Richmond, Va. – The
Robert Morris University men's basketball team opened play in the Barclays Classic Sunday afternoon with an 81-69 setback to Richmond at the Robins Center.
Marshall Wood opened the game's scoring with a jumper to give the Spiders an early lead, but the Colonials (0-4) scored the next seven points of the contest to grab a 7-2 advantage. Sophomore guard
Isaiah Still buried a three-pointer, while RMU got back-to-back buckets from freshman center
Braden Burke.
Robert Morris stretched its lead to 18-10 with 12:46 left before the break on the strength of another 7-2 spurt that featured a jumper from freshman guard
Clive Allen, a pair of free throws from senior guard
Kavon Stewart and a three-pointer from sophomore guard
Matty McConnell.
ShawnDre' Jones would convert a three-point play for Richmond to pull the Spiders to within 18-13, but the Colonials answered as senior forward
Aaron Tate converted in the paint off an offensive rebound to give RMU a 20-13 edge.
However, Robert Morris then went cold from the field, and Richmond used a 16-0 run to open up a 29-20 advantage. Nick Sherod scored five points, while T.J. Cline and Khwan Fore each contributed four points.
Still stemmed the tide for the Colonials by hitting a three-pointer with 3:27 left in the first half to pull Robert Morris to within 29-23, but the Spiders closed the half with a 10-4 surge to grab a 39-27 lead at the break.
Cline scored 10 points in the first half to pace Richmond, while Wood scored eight points, including a pair of three-pointers in the final 1:43 of the stanza.
"In the pregame we talked about the lapses we've had, and we had them again today," head coach
Andrew Toole said. "Maybe I need to shorten the rotation. At some point in time you have to be able to produce. You have to submit to the program. We need more guys to step up."
Wood opened the second half for Richmond by connecting again from beyond the arc, and his fourth triple of the game gave the Spiders their biggest lead of the contest, 47-27, with 18:28 to go.
Robert Morris chipped away, closing to within 49-41 thanks to a 14-2 run that featured points from six different student-athletes. Richmond weathered the surge and pushed its lead back to double digits, 52-41, after a three-pointer from Sherod, and a trifecta from Jones with 14:10 remaining gave the Spiders a double-digit cushion, 55-43, they wouldn't relinquish.
"Guys are continuing to work and aren't hanging their heads," Toole said. "We're putting forth the effort, but we need to be more consistent. We have to figure out a way not to be playing uphill and be consistent for a full 40 minutes."
Still scored a game-high 20 points to pace Robert Morris and also finished with two rebounds, three assists and four steals. Also reaching double figures for the Colonials was Burke, who scored 10 points, grabbed seven boards and registered a pair of thefts.
Cline led four players in double figures for Richmond with 18 points and also recorded nine rebounds and five assists. Jones chipped in 15 points, Wood 14 and Sherod 10.
RMU continues the Barclays Classic Tuesday, Nov. 22, with an 8:00 p.m. tip at Kansas State.
Stat Of The Night
20/20 – Still celebrated his 20th birthday Sunday on the 20th of November with a game-high 20 points, his second game this season eclipsing the 20-point plateau.
