GAME 15
Robert Morris (7-7 / 1-0) @ Central Connecticut (8-6 / 1-0)
Sunday, December 31, 2017 • 3:30 p.m.
Detrick Gymnasium (2,654) • New Britain, Conn.
 
Radio: ESPN 970 AM & 106.3 FM
Radio Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp) & Jim Duzyk (color)
Video: CCSUBlueDevils.com • NECFrontRow.com
 
Quick Hits
 
- The Robert Morris University men's basketball team concludes a two-game road swing through New England to open its 2017-18 Northeast Conference slate Sunday with a 3:30 p.m. tip against Central Connecticut State in New Britain, Conn., at Detrick Gymnasium.
 
- The Colonials christened their Northeast Conference schedule with a 68-54 victory @ Bryant (12/29/17). Junior guard Matty McConnell led four players in double figures scoring for RMU with a game-high 18 points while also grabbing six rebounds and posting a pair of blocks.
 
- Sophomore guard Dachon Burke contributed 15 points in the win over the Bulldogs, freshman guard Jon Williams scored 13 and freshman guard Leondre Washington provided 10 points off the bench. Burke added six rebounds, two assists, a block and two steals, while Williams also posted two assists and a steal.
 
- Thanks to its win @ Bryant (12/29/17), RMU improved to 19-18 (.514) all-time in Northeast Conference openers, including a mark of 10-12 (.455) in league lidlifters on the road. Under eighth-year head coach Andrew Toole, RMU has compiled a record of 6-2 (.750) in NEC openers, including a perfect 4-0 ledger in NEC openers away from home.
 
- At the conclusion of its game against Central Connecticut State Sunday, Robert Morris will have played 12 of its first 15 games of the 2017-18 season on the road. The Colonials will play nine of their remaining 16 games of the 2017-18 season at home, including six at PPG Paints Arena and three at the A.J. Palumbo Center on the campus of Duquesne University.
 
- RMU concluded the non-conference portion of its 2017-18 schedule with a 76-62 loss to Canisius (12/22/17) at the A.J. Palumbo Center. Freshman forward Koby Thomas was the only player to reach double figures for the Colonials against the Golden Griffins and finished with game-high totals in points (20) and rebounds (8). He converted seven of his 14 attempts from the field.
 
- Thomas has scored at least 20 points in five of his first 14 collegiate games and has become just fifth rookie in program history to eclipse the 20-point plateau at least five times as a true freshman. Thomas joins Marcquise Reed (10), Myron Walker (8), Karon Abraham (6) and Jeremy Chappell (5).
 
- Robert Morris has received seven weekly honors from the Northeast Conference through the first seven weeks of the 2017-18 season. Sophomore guard Dachon Burke won three consecutive NEC Player of the Week accolades, while freshman forward Koby Thomas has been named NEC Rookie of the Week three times. In addition, freshman guard Jon Williams was named NEC Rookie of the Week Dec. 4, 2017.
 
LINKS:
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Game Notes (ISSUU)
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats 

Bryant Tidbits - Robert Morris snapped a two-game slide against the Bulldogs and improved to 13-4 (.765) in the all-time series, including 7-1 (.875) at the Chace Athletic Center ... Bryant opened the game converting eight of its first 16 shots (50%) from the field but concluded the game just 11-for-42 (26.2%) ... Overall the Bulldogs converted 32.8 percent (19-for-58) of their shots from the field, a season low by an RMU opponent ... The Colonials owned a 41-35 edge on the glass, the first time in nine contests Robert Morris outrebounded its opponent ... Bryant's starting backcourt of Ikenna Ndugba, Taylor McHugh and Adam Grant combined for 10 points on 14.2 percent (3-for-21) shooting from the field.
 
Paint Bucket - Robert Morris was able to snap a three-game losing streak with a 68-54 victory @ Bryant (12/29/17) in its Northeast Conference opener in large part by attacking the rim, as the Colonials outscored the Bulldogs, 30-28, in points in the paint. RMU has scored at least 30 points in the paint in four of its last five games, averaging 30.4 points during that span. In its seven victories in 2017-18, Robert Morris is averaging 31.4 points in the paint per contest.
 
Attack The Rim - No player personified RMU's ability to drive the lane in a 68-54 win @ Bryant (12/29/17) than junior guard Matty McConnell. The first three shots from the field for McConnell against the Bulldogs came from beyond the arc, but after that he converted five of his eight shots from the field, all from inside the three-point line. He scored a game-high 18 points on the strength of an 8-for-9 performance at the free-throw line, establishing career highs in free throws and attempts from the stripe. McConnell enters Sunday's game ranked seventh in the NEC in free-throw percentage at 81.8 percent (36-for-44).
 
Man In The Middle - Graduate transfer Ronnie Gombe has made the most of his increased playing time in recent weeks, as over the last three games he has posted his first career double-figure scoring game as well as his first career double-figure rebounding contest. Gombe scored a career-high 11 points @ N.C. State (12/19/17) and grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds in a 68-54 victory @ Bryant (12/29/17) in RMU's 2017-18 Northeast Conference opener. Over his last six games, Gombe is shooting an even 50 percent (17-for-34) from the field while averaging 6.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest.
 
Knock 'Em Down - Robert Morris concluded the non-conference portion of its 2017-18 schedule ranked 10th in the Northeast Conference in free-throw percentage at 64.3 percent (173-for-269). The Colonials reversed course in their Northeast Conference opener, shooting a season-high 84 percent (21-for-25) at the stripe in a 68-54 win @ Bryant (12/29/17). Freshman guard Jon Williams finished a perfect 6-for-6 at the chalk in the
 
Dunk You Very Much - Freshman forward Koby Thomas is proving to be extremely capable around the rim, as he has posted 17 dunks in 14 games this season. The most dunks in a season by an RMU student-athlete in eight years under head coach Andrew Toole is 30, which came in 2015-16 by former forward Billy Giles (2015-17).
 
Thrown Into The Fire - As Robert Morris continues its Northeast Conference slate, rookies have played a key part for the Colonials in 2017-18. Freshman have started 51.4 percent (34-of-70) of the games so far while supplying 51.5 percent (501-of-973) of RMU's scoring output. Overall, newcomers have scored 63.7 percent (620-of-973) of the points for Robert Morris in 2017-18.
 
Defense Wins Championships - The numbers bear out that following in the footsteps of defending is victories. Thanks to a 68-54 win @ Bryant (12/29/17), the Colonials improved to 161-45 (.782) since the beginning of the 2007-08 campaign when holding their opponent to under 70 points. Under Andrew Toole, RMU owns a mark of 108-37 (.745) when turning the trick. Overall in the last 11 years, the Colonials have held their opponent to under 70 points 57.8 percent (207-of-358) of the time.

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