @ No. 1 seed Long Island averaging 16.2 points over his last five games while shooting 70 percent (28-for-40) from the floor, including 72.7 percent (16-for-22) from long range.

Liftoff With Lijah - While redshirt freshman guard Coron Williams has supplied Robert Morris with the offensive punch of late, arguably the one Colonial who has come the farthest this season is sophomore forward Lijah Thompson. Since the start of February, a stretch in with the Colonials are 9-1 (.900), Thompson has averaged 11.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 57.5 percent (42-for-73) from the field and 74.4 percent (32-for-43) from the charity stripe. Thompson enters Wednesday's game leading the Northeast Conference in field goal percentage (.552).

Game On - Senior guard Gary Wallace established a new Robert Morris career school record for games played in RMU's 78-74 victory over No. 6 seed Wagner (3/3/11) in the 2011 Northeast Conference Tournament quarterfinals and enters Wednesday's tilt @ No. 1 seed Long Island having played in 133 career contests. Wallace has had a front row seat for the Golden Era of Robert Morris basketball, as he was a part of 58 victories against NEC foes the last four years, both a school and league record. Overall Wallace has been a part of 91 wins, which established a new RMU record for most career victories by a class.

MTV VJ - Velton Jones is in the midst of arguably the best offensive stretch of his young career entering Wednesday's game @ No. 1 seed Long Island, as the redshirt sophomore guard has reached double figures in scoring in 14 of his last 16 contests. In two games of the 2011 NEC Tournament, Jones has been sensational, averaging 21.0 points, 7.0 assists and 2.5 steals while shooting 54.2 percent (13-for-24) from the field. The the only Colonial to start all 31 games for Robert Morris this season, Jones enters Wednesday's tilt with the longest active streak for both games played and games started. Jones has played in 66 straight games for RMU dating back to last season, while he will earn his 52st consecutive start Wednesday against the Blackbirds.

Board Games - A big key to the success that Robert Morris has had over the last four seasons has been due in large part to the program's ability to crash the boards. In RMU's 78-74 win over No. 6 seed Wagner (3/3/11) in the NEC Tournament quarterfinals, the Colonials held a 23-22 edge in rebounding. Since 2007-08, Robert Morris owns a record of 69-9 (.885) when the Colonials are even or better in rebounding in a game, including a mark of 66-7 (.904) when outrebounding their opponent. In 2010-11 RMU owns a record of 14-3 (.824) when posting more rebounds than its opponent.

Defense Wins Championships - At the heart of the resurgence of the RMU basketball program over the last four seasons has been defense. Even with first-year head coach Andrew Toole on the sidelines, RMU's attention to detail on defense hasn't changed. In 31 games this year, the Colonials have held 20 opponents to under 70 points. Robert Morris is 15-5 (.750) in those contests and over the last four years owns a mark of 66-12 (.846) when turning the trick.

Steal City - Robert Morris has turned up the defensive pressure in the Northeast Conference Tournament, as the Colonials have recorded 22 steals in victories over No. 6 seed Wagner (3/3/11) and @ No. 2 seed Quinnipiac (3/6/11). RMU enters Wednesday's game @ No. 1 seed Long Island with 235 steals this year and is averaging 16.4 points off turnovers per game. .

In The Clutch - Redshirt sophomore guard Velton Jones came through with one of the biggest shots of his career in a 64-62 victory @ No. 2 seed Quinnipiac (3/6/11) in the semifinals of the NEC Tournament, hitting a jumper with 4.3 seconds to play to give the Colonials the victory. Jones, who finished with 13 points, eight assists and three steals in the win over the Hawks, added his name to a pantheon of greats at RMU that has sank a game-winning shot in final 15 seconds of a game. A look at the last five Colonials to sink a game-winning shot late for Robert Morris:

* NEC Tournament; # three-pointer