GAME 2
Robert Morris (0-1) @ Grand Canyon (1-0)
Monday, November 13, 2017 • 9:00 p.m.
GCU Arena (7,000) • Phoenix, Ariz.
Grand Canyon Classic

Radio: ESPN 970 AM & 106.3 FM
Radio Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp) & Jim Duzyk (color)
TV: Cox Media
TV Talent: Barry Buetel (pxp), Scott Williams (color) & Kate Longworth (sideline)
 
Quick Hits
 
- The Robert Morris University men's basketball team continues an eight-game road trip to open its 2017-18 season by opening play in the Grand Canyon Classic Monday with a 10:00 p.m. tip against the host Antelopes at GCU Arena in Phoenix, Ariz.
 
- The Colonials tipped off their 42nd season of Division I basketball with a 95-64 loss @ Ohio State (11/10/17). Junior guard Matty McConnell scored a career-high 22 points, while freshman forward Koby Thomas also scored 22 points.
 
- Led by eighth-year head coach Andrew Toole, RMU returns two starters and three letterwinners from a 2016-17 squad that finished with an overall record of 14-19 (.424), including a mark of 9-9 (.500) in the Northeast Conference (NEC).
 
- Robert Morris was tabbed seventh in the 2017 NEC Preseason Coaches Poll, the program's lowest projection since being picked to finish 10th in 2005. Robert Morris has never been the preseason favorite in the poll despite owning a league-high eight NEC Tournament titles, the last of which came in 2015.
 
- Junior guard Matty McConnell appeared in all 33 games in 2016-17 as a sophomore, earning 27 starts, and posted averages of 7.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest while ranking third in the NEC in steals (1.64 per game).
 
- Sophomore guard Dachon Burke played in all 33 games in 2016-17 as a rookie, finishing third for the Colonials in scoring at 7.6 points per game while grabbing an average of 3.9 rebounds per contest. He ranked sixth in the NEC in steals per game (1.55).
 
- The Colonials advanced to the semifinals of the NEC Tournament for the ninth time in the last 10 years in 2017. In two games of the 2017 NEC Tournament, Matty McConnell averaged 19.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals while shooting 52 percent (13-for-25) from the floor, including 64.3 percent (9-for-14) from beyond the arc.
 
- RMU's contest @ Grand Canyon is part of an eight-game road trip to open the year. It marks the longest road trip to open a season since the 1993-94 campaign, when the Colonials also opened the year with eight consecutive games away from home. The longest season-opening road trip in school history is nine, which came in 1990-91.
 
- In eight seasons under head coach Andrew Toole, Robert Morris has posted an overall record of 134-107 (.556), including a mark of 82-42 (.661) against NEC foes. Toole has guided the Colonials to a pair of NEC regular-season crowns (2013, 2014) as well as the 2015 NEC Tournament championship.
 
- Over the last 10 years, RMU has appeared in the postseason seven times, including the NCAA Tournament three times (2009, 2010, 2015), the NIT on three occasions (2008, 2013, 2014) and the 2012 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. In the last decade, the Colonials own an overall record of 207-137 (.603), which is tied for 15th with Ohio and Iona among mid-major programs for victories.

LINKS:
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Game Notes (ISSUU)
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
 
Ohio State Tidbits - The Buckeyes improved to 6-0 all-time against the Colonials in the first meeting between the two programs since 2004 ... Robert Morris slipped to 40-42 (.488) all-time in season openers ... OSU shot better from the field (59.7%) than the free-throw line (58.8%) ... Four of RMU's five starters, including a pair of freshman and two junior college transfers, were making their NCAA Division I debut ... A total of eight Colonials saw their first Division I action against the Buckeyes ... Ohio State held a 51-23 advantage on the backboard ... Robert Morris forced the Buckeyes into 19 turnovers while suffering 18 miscues ... Six different Colonials registered an assist against Ohio State as RMU totaled 11 in the contest.
 
Dynamic Duo - Junior guard Matty McConnell (22) and freshman forward Koby Thomas (22) combined for 44 points in RMU's 2017-18 season opener @ Ohio State (11/10/17). It marks just the second time in program history a pair of Colonials eclipsed the 20-point plateau in the first game of the season. In an 85-61 victory over Marshall (12/2/91) to open the 1991-92 campaign, former Colonials Ricky Cannon (24), Myron Walker (20) and Joe Falletta (20) each scored at least 20 points. Combined, McConnell and Thomas shot 51.6 percent (16-for-31) from the field, including 53.8 percent (7-for-13) from beyond the arc. The duo also knocked down five of their six attempts (83.3%) of their attempts at the free-throw line while combining for 11 rebounds and four steals.
 
Dynamic Debut - Freshman forward Koby Thomas, who tied for game-high honors in scoring with 22 points while also pacing the Colonials in rebounds (6) and steals (2) in RMU's 2017-18 season opener @ Ohio State (11/10/17), put himself in rarified air in the Robert Morris record book with his performance. The 22 points scored by Thomas are the most points scored by a member of the Colonials in their debut game. The old record was established by former guard Velton Jones (2008-13), who paced Robert Morris with 15 points @ Syracuse (11/11/09). Even more impressive for Thomas was his work on the glass, as five of his six rebounds were of the offensive variety.
 
Three's Company - Robert Morris led the Northeast Conference (NEC) in 2016-17 in three-point field  goal defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 29.8 percent (162-for-543) from beyond the arc. That percentage also ranked sixth in NCAA Division I. The Colonials opened the 2017-18 season on a positive note in the same department, holding Ohio State to just 27.8 percent (5-for-18) from deep. Dating back to last season, RMU has held over half (18-of-34) of its opponents to under 30 percent in three-point shooting.
 
Settling In - Junior guard Matty McConnell established a career high with 22 points in RMU's 2017-18 opener @ Ohio State (11/10/17) and has reached double figures in each of his last three games dating back to last season. Over that span, McConnell is averaging 20.3 points per contest and is 13-for-21 (61.9%) from beyond the arc. To put that in perspective, McConnell had 11 triples in RMU's first 17 games of last season.
 
So, What's New? Plenty, to be precise. The 2017-18 version of Robert Morris basketball features 11 newcomers, including six freshman, two junior college transfers, two graduate transfers and a transfer. Among RMU's 11 newcomers is 10 on scholarship, which is tied for second in the NCAA with Little Rock entering the 2017-18 season. The only program with more scholarship newcomers is Pittsburgh, which has 11. The Colonials and Trojans will square off this season in the final game of the Grand Canyon Classic Saturday, Nov. 25.
 
Plenty Of Playing Time - Given the number of new faces on the RMU roster in 2017-18, the latest batch of Colonials will have plenty of opportunities to work their way into the rotation. Robert Morris returns a total of 1,611 minutes from last season in junior guard Matty McConnell (854), sophomore guard Dachon Burke (755) and junior forward Seth Rouse (2). Only six programs enter the year with fewer minutes returning from last year, led by Mississippi Valley State. The Delta Devils return just 386 minutes from last season. RMU is also one of just five programs to feature no seniors on its roster in 2017-18, joining Chattanooga, The Citadel, Holy Cross and Kentucky.
 
Fit & Fresh - In the history of Robert Morris basketball, a total of 10 true freshman have earned a start in their collegiate debut. Head coach Andrew Toole has added to that list by starting six true freshman in his eight years on the sideline, including Yann Charles (2010), Elijah Minnie (2014), Matty McConnell (2015), Braden Burke (2016), Jon Williams (2017) and Koby Thomas (2017). Also earning starts in their first collegiate games in the history of Robert Morris basketball were Forest Grant (1980), Keith Jones (1995), Jeremy Chappell (2005) and Jonathan Clark (2005). Only twice in program history has two rookies been in the same starting lineup in a season opener. Williams and Thomas joined Chappell and Clark Friday @ Ohio State (11/10/17).
 
Good Point - Jon Williams become just the second point guard in program history to earn a start as a true freshman in his Robert Morris debut Friday @ Ohio State (11/10/17). Williams joined Forest Grant (1980-84) as the only point guards in program history to start their first game as a true freshman. Grant concluded his career with 1,494 points and still owns the career record for assists (555). Williams finished with two assists and a rebound in 27 minutes of action in his collegiate debut.

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