GAME 33
#7 Robert Morris (16-16) @ #1 Wagner (22-8)
2018 Northeast Conference Tournament Semifinals
Saturday, March 3, 2018 • 2:00 p.m.
Spiro Sports Center (2,100) • Staten Island, N.Y.
 
Radio: ESPN 970 AM & 106.3 FM
Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp) & Jim Elias (color)
Video: ESPN3
Talent: John Schmeelk (pxp) & Joe DeSantis (color) 
 
Quick Hits
 
- The Robert Morris University men's basketball team continues its quest for a league-record ninth Northeast Conference Tournament title Saturday by traveling to Staten Island, N.Y., for a 2:00 p.m. tip against Wagner at the Spiro Sports Center in the semifinals of the 2018 NEC Tournament.
 
- The Colonials are making their 15th consecutive appearance in the NEC Tournament, the longest active streak in the league. Ranking second behind RMU for consecutive appearances is No. 1 seed Wagner with eight straight.
 
- RMU owns Northeast Conference Tournament records for appearances (34), victories (41), semifinal appearances (21) and championships (8).
 
- Robert Morris advanced to the semifinals of the NEC Tournament for the 10th time in the last 11 years with a 60-56 victory @ Mount St. Mary's (2/28/18) in the quarterfinals. The Colonials erased a 13-point deficit to earn the win and were led by junior guard Matty McConnell, who finished with 18 points and nine rebounds.
 
- Sophomore guard Dacon Burke contributed 14 points, tied a career high with six assists, posted a career-high three blocks and notched two steals in the win over the Mount, while freshman guard Jon Williams finished with 11 points and three assists.
 
-  The Colonials have faced either Mount St. Mary's or Wagner in each of the last 14 Northeast Conference Tournaments, but this year marks the first time during that stretch they will face both programs.
 
- Freshman forward Koby Thomas was named the 2018 NEC Rookie of the Year in a vote of league head coaches and also earned a spot on the 2018 All-NEC Rookie Team. He is the fourth student-athlete in the last 12 years and fifth overall to take home to top rookie honor in program history.
 
- Sophomore guard Dachon Burke was named to the 2018 All-NEC Second Team in a vote of league head coaches. Burke has scored in double figures in 29 of his 31 games this season, including each of his 18 road contests. In road games, Burke is averaging 17.7 points, 5.9 points and 2.3 steals per contest.
 
- Junior guard Matty McConnell has played in four career NEC Tournament games, starting each one, and has averaged 14.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 54.1 percent (20-for-37) from the field, including 50 percent (12-for-24) from beyond the arc.
 
-  RMU enters Saturday's game @ Wagner leading the Northeast Conference in three-point field goal percent defense (.324) and steals (7.72 per game) while ranking second in the circuit in scoring defense (70.6 ppg) and offensive rebounds (12.09 per contest). Against Northeast Conference opposition in 2017-18, the Colonials paced the circuit in three-point field goal percent defense (.324) and steals (7.61 per game).
 
LINKS:
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Game Notes (ISSUU)
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats

Mount St. Mary's Tidbits - RMU snapped a seven-game losing streak against Mount St. Mary's with the win, while the Mount owns a 34-33 (.507) edge in the all-time series ... Since 2006, Robert Morris is 2-1 (.667) in NEC Tournament games at Knott Arena, while the Mount is 3-2 (.600) in NEC Tourney tilts at the Charles L. Sewall Center ... The Colonials posted a 35-25 edge in rebounding ... RMU held the Mount to 31.8 percent (7-for-22) shooting in the second half and 38.5 percent (20-for-52) overall ... Junior forward Seth Rouse provided a three-pointer for the Colonials at the 13:45 mark of the second half, which helped Robert Morris tie the game, 37-37, and erase a 13-point deficit.
 
Comeback Kids - Robert Morris has made a habit of climbing out of double-digit deficits under Andrew Toole, and that bore fruit in a 60-56 victory @ Mount St. Mary's (2/28/18) in the quarterfinals of the Northeast Conference Tournament. The Colonials trailed the Mount, 35-22, with 15 seconds left in the first half and also entered halftime down by double digits, 35-25, before charging back to earn the victory. It marked the 26th time under Toole the Colonials have erased a double-digit deficit in his eight seasons as head coach. On 24 of those occasions Robert Morris has earned a victory.
 
Defensively Speaking - Thanks to a 60-56 win @ Mount St. Mary's (2/28/18) in the quarterfinals of the Northeast Conference Tournament, Robert Morris improved to 6-0 this season when holding opponents to less than 60 points. In eight years under head coach Andrew Toole, the Colonials are 55-7 (.887) when turning the trick. Dating back to last season, RMU has won eight consecutive games when yielding under 60 points in a contest.  
 
Return Of The Mack - Matty McConnell led the Colonials in their 60-56 victory @ Mount St. Mary's (2/28/18) in the quarterfinals of the 2018 Northeast Conference Tournament with 18 points while also grabbing nine rebounds, dishing out three assists and posting two blocks and a steal. McConnell scored 16 points in the second half. Entering Saturday's game @ Wagner, McConnell is averaging 13.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.6 steals over his last six games. Robert Morris owns a record of 13-4 (.765) this season when McConnell scores in double figures.
 
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 55-32 (.632) in games decided by five points or less, including a mark of 8-6 (.571) in games decided by a single point.
 
Fantastic February - Dachon Burke enters the semifinals of the 2018 Northeast Conference Tournament Saturday @ Wagner coming off the month of February in which he scored in double figures in each of RMU's nine games. During the month of February, Burke supplied RMU with averages of 20.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game while shooting 51.5 percent (69-for-134) from the field.
 
Did You Know? RMU is shooting 43.3 percent (52-for-120) from beyond the arc in its last six games, hitting at least 10 three-pointers four times during that stretch.
 
Two Pair - By being a member of the starting lineup in RMU's 2017-18 regular-season finale @ Saint Francis U (2/24/18), forward Koby Thomas and guard Jon Williams established a new Robert Morris freshman record for starts. The duo are the only players to have started each of RMU's 32 games in 2017-18. Thomas and Williams broke the record held by former guard Velton Jones (2008-13), who earned 30 starts in 2009-10. The overall school record for starts in a season is 37, established by former guard Coron Williams (2009-13) during the 2011-12 campaign.
 
Only The Young - As Robert Morris continues play in the 2018 Northeast Conference Tournament, rookies have played a key part for the Colonials in 2017-18. Freshman have supplied 51.9 percent (1,146-of-2,208) of RMU's scoring output. Overall, newcomers have scored 60.5 percent (1,326-of-2,208) of the points for Robert Morris this season.
 
Defense Wins Championships - The numbers bear out that following in the footsteps of defending is victories. Thanks to a 60-56 win @ Mount St. Mary's (2/28/18) in the quarterfinals of the NEC Tournament, RMU improved to 167-48 (.777) since the beginning of the 2007-08 campaign when holding their opponent to under 70 points. Under Andrew Toole, RMU owns a mark of 114-40 (.740) when turning the trick. Overall the last 11 years, Robert Morris has held its opponent to under 70 points 57.2 percent (215-of-376) of the time.
 
Steal City - Robert Morris has consistently been at the top of the Northeast Conference leaderboard in steals throughout head coach Andrew Toole's tenure, as the Colonials have topped the circuit five times (2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017) under Toole and seven times in the last 10 years. Through 32 games of the 2017-18 campaign, RMU has compiled 247 steals, an average of 7.72 per game that leads the NEC. Guard Dachon Burke paces the NEC individually with an average of 2.10 per game. Junior guard Matty McConnell, RMU's active leader with 170 career thefts, led the NEC against league foes with an average of 2.18 steals per contest.
 
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