Men's Basketball | 1/4/2017 3:15:00 PM

GAME 16
LIU Brooklyn (8-7, 1-1 NEC) vs. RMU (5-10, 1-1 NEC)
Thursday, January 5, 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 opens a three-game homestand at the Charles L. Sewall Center when it welcomes LIU Brooklyn Thursday for a 7:00 p.m. tip. The Colonials will host five of their next six games at "The Chuck."
 
- RMU 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.
 
- Also reaching double figures for the Colonials against the Knights were sophomore guards Isaiah Still and Matty McConnell and redshirt senior forward Aaron Tate. Still and McConnell each scored 11 points, while Tate posted 10 points and a game-high eight rebounds.
 
- The RMU frontcourt that consists of starters Aaron Tate and Roberto Mantovani and reserves Billy Giles and Braden Burke combined to average 25.0 points and 19.0 rebounds in the first two Northeast Conference games while shooting 61.7 percent (21-for-34) from the field.
 
- Robert Morris opened league play with a 78-67 victory @ Sacred Heart (12/29/16), using a 14-3 run in the second half to take control and allowing the Colonials to erase a seven-point deficit from earlier in the stanza. Sophomore guard Isaiah Still paced the Colonials with 22 points while tying a career high with seven rebounds.
 
- Senior guard Kavon Stewart contributed 14 points, two assists and four steals in the win over the Pioneers, while redshirt senior forward Aaron Tate and freshman guard Dachon Burke also reached double figures with 10 points each.
 
- The Colonials established a season high in steals against the Pioneers with 16 and enter Thursday's game against LIU Brooklyn leading the Northeast Conference in thefts with an average of 7.47 per contest.
 
- RMU concluded the non-conference portion of its 2016-17 slate at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa., posting a 74-71 victory over Buffalo (12/21/16). The Colonials played without their leading scorer in sophomore guard Isaiah Still, who missed the game due to injury.
 
- Senior guard Kavon Stewart led Robert Morris against Buffalo with 18 points and a season-high seven assists. He also recorded three rebounds and a steal in the win. For his efforts, Stewart was tabbed the Northeast Conference Player of the Week (12/26/16), his first career weekly honor.


 
Fairleigh Dickinson Tidbits - Robert Morris had its 17-game winning streak against FDU snapped with the setback ... The 81 points scored by the Knights matched a season high by an RMU opponent ... Virginia also scored 81 points against Colonials ... Freshman forward Braden Burke established a career high with 12 points off the bench to tie for game-high honors for Robert Morris, converting five of his six shots from the field while going 2-for-6 at the free-throw line ... Eight Colonials scored between seven and 12 points in a balanced RMU offense ... Junior forward Roberto Mantovani set a career high with seven rebounds while freshman guard Clive Allen dished out a career-high five assists ... Robert Morris shot a season-high 49.1 percent (27-for-55) from the field and also tied a season high with 44 rebounds ... Senior guard Kavon Stewart went 8-for-8 at the free-throw line while the rest of the team finished 11-for-22 (50 percent).
 
The Rock - Redshirt senior forward Aaron Tate has gotten off to a solid start in Northeast Conference action, scoring 10 points in each of RMU's first two games while shooting 88.9 percent (8-for-9) from the field, which paces the circuit in the early going, while going 4-for-5 (80 percent) at the free-throw line. Tate has been a rock for the Colonials over the last 10 games, a stretch in which RMU has gone 5-5 (.500), by producing averages of 7.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 62.5 percent (30-for-48) from the field. In his time on the roster, Robert Morris owns a record of 4-3 (.571) when Tate reaches double figures.
 
The Senior - Senior guard Kavon Stewart tied for team-high honors with 12 points @ Fairleigh Dickinson (12/31/16) to close out a two-game road trip to open Northeast Conference action. Stewart enters Thursday's game against LIU Brooklyn having reached double figures in nine of his last 10 games, a stretch in which the Colonials have posted a record of 5-5 (.500). During that span, Stewart is supplying RMU with averages of 13.0 points, 3.6 assists and 2.3 steals per contest. In his four years on the roster, Robert Morris has posted a record of 20-17 (.541) when Stewart reaches double figures.
 
Still Of The Night - Sophomore guard Isaiah Still returned to the lineup in a 78-67 win @ Sacred Heart (12/29/16) to open Northeast Conference play and paced the Colonials with 22 points while also tying a career high with seven rebounds. Still has led Robert Morris in scoring in 10 of its 15 games this season and has reached double figures 12 times. Dating back to last season, Still has scored in double figures in 20 of his last 22 games, averaging 15.6 points per contest. As RMU opens a three-game homestand Thursday, Still has improved his scoring average +5.5 points per game from last year.
 
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 15 games this season, Robert Morris has compiled 109 steals, an average of 7.47 per game that leads the NEC. Senior guard Kavon Stewart ranks paces the circuit individually with an average of 2.00 per contest.
 
Protect This House - Robert Morris is playing its 32nd season at the Charles L. Sewall Center in 2016-17, and overall the Colonials own a record of 273-144 (.655) in the building. Since 2005-06, RMU has posted a record of 120-43 (.736) at the Sewall Center and in six seasons at "The Chuck" under head coach Andrew Toole, Robert Morris has compiled a record of 61-28 (.685). As part of its 2016-17 home slate, RMU played a pair of games in Pittsburgh, Pa., at PPG Paints Arena. The Colonials won their first "home" contest at PPG Paints Arena, earning a 64-60 victory over Duquesne (12/6/16). RMU wrapped up its two-game slate at the venue by posting a 74-71 win over Buffalo (12/21/16).

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