Game Notes (PDF)

GAME #17
Robert Morris (6-10, 1-0) @ Bryant (9-7, 1-0)
Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014 • 1:00 p.m.
Chace Athletic Center (2,600) • Smithfield, R.I.
 
Radio: 970 ESPN AM
Radio Talent: Chris Shovlin (play-by-play) & Jim Duzyk (color)
Follow RMU Men's Basketball on Twitter and Instagram: RMUMBasketball
 
Top Story - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team wraps up a five-game road trip Saturday in search of its second straight win with a 1:00 p.m. tip at the Chace Athletic Center in Smithfield, R.I., against Bryant. The Colonials are coming off a 79-70 victory @ Sacred Heart (1/4/14), which snapped a three-game losing streak and improved RMU to 16-17 (.485) all-time in Northeast Conference openers. Senior guard Karvel Anderson paced Robert Morris with a career-high 36 points against the Pioneers, hitting 15 of his 19 shots from the field, including 6-of-7 from beyond the arc. He also added five rebounds and three steals. Junior forward Lucky Jones chipped in 17 points in the win against Sacred Heart while tallying two rebounds and two assists. RMU's tilt against Bryant Saturday wraps up a stretch in which the Colonials have played 13 of 16 games away from home. The Colonials will return to the Charles L. Sewall Center after its game with Bryant Saturday for five of its next six games. Robert Morris opens the stretch by welcoming in-state rival Saint Francis U. to "The Chuck" Thursday, Jan. 16, for a 7:00 p.m. tip.    

 
 
Quick Stat of the Night - Senior guard Karvel Anderson had one of the most efficient shooting nights in school history in a 79-70 victory @ Sacred Heart (1/4/14), drilling 15 of his 19 shots from the floor for a career-high 36 points. Anderson is one of just three players in Division I this season to hit at least 15 field goals in a game with less than 20 attempts from the field. He joined Frank Kaminsky of Wisconsin, who finished 16-for-19 from the field against North Dakota (11/19/13), and Prince Okoroh of Howard, who like Anderson shot 15-for-19 from the floor against William & Mary (11/30/13). Anderson is the 22nd player in school history to eclipse the 30-point plateau at Robert Morris. His 36 points against the Pioneers are tied for sixth in RMU single-game annals, as former Colonial Mike Morton (1978-80) scored 36 points in a 94-66 victory over Towson State (1/9/80). In 49 career games at RMU, Anderson has averaged 14.5 points per game while shooting 49.7 percent (252-for-507) from the field, including 45.4 percent (137-for-302) from deep.
 
Saturday's Opponent and The All-Time Series - Robert Morris and Bryant square off on the hardwood for the eighth time Saturday, with the Colonials owning a 6-1 (.857) advantage in the all-time series. The two programs split the 2012-13 season series, with each team winning on the other's home court. The Bulldogs posted an 84-77 win over the Colonials at the Charles L. Sewall Center (1/5/12), while RMU earned a 77-75 victory over Bryant at the Chace Athletic Center (2/28/13) that helped Robert Morris clinch the 2013 Northeast Conference regular-season championship. Guard Karvel Anderson came off the bench and scored a game-high 24 points to lift the Colonials to their win last season at the Chace Athletic Center.    
 
Moving On Up - RMU's 79-70 victory @ Sacred Heart (1/4/14) in its 2013-14 Northeast Conference opener helped head coach Andrew Toole move into third place all-time in program history for career victories. Toole enters Saturday's game @ Bryant with a career record of 74-46 (.617). He surpassed his predecessor, former RMU head coach Mike Rice, who posted a 73-31 (.702) mark in three seasons guiding the Colonials from 2007 to 2010. Toole could move into second place all-time at Robert Morris this season, as currently occupying the spot is former head coach Mark Schmidt (2001-07), who in six seasons posted a record of 82-90 (.477). RMU's all-time leader in victories is former head coach Jarrett Durham, who went 157-183 (.462) in 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996.
 
Joining The Club - Junior forward Lucky Jones joined the Robert Morris 500-rebound club in RMU's final non-conference tilt of the 2013-14 campaign @ Alabama (1/4/14), tying for game-high honors with seven boards to eclipse the mark. Jones, who owns 502 career caroms, became the 17th member of the fraternity and based on his current rebounding average of 5.4 per contest is on pace to finish the regular-season with 583 rebounds. That total would tie him for 10th all-time entering his final season of eligibility in 2014-15. Jones enters Saturday's game as RMU's active leading scorer with 923 points and, based on his current scoring average (14.5 ppg) and barring injury, will become the 13th player in school history to eclipse both 1,000 points and 500 boards. Jones is on pace to become the 22nd member of the RMU 1,000-point club Jan. 30, 2014, against Bryant.
 
Shooter - Senior guard Karvel Anderson enters Saturday's game @ Bryant as RMU's leading scorer, producing an average of 18.5 points per game, and is threatening to establish a new single-season school record for three-pointers. Anderson, who ranks second in the NEC in three-point field goals made per game (3.44), is on pace conclude the 2013-14 regular season with 107 triples. That total would eclipse the single-season school record of 93 that was established by former guard Scott Shepherd (1988-91) as a sophomore in 1988-89 and has stood for almost 25 years. In 49 career contests, Anderson has drilled 137 three-pointers, an average of 2.80 per game that would establish a new career record.
 
Dynamic Duo - While senior guard Karvel Anderson has been RMU's leading scorer so far this season thanks in large part to his ability to convert from beyond the arc, junior forward Lucky Jones has developed into a solid outside shooter, as well. Jones enters Saturday's game @ Bryant ranked fourth in the Northeast Conference in three-point field goal percentage (.418) and 10th in three-point field goals made per game (2.06). Through the first 16 games of the 2013-14 campaign, the duo of Anderson and Jones has combined for 88 three-pointers, an average of 5.50 per game. The pair are on pace to finish the regular season with 171 triples, which would establish a new single-season school record for three-pointers by a Robert Morris tandem.
 
International Waters - Robert Morris is coming off a record-breaking season in shooting from beyond the arc in 2012-13, and the Colonials have picked up right where they left off from a season ago. Through the 16 games this season, RMU has converted 131 of its 321 attempts (40.8%) from beyond the arc. Robert Morris enters Saturday's tilt @ Bryant leading the Northeast Conference in three-point field goal percentage while ranking second in three-point field goals made per game (8.19). Robert Morris has drilled at least 10 three-pointers in seven of its 16 games of the 2013-14 campaign, posting a 5-2 (.714) record in those contests. RMU is 28-5 (.848) in four seasons under head coach Andrew Toole when converting at least 10 three-pointers in a game.

Tweet #ColonialPride