Brooklyn, N.Y. – The
Robert Morris University men's basketball concluded a two-game swing through Brooklyn, N.Y., Saturday as part of a four-game road trip with an 80-73 loss to LIU Brooklyn at the Steinberg Wellness Center. In having a four-game winning streak snapped, the Colonials slipped to 8-9 overall and 3-1 in the Northeast Conference.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Tied, 50-50, with 11:24 remaining, senior forward
Malik Petteway was sent to the free-throw line. He missed both of his opportunities, and on the next possession for LIU Brooklyn, Tyler Flowers connected from beyond the arc. The triple ignited a 13-4 run that gave the Blackbirds (8-8 / 2-2 NEC) a 63-54 advantage.
QUOTABLE
"We're better at 52-49 than we are at 80-73," head coach
Andrew Toole. "We never were able to play Robert Morris basketball. They dictated the pace, the tempo and the shots we took. Our urgency on the defense end was non-existent. It's unfortunate. In life you don't always get what you want, you get what you deserve. We deserved to lose today."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Freshman guard
Dante Treacy was sent to the free-throw line with 15 seconds left in the first half after a technical by the LIU Brooklyn bench and hit both free throws to give the Colonials a 41-34 lead. RMU retained possession but turned the ball over, and on the final possession of the half Raiquan Clark hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to pull the Blackbirds to within 41-37.
FINDING HIS RHYTHM
Senior guard
Josh Williams entered Saturday's game just 1-for-15 shooting from beyond the arc against Northeast Conference foes but paced the Colonials with 20 points. He converted six of his 12 shots from the floor, including 4-for-8 from beyond the arc, and also tied for team-high honors in assists with four.
QUOTABLE
"I told our guys at shoot around this morning that I didn't think they were bringing the appropriate energy or effort, and it showed," Toole said. "It's really hard to win conference basketball games on the road, let alone two in a row. We had some guys that looked a little sluggish today. It's that mental piece. We started to let some details slide, and that's what hurts you."
HALFWAY TO 100
Just a week after senior guard
Matty McConnell became the seventh player in program history to earn 100 starts, sophomore guard
Jon Williams reached the halfway mark. He started his 50th career game against the Blackbirds Saturday and has started every game of his career as a member of the Colonials. Williams finished with three points and four assists before fouling out with 8:10 to play.
BORN IN THE SHADOWS
Sophomore forward
Charles Bain continued his hot shooting in league play, as he finished with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, including 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. He also added four rebounds.
ARMY RESERVE
Sophomore forward
Chris Coalmon gave the Colonials a spark off the bench, contributing eight points and a pair of rebounds, while freshman guard
Dante Treacy tied a career high with six points and also drew six fouls. Senior forward
Malik Petteway added 10 points as the RMU bench outscored the LIU Brooklyn reserves, 26-4.
I SEE RED
Robert Morris wore its third uniform on the road for the first time in 2018-19. The Colonials slipped to 2-2 (.500) overall when wearing their red uniforms.
UP NEXT
Robert Morris returns to the court Saturday, Jan. 19, with a 4:00 p.m. against Bryant in Smithfield, R.I., to continue its four-game road trip. The Colonials conclude the trip with a 3:30 p.m. tip at Central Connecticut Monday, Jan. 21, on Martin Luther King Day.
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