Galway, Ireland – The
Robert Morris University men's basketball team continued its first foreign tour in program history Sunday by posting a 104-69 win over Moycullen at St. Mary's College.
The Colonials opened their trip by staying in Kinsale, Ireland, but moved to Galway Saturday. Before leaving Kinsale, RMU visited the Charles Fort and on the way to Galway stopped at the Cliffs of Moher, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Ireland that are located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare.
In its second exhibition of its tour, Robert Morris fell behind the host, 28-18. Moycullen hit seven three-pointers in the opening frame and eventually stretched its lead to 34-22 early in the second quarter.
"That was a team that really understands how to play," head coach
Andrew Toole said. "If we weren't going to be urgent defensively, they were going to expose you, and that's what they did. We weren't communicating very well, but that picked up as the game went on."
The Colonials clamped down defensively to close out the first half, outscoring Moycullen, 28-8, in the final six and-a-half minutes of the second quarter to grab a 50-42 edge at the break. Sophomore forward
Koby Thomas led RMU offensively in the first half with 14 points, while senior guard
Matty McConnell chipped in 10.
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In the second quarter, Robert Morris got a boost from senior forward
Seth Rouse, who settled the defense while chipping in seven points during the stanza. The Colonials kept up the pressure in the second half, as back-to-back three-pointers from sophomore guard
Jon Williams and another from his brother, senior guard
Josh Williams, helped RMU open up a 63-46 advantage with 6:45 to go in the third quarter.
The run eventually stretched to 50-13 for Robert Morris over the course of the second and third quarters, with the Colonials owning a 77-52 advantage after three.
Thomas led RMU for the second consecutive game and was one of five players in double figures. He finished with 25 points and four rebounds. Leading the way on the glass for Robert Morris was McConnell, who finished with eight rebounds to go along with 17 points, five assists and a pair of steals.
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Sophomore forward
Charles Bain also reached double figures for the second consecutive game, scoring 11 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter. He knocked four three-pointers as the Colonials posted 13 as a team for the second consecutive game to open their tour.
Rouse contributed 11 points and six rebounds, including three offensive caroms, while
Jon Williams scored 10 points and dished out eight assists. Robert Morris notched 20 assists in the contest and seven steals.
"We had a number of possessions where I thought the ball flowed very well," Toole said. "We got in the right spot and took some good shots."
RMU concludes its 2018 foreign tour of Ireland Thursday, August 16, with an 8:00 p.m. tip against the Dublin Lions Basketball Club in Dublin. Prior to that contest, the Colonials will visit the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, Croke Park and the Guinness Storehouse.
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