GAME 10
Drexel (5-4) vs. Robert Morris (5-4)
Sunday, December 10, 2017 • 2:00 p.m.
PPG Paints Arena (19,000) • Pittsburgh, Pa.

Radio: ESPN 970 AM & 106.3 FM
Radio Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp) & Jim Elias (color)
Video: RMUColonials.com • NECFrontRow.com
 
Quick Hits
 
- The Robert Morris University men's basketball team, winners of five of its last six after an 0-3 start to the 2017-18 season, concludes a two-game homestand at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa., Sunday, Dec. 10, with a 2:00 p.m. tip against Drexel.
 
- The Colonials are playing eight home games at PPG Paints Arena and four at the A.J. Palumbo Center on the campus of Duquesne University in 2017-18 while construction of the UPMC Events Center takes place on RMU's Moon Township campus.
 
- RMU opened the home portion of its 2017-18 slate with a 78-75 victory over Rider (12/6/17) at PPG Paints Arena. Freshman forward Koby Thomas finished with a game-high 20 points, including six in the final 2:59 to help seal the victory.
 
- Sophomore guard Dachon Burke contributed 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the win over the Broncs, while freshman guard Jon Williams and junior guard Matty McConnell each scored 10 points. Williams dished out a career-high eight assists in the victory, while McConnell registered six dimes.
 
- Burke, Williams and McConnell are the second RMU trio to dish out at least five assists in a game this season. In a 75-53 win over Norfolk State (11/24/17) in Little Rock, Ark., as part of the Grand Canyon Classic, Williams notched seven dimes, while Burke and freshman guard Leondre Washington each had five helpers.
 
- The 20-point performance by freshman forward Koby Thomas in a 78-75 win over Rider (12/6/17) helped him tie an RMU school record. Thomas and all-time leading scorer Myron Walker (1990-94) are the only freshman in program history to eclipse 20 points in three of their first nine games in school history. 
 
- The Colonials enter Sunday's game against Drexel leading the Northeast Conference in turnover margin at +2.89 and offensive rebounds (12.33 per game). RMU has forced more turnovers in eight of its nine games this season, with the only team finishing with less miscues than the Colonials being Youngstown State (11/29/17). Individually, sophomore guard Dachon Burke leads the NEC in steals per game (2.38).
 
- Robert Morris concluded an eight-game road trip to open its 2017-18 season with a 76-74 loss @ Siena (12/2/17). The Colonials were led by sophomore guard Dachon Burke, who scored 20 of his career-high 26 points in the second half, including 11 in the final 1:16 of action as RMU almost climbed out of a 16-point deficit.
 
- Freshman guard Jon Williams contributed a career-high 15 points and five assists against the Saints, while junior forward Malik Petteway came off the bench and registered his third career double-double with 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
 
- The eight-game road trip for Robert Morris saw the program travel 7,838 miles (round trip) and play in all four time zones (Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific) and six different states (Ohio, Arizona, California, Pennsylvania, Arkansas and New York).

LINKS
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Game Notes (ISSUU)
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
 
Rider Tidbits - Robert Morris earned its second straight home victory over the Broncs, but Rider owns a 9-4 (.692) edge in the all-time series ... RMU improved to 35-7 (.833) all-time in home openers with the win ... The Colonials also improved to 3-0 in games played at PPG Paints Arena dating back to last season ... Rider held a 47-33 edge on the glass, including a 21-10 advantage in offensive rebounds ... RMU recorded a season-high 20 assists on 27 field goals, including the second time this season at least three Colonials recorded at least five dimes ... Robert Morris outscored Rider, 14-5, in fast break points ... The Broncs shot just 25 percent (8-for-32) from the field in the second half and 39.3 percent (24-for-61) overall.
 
Locked In The Groove - Jon Williams has found a comfort zone in the last few weeks, as the freshman guard enters Sunday's game against Drexel having posted averages of 12.0 points and 6.0 assists in his last three games. During that stretch, Williams has knocked down 10 of his 16 attempts from deep, a success rate of 62.5 percent. Williams finished with 10 points and a career-high eight assists in a 78-75 victory over Rider (12/6/17) in RMU's home opener and is tied for seventh in the Northeast Conference in assists per game (4.22) as well as sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.52).
 
Close and Late - A common theme in the eight years that head coach Andrew Toole has been at the helm at Robert Morris has been playing close games late. During Toole's tenure, the Colonials have posted a record of 53-32 (.624) in games decided by five points or less, including a mark of 7-6 (.538) in games decided by a single point.
 
Three's Company - Freshman guard Jon Williams was a key reason the Colonials tied a season high with 11 three-pointers in a 78-75 win over Rider (12/6/17), and RMU is getting extreme balance in its shooting from beyond the arc. A total of eight Colonials have hit at least seven three-pointers this season, with freshman forward Chris Coalmon converting at a team-high 58.3 percent (7-for-12) clip. Over the last five games heading into its tilt against Drexel Sunday, Robert Morris is averaging 9.80 three-pointers per contest and is shooting 40.2 percent (49-for-122) from international waters. Under head coach Andrew Toole, the Colonials are 37-8 (.822) when hitting at least 10 triples in a game over the course of the last eight seasons.
 
Blast Off - Dachon Burke seems to stepping into his own in his second year with the Colonials, as the sophomore guard has reached double figures in each of his eight games this season and enters Sunday's tilt against Drexel leading RMU and ranking sixth in the Northeast Conference in scoring at 16.4 points per game. Over his last five games, Burke is averaging 18.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals per contest while shooting 50.7 percent (34-for-67) from the field. Included in that stretch is a pair of 20-point performances, the first two of his career, including a career-high 26 points @ Siena (12/2/17). RMU is 11-8 (579) the last two years when Burke scores in double figures.
 
Depth Charge - Robert Morris continues to get solid production from its bench. Despite not having a member of the Colonials come off the pine and score in double figures in a 78-75 win over Rider (12/6/17), the RMU reserves supplied 23 points, marking the eighth straight game its bench has scored at least 20 points. Overall this season, three different Colonials have scored in double figures as a reserve, and the bench is averaging 23.0 points per contest. In the win over the Broncs, reserves shot 47.3 percent (9-for-19) from the field, including 57.1 percent (4-for-7) from beyond the arc. Freshman forward Chris Coalmon led the way with nine points, while freshman forward Charles Bain scored eight. RMU also received a career-high four points from graduate transfer Ronnie Gombe.
 
Did You Know? In eight seasons under head coach Andrew Toole, Robert Morris has compiled a record of 82-33 (.713) when scoring at least 70 points in a game. Included in that record is a mark of 29-4 (.879) when eclipsing the 80-point plateau.

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