Robert Morris Returns Home Thursday To Host Knights

Men's Basketball | 1/28/2015 1:38:00 PM

GAME 21
Fairleigh Dickinson (7-12, 2-6) vs. Robert Morris (10-10, 6-2)
Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015 • 7:00 p.m.
Charles L. Sewall Center (3,056) • Moon Township, Pa.

Radio: 970 ESPN AM
Radio Talent: Chris Shovlin (play-by-play) & Jim Elias (color)
Video: RMUColonials.com • NECFrontRow.com
Twitter: @RMUMBasketball • Instagram: @RMUMBasketball

Quick Hits

- The Robert Morris University men's basketball team, winners of three straight and five of its last six contests, opens a two-game homestand at the Charles L. Sewall Center Thursday with a 7:00 p.m. tip against Fairleigh Dickinson.

- The Colonials wrapped up a two-game road trip with a 67-65 victory @ St. Francis Brooklyn (1/24/15), as senior forward Lucky Jones hit a three-pointer with 17.8 seconds to play to help lift RMU to the win. Jones led Robert Morris with 15 points and also added six rebounds.

- Sophomore guard Kavon Stewart contributed a career-high 13 points in the win over the Terriers and also tallied three assists and three steals. Stewart enters Thursday's game against Fairleigh Dickinson leading the NECK against league foes in steals with 17, an average of 2.13 per game.

- Also reaching double figures in the win @ St. Francis Brooklyn (1/24/15) was junior guard Rodney Pryor, who scored 12 points while grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. Pryor has reached double figures in scoring in each of his last six games, averaging 14.7 points per game over that span.

- RMU opened its road trip with a 63-59 overtime win @ Mount St. Mary's (1/22/15). Freshman guard Marcquise Reed hit a three-pointer with 11.3 seconds to play that helped send the game to the extra frame and finished with a game-high 21 points in the win.

- Junior guard Rodney Pryor added 17 points and three rebounds @ Mount St. Mary's (1/22/15), while freshman forward Elijah Minnie returned to the lineup and finished with five points, a team-high six rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

- Robert Morris enters Thursday's game against Fairleigh Dickinson leading the Northeast Conference in league games in field goal percentage (.484) and three-point field goal percentage (.436).

- Freshman guard Marcquise Reed has been named Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week a league-high four times after garnering the honor Jan. 19, 2015. Reed is just third player in program history to earn NEC Rookie of the Week accolades at least four times. Former guard Karon Abraham (2009-11) also earned the honor four times in 2009-10, while former guard Jeremy Chappell (2005-09) was bestowed the accolade five times in 2005-06.

- Senior forward Lucky Jones became RMU's all-time leading rebounder by grabbing nine boards against St. Francis Brooklyn (1/16/15). Jones is RMU's active leader in points (1,437) and rebounds (781) entering Thursday's game against Fairleigh Dickinson and also owns career totals of 169 assists and 154 steals.

- Robert Morris closes out its homestand after hosting Fairleigh Dickinson Thursday with a 4:00 p.m. tip against Bryant Saturday, Jan. 31.

St. Francis Brooklyn Tidbits - Robert Morris split the season series with the 67-65 win at the Pope P.E. Center and owns a 42-26 (.618) advantage in the all-time series ... Senior forward Lucky Jones earned his 90th career start against the Terriers, which is tied for ninth all-time in program history with former guard Chipper Harris (1980-84) and former forward A.J. Jackson (2003-08) ... RMU shot 70.8 percent (17-for-24) at the free-throw line compared to 57.1 percent (16-for-28) for St. Francis Brooklyn ... The Colonials finished 6-for-9 from beyond the arc, with the 66.7 percent success rate a season high ... SFC outscored RMU, 22-12, in second chance points and held a 32-24 edge in points in the paint.

The Leader - Robert Morris head coach Andrew Toole picked up career victory No. 100 thanks to a 67-65 win @ St. Francis Brooklyn (1/24/15). Toole owns an overall record of 100-60 (.625) entering Thursday's game against Fairleigh Dickinson, including a mark of 59-19 (.756) against the Northeast Conference. Toole is just the second head coach in program history to eclipse 100 career wins, joining former head coach Jarrett Durham, who posted a 157-183 (.462) record from 1984 to 1996. Toole is also the fastest to 100 career wins in Northeast Conference history, reaching the plateau in 160 contests.

Big Shot - Robert Morris was able to secure a pair of road victories last week thanks to a pair of Colonials coming up with big shots. Freshman guard Marcquise Reed sank a three-pointer with 11.8 seconds to play in regulation @ Mount St. Mary's (1/22/15) that tied the game, 59-59, and forced overtime in an eventual 63-59 victory. Two days later, senior forward Lucky Jones buried a three-pointer with 17.8 seconds to go that gave Robert Morris a 66-65 lead @ St. Francis Brooklyn (1/24/15) en route to a 67-65 win.

Lockdown - Robert Morris enters Thursday's game against Fairleigh Dickinson in the midst of its best defensive stretch of the 2014-15 campaign. Dating back to its final non-conference game of the year @ Clemson (12/30/14), the Colonials have held eight of their last nine opponents under 70 points, including each of their last five foes. Against Northeast Conference foes, RMU ranks second in the league in field goal percent defense (.393) and third in scoring defense (62.6 ppg).

Southpaw - Junior guard Rodney Pryor has been a key part to the Robert Morris offense since Northeast Conference play began earlier this month. Pryor enters Thursday's game against Fairleigh Dickinson having reached double figures in each of his last six games and over that span is averaging 14.7 points per contest. He has also pulled down an average of 5.0 rebounds over his last six games while shooting 50.7 percent (35-for-69) from the field, including 39.1 percent (9-for-23) from beyond the arc, and 81.8 percent (9-for-11) at the free-throw line. Pryor ranks third in the NEC in three-point field goal percentage (.406) and 10th in field goal percentage (.473).

Stripes - Freshman guard Marcquise Reed finished 2-for-2 at the free-throw line in a 67-65 win @ St. Francis Brooklyn (1/24/15) and enters Thursday's game against Fairleigh Dickinson having converted each of his 11 attempts at the charity stripe. Reed ranks third in the Northeast Conference against league foes in free-throw percentage, having converted 30 of his 34 attempts for a success rate of 88.2 percent.

Lee Set To Join The RMU Athletic Hall of Fame - Former guard Tony Lee (2004-08) is the latest member of the Robert Morris University men's basketball program to earn a spot in the RMU Athletic Hall of Fame, as he will be enshrined at the second annual RMU Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner Friday, Jan. 29, 2015, at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport. Lee, a native of Boston, Mass., finished with career totals of 1,489 points, 751 rebounds, 487 assists and 275 steals in his four seasons with the Colonials while shooting 51.5 percent (555-for-1,077) from the field. Named to the 2005 All-Northeast Conference Rookie Team, Lee also earned spots on the 2007 All-NEC Second Team and the 2008 All-NEC First Team. During his senior season in 2007-08, Lee helped guide the Colonials to an overall record of 26-8 (.765), a school record for victories, including a mark of 16-2 (.889) in the NEC. RMU claimed the 2008 NEC regular-season championship with Lee supplying Robert Morris with averages of 13.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 2.8 steals per contest. Selected by the league head coaches as the 2008 NEC Player of the Year, Lee established an RMU single-season school record for assists (217) and became just the sixth player in NCAA Division I history to record a triple-double in back-to-back games when he accomplished the feat in February of 2008. Lee started the final 90 games of his career, a school record for consecutive starting assignments.

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