Men's Basketball 2/20/2015 1:53:00 PM

RMU Wraps Up New England Road Trip Against Bulldogs

GAME 28
Robert Morris (13-14, 9-6) @ Bryant (13-13, 10-5)
Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015 4:00 p.m.
Chace Athletic Center (2,600) Smithfield, R.I.

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

Quick Hits

- The Robert Morris University men's basketball team wraps up its final road trip of the 2014-15 regular season Saturday with a 4:00 p.m. tip against Bryant in Smithfield, R.I., at the Chace Athletic Center.

- The Colonials opened their two-game swing with an 80-76 setback @ Sacred Heart (2/19/15) as the Pioneers shot 53.3 percent (16-for-30) from the field in the second half to garner the victory.

- Junior guard Rodney Pryor led RMU against the Pioneers with a career-high 31 points, including 25 in the second half. He shot 12-for-16 from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, while going 4-for-4 at the free-throw line.

- Freshman guard Marcquise Reed contributed 16 points @ Sacred Heart (2/19/15), while sophomore guard Kavon Stewart chipped in 11 points and six assists.

- Robert Morris leads the Northeast Conference against league foes in both field goal percentage (.480) and three-point field goal percentage (.404) while ranking second in free-throw percentage (.735).

- Freshman guard Marcquise Reed has been named Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week a league-high six times after garnering the honor Feb. 9, 2015. Reed has established a new program record for most NEC Rookie of the Week accolades, breaking the old record of five set by former guard Jeremy Chappell (2005-09) during his rookie campaign in 2005-06.

- Through 15 games against Northeast Conference opponents, sophomore guard Kavon Stewart has registered a league-high 31 steals, an average of 2.07 thefts per game that leads the circuit. Stewart is looking to become the first member of the Colonials to lead the NEC in conference games in steals since former guard Velton Jones (2008-13) in 2011-12.

- 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 (1,505) and rebounds (809) entering Saturday's game @ Bryant and also owns career totals of 178 assists and 159 steals.

- Freshman guard Marcquise Reed has eclipsed the 20-point plateau eight times this season, tying an RMU freshman record. Former guard and the program's all-time leading scorer, Myron Walker (1990-94), also scored at least 20 points in a game on eight occasions during his rookie campaign in 1990-91.

- Robert Morris concludes the 2014-15 regular season with a pair of games at the Charles L. Sewall Center after taking on Bryant Saturday. The Colonials open the homestand Thursday, Feb. 26, with a 7:00 p.m. tip against Wagner and will also host in-state rival Saint Francis U. Saturday, Feb. 28, for a 4:00 p.m. tip.

Sacred Heart Tidbits - The Pioneers snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Colonials ... RMU had its streak of 23 consecutive victories against Northeast Conference opponents snapped when shooting at least 50 percent from the floor ... Robert Morris shot 60.7 percent (17-for-28) from the field in the second half and 52.7 percent (29-for-55) overall ... The Colonials suffered 20 turnovers, the fourth time in 2014-15 RMU has turned the ball over at least 20 times ... Robert Morris outscored Sacred Heart, 40-38, in points in the paint, the third time this season the Colonials have scored at least 40 points in the paint.

Finishing Strong - Junior guard Rodney Pryor became the 23rd player in school history to eclipse the 30-point plateau as he scored a career-high 31 points @ Sacred Heart (2/19/15). Pryor finished 12-for-16 from the floor against the Pioneers, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, and was a perfect 4-for-4 at the free-throw line. Pryor scored 25 of his 31 points after halftime, becoming the fifth player in school history to score at least 25 points in a half. Pryor enters the home stretch of the 2014-15 regular season having averaged 15.5 points over his last four games while shooting 53.3 percent (24-for-45) from the field, including 53.3 percent (8-for-15) from deep.

The Bucket List - Freshman guard Marcquise Reed has settled into his role as a scorer for the Colonials in his rookie campaign. A six-time Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week, Reed has reached double figures in scoring in 18 of his last 20 games entering Saturday's game @ Bryant. During that stretch, Reed is averaging 16.8 points per contest while shooting 54.3 percent (126-for-232) from the field, including 44.4 percent (20-for-45) from beyond the arc. Reed ranks sixth in the Northeast Conference in scoring at 15.1 points per game while also placing second in the circuit in steals at 1.85 thefts per contest and sixth in field goal percentage (.517).

Defense Wins Championships - At the heart of the resurgence of the Robert Morris basketball program since the beginning of the 2007-08 campaign is defense. Thanks to a 53-52 win over Central Connecticut State (2/14/15), RMU improved to 134-29 (.822) over the last eight seasons when holding their opponent to less than 70 points. In five years under head coach Andrew Toole, the Colonials own a mark of 81-21 (.794) when turning the trick. Overall in the last eight years, RMU has held its opponent to under 70 points 60.1 percent (163-of-271) of the time.

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Players Mentioned

#22 Lucky Jones: G/F; 6' 6"; Senior; Sr.

#3 Kavon Stewart: G; 6' 0"; Sophomore; So.

#2 Marcquise Reed: G; 6' 3"; Freshman; Fr.

#11 Rodney Pryor: G; 6' 5"; Junior; Jr.

Players Mentioned

#22 Lucky Jones
: 6' 6"; Senior; Sr.
: G/F

#3 Kavon Stewart
: 6' 0"; Sophomore; So.
: G

#2 Marcquise Reed
: 6' 3"; Freshman; Fr.
: G

#11 Rodney Pryor
: 6' 5"; Junior; Jr.
: G