Los Angeles, Calif. – The
Robert Morris University men's basketball team christened its 2018-19 season Tuesday by opening play in the 2018 National College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic, dropping an 83-62 decision to USC at the Galen Center.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Senior forward
Malik Petteway converted a turnaround layup in the paint with 12:17 to play that capped an 8-0 spurt and gave RMU a 53-49 lead. Andy Enfield called timeout for the Trojans, and out of the break USC hung an 18-2 run on the Colonials to grab a 67-55 advantage. It marked the first double-digit lead for either team in the contest.
QUOTABLE
"There was an opportunity for us that we didn't reach out and grab," head coach
Andrew Toole said. "When we really needed to come up with a stop or execute after we got that four-point lead, we just weren't able to get done what we wanted to get done. I thought we had some good looks that we did not make that I'm hopeful we're going to make going forward. There are a lot of positives to build off, for sure, and the score isn't indicative of the how the game went."
SMASHING DEBUT
Senior guard
Josh Williams, a transfer from the University of Akron who sat out the 2017-18 campaign due to NCAA transfer rules and will have two years of eligibility with Robert Morris, tied for game-high honors in scoring in his debut for the Colonials. He finished with 20 points, shooting 7-for-17 from the floor, including 4-for-12 from beyond the arc. He also added three rebounds and three assists.
CLAWING BACK
RMU fell behind early, 9-2, less than three and-a-half minutes into the game and also faced deficits of six (12-6) and seven points (18-11), respectively, before charging back to close out the first half. The highlight reel play came with 6:06 left before the break, when senior guard
Matty McConnell came up with a steal that led to a fastbreak. Driving to the basket, McConnell dished the ball behind his back to a streaking
Koby Thomas, who provided a dunk to knot the score, 22-22. The Colonials would grab their first lead on their next possession, when sophomore guard
Jon Williams connected from beyond the arc.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Sophomore forward
Koby Thomas came off the bench and registered his fourth career double-double, contributing 16 points and 10 rebounds. He shot 8-for-17 from the field and of his 10 caroms, three came on the offensive glass.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
Robert Morris dished out 16 assists on 24 field goals, including a game-high seven dimes from McConnell, who also grabbed 10 rebounds.
Jon Williams added four assists and did not turn the ball over. The Colonials also posted a +4 (15-11) in turnover margin.
UP NEXT
RMU continues play in the 2018 National College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic Friday, Nov. 9, with an 8:00 p.m. tip @ Missouri State. The Bears opened their 2018-19 campaign with an 84-50 win over Oral Roberts.
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