Men's Basketball | 1/18/2017 1:18:00 PM

GAME 20
Central Connecticut (2-15, 0-6 NEC) vs. RMU (6-13, 2-4 NEC)
Thursday, January 19, 2017 • 7:00 p.m.
Charles L. Sewall Center (3,056) • Moon Township, Pa.
 
Radio: ESPN 970 AM and 106.3 FM
Radio Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp) & Jim Elias(color)
Video: NECFrontRow.com • RMUColonials.com
 
Quick Hits
 
- The Robert Morris University men's basketball team returns home to the Charles L. Sewall Center to host Central Connecticut Thursday in a 7:00 p.m. tip.
 
- The Colonials dropped their second straight decision by falling @ Wagner (1/14/17), 53-50. Robert Morris trailed, 51-50, with under 30 seconds to play, but a three-pointer from sophomore guard Isaiah Still with 15.5 seconds left was short, while sophomore guard Matty McConnell missed a jumper from the elbow with 10 seconds remaining after grabbing the offensive rebound of Still's missed triple.
 
- Freshman guard Dachon Burke paced the Colonials against the Seahawks with 13 points and five rebounds, while sophomore guard Matty McConnell registered his first career double-double courtesy of 12 points and 10 rebounds. McConnell also added three assists, two blocks and three steals.
 
- RMU concluded a three-game homestand at the Charles L. Sewall Center with a 77-57 loss to Saint Francis U (1/12/17). Sophomore guard Matty McConnell paced the Colonials with a season-high 15 points while also adding six rebounds and four steals.
 
- Also reaching double figures for Robert Morris against the Red Flash was senior guard Kavon Stewart and freshman guard Dachon Burke, as each scored 12 points. Stewart also tallied four rebounds and four assists, while Burke finished with three rebounds and a block.
 
- The Colonials picked up their first win of the 2016-17 campaign at the Charles L. Sewall Center with a 62-58 victory over St. Francis Brooklyn (1/7/17). Sophomore guard Isaiah Still paced RMU with a game-high 23 points and also matched a career high in rebounds with seven.
 
- Freshman guard Dachon Burke contributed nine points and five rebounds in the win over the Terriers, while senior guard Kavon Stewart returned to the starting lineup and tallied seven points, two assists and two steals.
 
- RMU opened its homestand with a 65-54 loss to LIU Brooklyn (1/5/17). Freshman guard Dachon Burke led the Colonials with 13 points, five rebounds and four steals off the bench, while freshman forward Braden Burke added 10 points and five rebounds, also off the bench.
 
- The Colonials concluded a two-game road swing to open Northeast Conference action with an 81-77 setback @ Fairleigh Dickinson (12/31/16). The Colonials had an 11-point lead with 6:10 to play, 65-54, but the Knights used a 19-7 run and a 26-for-28 performance at the free-throw line to garner the victory.
 
- Senior guard Kavon Stewart and freshman forward Braden Burke tied for team-high honors in scoring against FDU with 12 points each as eight different players scored between seven and 12 points.
 
 
Wagner Tidbits - Robert Morris has dropped four straight to the Seahawks ... The Colonials own a 41-29 (.586) edge in the all-time series ... Wagner outrebounded RMU, 45-29, and held a 17-6 advantage in second-chance points ... Sophomore guard Isaiah Still dished out a team-high five assists and owns 18 dimes in his last six games (3.0 per contest) ... Mike Aaman and Michael Carey combined to shoot 65.2 percent (15-for-23) from the field in combining for 34 points and 21 rebounds for the Seahawks, while the rest of the Wagner lineup shot 19.4 percent (6-for-31) ... Robert Morris received just five points from its bench, its lowest output in 2016-17.
 
A Complete Effort - Sophomore guard Matty McConnell put together arguably his most complete performance in an RMU uniform @ Wagner (1/14/17), as the sophomore guard recorded his first double-double thanks to 12 points and 10 rebounds while also notching three assists, a pair of blocks and three steals. McConnell averaged 13.5 points in two games last week while shooting 40.9 percent (9-for-22) from the field, including 40 percent (8-for-20) from beyond the arc. Against Northeast Conference opponents, McConnell has registered 15 steals, an average of 2.50 per game that is tied with Darian Anderson of Fairleigh Dickinson for tops in the league. In 24 career games against league foes, McConnell is averaging 2.42 thefts per game.
 
Growing Up - Freshman guard Dachon Burke earned his first start in Northeast Conference action @ Wagner (1/14/17) and paced the Colonials with 13 points while also adding five rebounds, an assist, block and steal. The rookie has settled into a consistent contributor since Robert Morris has entered league play, as he enters Thursday's game against Central Connecticut averaging 10.7 points and 3.7 rebounds against league foes while shooting 52.1 percent (25-for-48) from the floor. Over his last eight games, Burke has supplied the Colonials with averages of 9.9 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 48.4 percent (30-for-62) from the field, including 41.7 percent (5-for-12) from deep, and 77.8 percent (14-for-18) from the free-throw line.
 
Under/Over - The 2016-17 version of the Colonials are one of the youngest teams in head coach Andrew Toole's seven-year tenure at RMU, as three freshman and three sophomores help make up the rotation. Through 18 games, the Robert Morris underclassmen have supplied the Colonials with 52.3 percent (1,988-of-3,800) of the minutes played and 57.7 percent (671-of-1,162) of their scoring.
 
Steal City - Robert Morris has consistently been at the top of the Northeast Conference leaderboard in steals throughout head coach Andrew Toole's tenure, as the Colonials have topped the circuit four times (2012, 2013, 2014, 2016) under Toole and six times in the last nine years. Through 19 games this season, Robert Morris has compiled 146 steals, an average of 7.68 per game that leads the NEC. Senior guard Kavon Stewart paces the circuit individually with an average of 1.83 per contest.

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