Columbus, Ohio – The
Robert Morris University men's basketball tipped off its 42nd season of Division I basketball Friday with a 95-64 loss to Ohio State at Value City Arena.
C.J. Jackson gave the host Buckeyes an early 2-0 lead with layup off an offensive rebound, but junior guard
Matty McConnell pushed the Colonials in front, 6-2, by knocking down a pair of three-pointers in back-to-back possessions for RMU.
Ohio State answered with a 7-0 surge that featured a layup by Keita Bates-Diop and five points from Kam Williams to grab a 9-6 edge. Freshman forward
Koby Thomas got his first collegiate bucket at the 16:04 mark of the first half with a layup off a feed from junior guard
Taevon Ashmeade to close the deficit for Robert Morris to 9-8, but the Buckeyes used a 16-3 run to open up a 25-11 advantage with 10:55 left before halftime.
The lead for OSU swelled to 45-22 with 1:35 remaining in the first half, and the Buckeyes eventually possessed a 46-26 lead at halftime.
LINKS: Boxscore (PDF) | Andy Toole Postgame | Photo Gallery
McConnell and Thomas were the two main offensive sparkplugs for Robert Morris in the first 20 minutes of action, combining for 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field, including 5-for-8 from beyond the arc.
Ohio State was bolstered by its inside game all night, as the Buckeyes outscored the Colonials, 66-18, in points in the paint. On the defensive end, RMU forced Ohio State into 19 turnovers while committing 18.
McConnell and Thomas each scored 22 points to pace the Colonials, with the duo combining to convert 51.6 percent (16-for-31) of their shots, including 53.8 percent (7-for-13) from deep.
As a team, RMU knocked down 10 three-pointers, converting at a 40 percent clip. The Colonials hit just 10 triples in a game once last season, which came in their regular-season finale, a 79-72 win over Sacred Heart (2/25/17) in the program's final game at the Charles L. Sewall Center.
Thomas also paced Robert Morris in rebounds (6) and steals (2), while McConnell grabbed five boards and also produced a pair of thefts. In addition, the 22 points for Thomas are the most points scored by a student-athlete making their debut in an RMU uniform. Former guard Velton Jones (2008-13) held the previous mark of 15 points @ Syracuse (11/11/09).
Bates-Diop was one of four Buckeyes to finish in double figures, finishing with a team-high 19 points. He also grabbed a game-high 11 caroms to post a double-double.
Robert Morris, which slipped to 20-22 (.476) all-time in season openers, continues its eight-game road swing to open the 2017-18 campaign Monday, Nov. 13, by beginning play in the Grand Canyon Classic. The Colonials will take on the host Antelopes in a 10:00 p.m. tip at GCU Arena in Phoenix, Ariz.
Did You Know?
Thomas and rookie teammate
Jon Williams became just the second freshman duo in program history to be a part of the starting lineup in their collegiate debut at Robert Morris. They join Jeremy Chappell and Jonathan Clark, who each were in the starting lineup for their debut @ St. Bonaventure (11/18/05).
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