GAME 21
Robert Morris (12-8 / 6-1 NEC) @ Wagner (12-6 / 5-2 NEC)
Saturday, January 20, 2018 • 4:00 p.m.
Spiro Sports Center (2,100) • Staten Island, N.Y.

Radio: ESPN 970 AM & 106.3 FM
Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp) & Jim Duzyk (color)
Video: WagnerAthletics.com • NECFrontRow.com
 
Quick Hits
 
- The Robert Morris University men's basketball team concludes a three-game road trip Saturday by searching for its third consecutive win with a 4:00 p.m. against Wagner at the Spiro Sports Center on Staten Island, N.Y.
 
- The Colonials improved to 4-0 in Northeast Conference road games and won their second straight contest with a 74-60 victory @ Sacred Heart (1/18/18). RMU jumped out to a 14-0 lead and owned a 42-15 advantage in the first half en route to the victory over the Pioneers.
 
- Sophomore guard Dachon Burke paced RMU against Sacred Heart with a game-high 19 points and also added four rebounds and two steals. Junior guard Matty McConnell contributed 16 points, four rebounds and three assists, while freshman forward Koby Thomas added 10 points and six rebounds.
 
- Robert Morris enters Saturday's game @ Wagner leading the Northeast Conference in turnover margin (+2.95) and three-point field goal percent defense (.305) while ranking second in the circuit in scoring defense (71.6 ppg), steals (7.95 per game) and offensive rebounds (12.55 per contest).
 
- In Northeast Conference games, the Colonials lead the league in scoring margin (+7.0), three-point field goal percent defense (.284) and steals (7.86 per game) while ranking second in the conference in scoring offense (77.4 ppg) and scoring defense (70.4 ppg).
 
- Robert Morris is holding opponents to an average of 61.5 points per game in Northeast Conference road games on 39.2 percent (87-for-222) shooting from the field, including 22.2 percent (14-for-63) from beyond the arc.
 
- RMU opened its three-game swing by earning an 81-75 victory @ Fairleigh Dickinson (1/13/18). The Colonials, which have won 19 of their last 20 games against the Knights, were led by sophomore guard Dachon Burke, who finished with a game-high 25 points and recorded seven rebounds and a pair of steals.
 
- Freshman guard Leondre Washington contributed 14 points, two assists and two steals in the win over the Knights, while junior guard Matty McConnell chipped in 11 points, three assists and four steals.
 
- Sophomore guard Dachon Burke leads the Colonials in scoring at 17.3 points per game, which ranks seventh in the Northeast Conference. Against league opposition, Burke is scoring at 19.0 points per game clip, which ranks fourth in the circuit, and in road games he is averaging 17.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest.

- Robert Morris returns to PPG Paints Arena for a four-game homestand after taking on the Seahawks Saturday. The Colonials will open the homestand Friday, Jan. 26, with a 7:00 p.m. tip against Sacred Heart and will also host Wagner Sunday, Jan. 28, in a tip slated for 2:00 p.m.

LINKS:
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Game Notes (ISSUU)
- ESPN 970 Radio only; no stream
- Video
- Live Stats
 
Sacred Heart Tidbits - The Colonials earned their fourth consecutive win over the Pioneers and have also won 11 of the last 13 meetings between the two programs ... RMU holds a 23-10 (.697) edge in the all-time series ... Seven of the nine Colonials that played finished with at least four rebounds as Robert Morris posted a 39-35 edge in rebounding ... RMU posted a 25-7 advantage in points off turnovers ... Sacred Heart didn't score until the 12:53 mark of the first half, when Kinnon LaRose hit the back end of a pair of free throws ... LaRose also converted the first field goal for the Pioneers at 12:25 ... Sacred Heart shot just 29.2 percent (7-for-24) from the field in the first half, with the starting five shooting 15.3 percent (2-for-13).
 
The Rim Protector - Graduate transfer Ronnie Gombe tied a career high with three blocks in a 74-60 victory @ Sacred Heart (1/18/18) and also supplied eight points, four rebounds and a pair of steals. Gombe converted four of his five shots from the field against the Pioneers and since being inserted into the starting lineup, Gombe is averaging 4.9 points and 6.1 rebounds in eight games while shooting 54.3 percent (19-for-35) from the field. He also has 10 blocks (1.3 per game) over that span and enters Saturday's game @ Wagner ranked sixth in the Northeast Conference overall in blocked shots with an average of 0.88 per game.
 
Return Of The Mack - Junior guard Matty McConnell rediscovered his shot in a 74-60 victory @ Sacred Heart (1/18/18), contributing 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field, including a 4-for-7 performance from beyond the arc. McConnell snapped an extended drought in shooting from deep, as he had hit just a trio of three-pointers in his previous eight games. Even with his struggles from beyond the arc, McConnell enters Saturday's game @ Wagner averaging 12.0 points, 3.0 steals and 2.8 assists in his last five games. More importantly, RMU is 10-2 (.833) this season when McConnell scores in double figures, including wins in 10 of the last 11 games he scores at least 10 points in a contest.
 
Attack The Rim - Sophomore guard Dachon Burke has led the Colonials in scoring in each of RMU's five games in the 2018 calendar year after posting a game-high 19 points in a 74-70 victory @ Sacred Heart (1/18/18). During the month of January, Burke is averaging 20.4 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting 45.1 percent (37-for-82) from the field. He also owns 10 steals during that span. In Northeast Conference games, Burke ranks fourth in the circuit with a 19.0 points per game average.
 
Defense Wins Championships - The numbers bear out that following in the footsteps of defending is victories. Thanks to a 74-60 win @ Sacred Heart (1/18/18), RMU improved to 164-45 (.785) since the beginning of the 2007-08 campaign when holding their opponent to under 70 points. Under Andrew Toole, RMU owns a mark of 111-37 (.750) when turning the trick. Overall in the last 11 years, the Colonials have held their opponent to under 70 points 57.4 percent (209-of-364) of the time.
 
Board Games - Part of following the formula in regard to being successful for RMU over the last 11 seasons has been the program's ability to crash the boards. Since the beginning of the 2007-08 campaign, Robert Morris owns a record of 145-34 (.811) when the Colonials are even or better in rebounding in a game, including a 137-29 (.825) mark when outrebounding their opponent. 
 
Only The Young - As Robert Morris continues its Northeast Conference slate, rookies have played a key part for the Colonials in 2017-18. Freshman have supplied 52.1 percent (754-of-1,447) of RMU's scoring output. Overall, newcomers have scored 62.9 percent (910-of-1,447) of the points for Robert Morris this season.
 
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