GAME 23
RMU (6-16, 4-5 NEC) @ Saint Francis U. (9-11, 5-4 NEC)
Saturday, January 28, 2016 • 7:00 p.m.
DeGol Arena (3,500) • Loretto, Pa.

Radio:  ESPN 970 AM & 106.3 FM
Radio Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp) & Jim Elias (color)
Video: NECFrontRow.com • SFUAthletics.com
Twitter: @RMUMBasketball • Instagram: @RMUMBasketball
 
Quick Hits

- The Robert Morris University men's basketball team concludes a four-game road trip Saturday in Loretto, Pa., with a 7:00 p.m. tip against in-state rival Saint Francis U. at DeGol Arena.
 
- RMU had its season-high three-game winning streak snapped in its last contest, falling @ Mount St. Mary's (1/28/16), 70-49. Senior guard Rodney Pryor paced the Colonials with 11 points, while freshmen guards Isaiah Still and Matty McConnell each scored 10 points. McConnell also tied a career high with five steals.
 
- Despite falling @ Mount St. Mary's (1/28/16), Robert Morris has posted a record of 16-3 (.842) on the road among the teams that make up its current four-game road swing under sixth-year head coach Andrew Toole. The Colonials own a record of 3-1 (.750) at DeGol Arena under Toole.
 
- Prior to falling to the Mount, the Colonials earned their third consecutive win thanks to a 65-54 victory @ Bryant (1/23/16). Junior guard Kavon Stewart paced the Colonials with 18 points and added five assists and two steals, while sophomore forward Elijah Minnie recorded his second double-double of the year with 13 points and 12 rebounds while recording a career-high six blocks.
 
- Senior guard Rodney Pryor returned to action in RMU's win @ Bryant (1/23/16) after missing three games due to a concussion and contributed 10 points and six rebounds off the bench. Pryor has reached double figures in scoring in each of his last 29 games dating back to last season, the second longest streak in program history.
 
- Robert Morris opened its four-game road trip with a 59-45 victory @ Central Connecticut (1/21/16). Sophomore forward Elijah Minnie and junior guard Kavon Stewart tied for game-high honors in scoring, as each finished with 15 points. The duo combined to shoot 68.4 percent (13-for-19) from the field.
 
- The Colonials held an opponent to 45 points or less for the 12th time in the last nine years in their victory @ Central Connecticut (1/21/16), including the eighth time in six seasons under head coach Andrew Toole.
 
- Sophomore forward Elijah Minnie has reached double figures in six of his last eight games and over that span is averaging 10.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest while shooting 47.7 percent (31-for-65) from the field, including 46.4 percent (13-for-28) from beyond the arc, and 78.6 percent (11-for-14) at the free-throw line.
 
- RMU will return home to the Charles L. Sewall Center for five of its next six games after taking on Saint Francis U. Saturday. The Colonials begin the month of February with a three-game homestand that opens  Thursday, Feb. 4, with a 7:00 p.m. tip against Central Connecticut. Robert Morris will also host Bryant (Feb. 6) and Saint Francis U. (Feb. 11) before traveling to Fairleigh Dickinson, Saturday, Feb. 13, for a 6:00 p.m. tip.


 
Mount St. Mary's Tidbits - The Mount swept the season series from Robert Morris for the first time since 2005-06 ... Mount St. Mary's connected for 47.4 percent (9-for-19) of its attempts from beyond the arc, a season high by an opponent in three-point field goal percentage ... Junior guard Kavon Stewart and sophomore forward Elijah Minnie combined for just five points on 1-of-11 shooting, with Minnie being held scoreless for the second time this season ... Mount St. Mary's held a 36-26 edge in rebounding, the 11th time in 2015-16 RMU has been outrebounded by 10 or more ... RMU hit just one three-pointer in the contest, which came courtesy of freshman walk-on Anthony Pugh with 1:58 to play.
 
Active Thief - Freshman guard Matty McConnell has teamed with junior guard Kavon Stewart to give the Colonials a solid combination at the top of RMU's 2-3 zone. McConnell has really been active in recent weeks, as he enters Saturday's game @ Saint Francis U. having recorded at least one steal in eight straight games. Over that same span, McConnell has posted 20 steals, an average of 2.50 per contest. Twice in the last eight games McConnell has registered a career-high five steals, including @ Mount St. Mary's (1/28/16). He enters Saturday's tilt ranked third against Northeast Conference foes with an average of 2.22 steals per game. 
 
Active Offense - While freshman guard Matty McConnell has been active on the defensive end in RMU's 2-3 zone, he's also started to come into his own offensively. Entering Saturday's game @ Saint Francis U. that wraps up a four-game road trip, McConnell has averaged 9.4 points over his last five games. Twice during that span he's reached double figures, including a career-high 16 points against Mount St. Mary's (1/14/16). In two games against the Mount this season, McConnell averaged 13.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 steals while shooting 61.1 percent (11-for-18) from the field.
 
Finish Strong - Despite being held scoreless @ Mount St. Mary's (1/28/16), sophomore forward Elijah Minnie will look to finish RMU's four-game road swing strong. In the first three games of the swing, Minnie has averaged 9.3 points and 7.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks while shooting 56.5 percent (13-for-23) from the field. Included in that stretch was his second double-double of the year in a 65-54 win @ Bryant (1/23/16) with 13 points and 12 boards.
 
Block Party - Elijah Minnie is 53 games into his Robert Morris career, and it's safe to say that the Colonials have never had anyone protect the rim better in program history. Minnie recorded a career-high six blocks in a 65-54 win @ Bryant (1/23/16) and already ranks sixth in school history for career blocks with 78. Minnie broke his own single-season school record for rejections thanks to his six against the Bulldogs and on the 2015-16 campaign has posted 42 blocks, an average of 2.00 per game that leads the Northeast Conference.
 
Diversify - In 2014-15, 44.5 percent (243-of-546) of the scoring production for guard Rodney Pryor came from beyond the three-point line. In 19 games in 2015-16, just 30.5 percent (111-of-364) of Pryor's production has come from the three-pointer. Pryor has converted 55.9 percent (90-for-161) of his attempts from the field inside the three-point arc so far this season. Conversely, forward Elijah Minnie registered 31.9 percent (69-of-216) of his scoring production from beyond the arc as a freshman in 2014-15. So far during his sophomore campaign, 42.5 percent (105-of-245) of Minnie's production is from deep.

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