GAME 29
RMU (10-18, 6-9 NEC) @ Central Connecticut (5-21, 3-12 NEC)
Saturday, February 18, 2017 • 3:30 p.m.
Detrick Gymnasium (2,654) • New Britain, Conn.

Radio: ESPN 970 AM and 106.3 FM
Radio Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp) & Jim Duzyk (color)
Video: NECFrontRow.com • CCSUBlueDevils.com 
 
Quick Hits
 
- The Robert Morris University men's basketball team concludes the road portion of its 2016-17 schedule Saturday with a 3:30 p.m. tip against Central Connecticut at Detrick Gymnasium in New Britain, Conn.
 
- The Colonials opened a two-game road swing through New England with an 81-73 loss @ Bryant (2/1/16/17). Sophomore guard Isaiah Still paced RMU with 22 points and added seven rebounds, while redshirt senior forward Aaron Tate tallied his second career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Sophomore guard Matty McConnell also reached double figures for Robert Morris with 10 points.
 
- Thanks to 14 rebounds against the Bulldogs, redshirt senior forward Aaron Tate became the 18th member of the RMU 500-Rebound Club. He enters Saturday's game against the Bulldogs tied for 17th all-time in program history with former forward Ricky Cannon (1987-92) with 502 caroms.
 
- Sophomore guard Isaiah Still has reached double figures in each of his last five games, averaging 18.4 points and 6.8 rebounds over that span while shooting 43.2 percent (32-for-74) from the field. Still leads RMU in double-figure scoring games (20) and is the 11th sophomore in school history to reach double figures at least 20 times. Overall in a Robert Morris uniform Still has scored at least 10 points on 34 occasions.
 
 - A total of 11 of RMU's 15 games against Northeast Conference foes this season have been decided by eight points or less, with the Colonials owning a record of 4-7 (.364) in those contests. A total of 60.7 percent (17-of-28) of RMU's games in 2016-17 have been decided by eight points or less.
 
- In Northeast Conference tilts decided by five points or less, Robert Morris has posted a record of 3-5 (.375). In seven years under head coach Andrew Toole, the Colonials are 50-31 (.617) in games settled by five points or less. 
 
- Robert Morris concluded a two-game homestand at the Charles L. Sewall Center with a 50-48 victory over Wagner (2/11/17). It marked the third time in 2016-17 the Colonials have held an opponent under 50 points. Sophomore guard Isaiah Still paced Robert Morris against the Seahawks with 14 points and five rebounds.
 
- Robert Morris announced Thursday, January 19, 2017, in a press conference at the Charles L. Sewall Center it will break ground on the UPMC Events Center, a 140,000-square foot complex, in July. The Colonials will play their home games at Peoples Court, and the facility is slated to open in January of 2019. In addition, RMU extended the contract of head coach Andrew Toole one season through the 2020-21 campaign.
 
- While the UPMC Events Center is being built, Robert Morris will play its home games at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa. The Colonials will play their entire slate in 2017-18 at the facility as well as its non-conference schedule in 2018-19.  


 
Bryant Tidbits - For the first time in school history RMU was swept in a season series by Bryant ... The Colonials also lost their first game at Chace Athletic Center, falling to 6-1 (.857) in Smithfield, R.I., and 12-4 (.750) overall against the Bulldogs ... Bryant shot 51 percent (26-for-51) from the field against Robert Morris, the third time this season a Northeast Conference opponent converted better than half its shots from the floor ... The Colonials forced the Bulldogs into 22 turnovers, turning those into 23 points ... Bryant held a 37-35 edge in rebounding, but RMU posted a 13-7 edge on the offensive glass ... Robert Morris shot 78.6 percent (22-for-28) at the free-throw line ... The Colonials held an 11-point lead in the first half, the ninth time in 15 league games RMU has owned a double-digit advantage ... RMU is just 4-5 (.444) in those contests.
 
Surf Board - Redshirt senior forward Aaron Tate joined the RMU 500-Rebound Club in the opening tilt of a two-game swing through New England by registering his second career double-double courtesy of 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds @ Bryant (2/16/17). Tate grabbed his 500th career board at the 8:36 mark of the second half thanks to an offensive rebound, one of his nine on the game. Tate is the 18th member of the club and through 28 games this season has led the Colonials in caroms a total of 15 times. Tate, who averages 6.8 rebounds per contest, is on pace to finish the regular season with a career total of 522 rebounds.
 
Pilfer - Dachon Burke established a career high in steals @ Bryant (2/16/17), as the freshman guard registered five of RMU's 14 thefts. The rookie guard enters the road finale of RMU's 2016-17 regular season Saturday @ Central Connecticut having recorded at least one steal in each of his last 10 games as well as 12 of his 13 contests. Over the last 10 games, Burke has supplied the Colonials with averages of 9.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals per contest. Against Northeast Conference foes, Burke ranks fifth in the circuit with an average of 1.73 per game.  
 
Return Of The Mack - Matty McConnell has become a consistent contributor for the Colonials over the last month, as the sophomore guard has produced averages of 10.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 steals over his last 11 games. During that stretch McConnell has registered his first double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds @ Wagner (1/14/17), scored a season-high 16 points @ Saint Francis U (1/28/17) and established a career high with six steals against Mount St. Mary's (2/9/17). Against Northeast Conference opposition, McConnell ranks second in the circuit in steals, producing an average of 2.27 per contest. In 33 career games against league foes, McConnell is averaging 2.33 thefts per game.
 
Under/Over - The 2016-17 version of the Colonials are one of the youngest teams in head coach Andrew Toole's seven-year tenure at RMU, as three freshman and three sophomores help make up the rotation. Through 25 games, the Robert Morris underclassmen have supplied the Colonials with 54.7 percent (3,078-of-5,625) of the minutes played and 59.4 percent (1,046-of-1,760) of their scoring.
 
Follow The Colonials: Twitter | Instagram

Tweet #GRIT