GAME #9
Robert Morris (4-4) @ Campbell (3-5)
Tuesday, December 4, 2012 • 7:00 p.m.
Gore Arena (3,095) • Buies Creek, N.C.
Radio: WPIT-AM 730
Talent: Chris Shovlin (play-by-play) & Jim Duzyk (color)
Audio and Video available at www.rmucolonials.com
Follow RMU Men's Basketball on Twitter: @RMUMBasketball
Top Story - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team opens a two-game road swing in search of its first road victory of the 2012-13 campaign Tuesday night by traveling to Buies Creek, N.C., for a 7:00 p.m. tip against Campbell at Gore Arena. The Colonials are coming off an 84-76 win over Ohio (12/1/12) at the Charles L. Sewall Center as junior guard Karvel Anderson scored a career-high 28 points on perfect 10-for-10 shooting from the floor, including 8-for-8 from beyond the arc. Redshirt senior forward Russell Johnson added 14 points and four rebounds off the bench in the victory, while redshirt senior guard Velton Jones contributed 12 points and seven assists. Thanks to his performance against the Bobcats, Anderson was tabbed the Northeast Conference Co-Player of the Week (12/3/12) along with LIU Brooklyn's Jason Brickman. RMU continues its road trip after taking on the Camels with a 2:00 p.m. tip against Hampton Saturday, Dec. 8, in Hampton, Va.
Quick Stat of the Night - Led by the shooting exploits of junior guard Karvel Anderson, Robert Morris produced its best shooting night of the 2012-13 campaign in an 84-76 victory over Ohio (12/1/12) at the Charles L. Sewall Center. The Colonials finished the game with a season-high shooting percentage of 56.4 percent (22-for-39), including a mark of 66.7 percent (12-for-18) from beyond the arc. RMU has now won 29 consecutive games when shooting 50 percent or better from the floor dating back to the 2008-09 season. The last loss for Robert Morris when hitting over half its shots came in a 92-72 setback @ Pittsburgh (2/2/09), when the Colonials shot 63.6 percent (14-for-22) from the field in the second half en route to an overall shooting percentage of 57.4 percent (27-for-47).
Tuesday's Opponent and The All-Time Series - Robert Morris and Campbell will meet for the first time on the hardwood Tuesday night at Gore Arena. The Camels are one of four opponents the Colonials are facing for the first time in school history in 2012-13, joining Arkansas (12/20/12), Bowling Green (11/19/12) and Savannah State (11/26/12). RMU posted a 71-60 win over BGSU in the inaugural meeting between the two programs at the Charles L. Sewall Center as part of the consolation round of the 2012 NIT Season Tip-Off, while the Colonials suffered a 61-52 setback @ Savannah State. Campbell is the first program from the Big South Conference Robert Morris has matched up against since splitting a home-and-home series with Charleston Southern. The Colonials opened the series with a 79-70 road loss Jan. 3, 2005, before rebounding to post a 97-85 win at the Sewall Center Dec. 17, 2005.
A Special Night - Junior guard Karvel Anderson put forth arguably the most impressive shooting display in school history in an 84-76 win over Ohio (12/1/12) at the Sewall Center, hitting all 10 of his shots from the floor in the victory, including 8-for-8 from beyond the arc. Anderson is the first student-athlete in school history to post a perfect shooting night from the field with as many as 10 field goals. Former Colonial Rob Robinson (2008-10) held the old mark when he finished 9-for-9 shooting from the floor in a 104-56 win over Wagner Jan. 17, 2009, at the Sewall Center. Anderson is also just the second student-athlete in school history to convert eight field goals from beyond the arc without a miss. Former Colonial Scott Shepherd (1988-91) also finished 8-for-8 from deep in a 110-80 win over LIU Brooklyn Feb. 8, 1990, at the Sewall Center. To look at some of the perfect shooting nights in school history, please download the complete set of RMU game notes for Tuesday's game against Campbell.
There's An App For That - While Robert Morris posted an 84-76 win over Ohio (12/1/12) largely on the offensive prowess of junior guard Karvel Anderson, the Colonials wouldn't have been able to come out with the victory without the contributions of sophomore guard David Appolon. Playing in just his second game of the 2012-13 season due to an injury to junior guard Anthony Myers-Pate, Appolon tied a career high in points (7) while grabbing a career-high four rebounds in 17 minutes of action. He also produced solid defensive play, helping hold Ohio's D.J. Cooper to just 6-of-17 shooting on the evening.
Free Is For Me - In its only exhibition game of the 2012-13 preseason, the Colonials posted an 81-67 win over Saint Vincent (11/1/12) despite struggling at the free-throw line, converting just 54.5 percent (18-for-33) of their attempts at the charity stripe. It's been a complete reversal since the beginning of the regular season, as Robert Morris enters Tuesday's game @ Campbell having shot 78.9 percent (150-for-190) at the chalk in its first eight games of 2012-13, which ranks second in the Northeast Conference. Leading the way in the early going is sophomore forward Lucky Jones, who is tied for second in the NEC in free-throw percentage at 88.9 percent (32-for-36) after a perfect 6-for-6 performance in an 84-76 win over Ohio (12/1/12). Jones enters Tuesday's game against the Camels having converted each of his last 18 attempts at the chalk.
The Race to 1,000 - Redshirt senior forward Russell Johnson reached double-figures in scoring for the first time on the 2012-13 campaign in an 84-76 win over Ohio (12/1/12) at the Charles L. Sewall Center with 14 points. Johnson reached double figures on the strength of an 11-for-12 performance at the free-throw line, establishing career highs in both categories. Johnson is now just 95 points shy of joining the Robert Morris 1,000-point club and, barring injury, will become just the 12th player in school history to be a member of both the RMU 1,000-point and 500-rebound clubs.
Start Me Up - Redshirt junior guard Coron Williams, the only Colonial to start all 37 games for Robert Morris in 2011-12, is RMU's active leader for consecutive starting assignments. Williams has started 50 straight games dating back to the 2010-11 season, the longest streak by a Colonial since redshirt senior guard Velton Jones started 70 consecutive games before having it snapped last season.