GAME 19
RMU (9-9, 4-1 NEC) @ Central Connecticut (8-10, 2-3 NEC)
Monday, January 21, 2019 • 3:30 p.m.
Detrick Gymnasium (2,654) • New Britain, Conn.

Radio: ESPN 970 AM & 106.3 FM
Talent: Adam Gusky (pxp) & Jim Duzyk (color)
Video: NECFrontRow.com • CCSUBlueDevils.com 
 
Quick Hits
 
-  The Robert Morris University men's basketball team, winners of five of it last six, concludes a four-game road trip Monday afternoon with a 3:30 p.m. tip against Central Connecticut at Detrick Gymnasium.
 
- The Colonials are 2-1 (.667) during their four-game road swing after a 79-65 victory @ Bryant (1/19/19). RMU shot 57.8 percent (26-for-45) from the field in the victory as senior guard Josh Williams led four players in double figures with 15 points. Senior forward Malik Petteway came off the bench and supplied 14 points and a game-high nine rebounds while also tying a career high with four steals.
 
- Senior guard Matty McConnell contributed 13 points, five rebounds and five assists in the win over the Bulldogs, while junior forward Yannis Mendy shot 5-for-6 from the floor for 10 points while grabbing a pair of rebounds and notching two steals.
 
- Robert Morris enters Monday's game @ Central Connecticut leading the Northeast Conference in scoring defense, allowing an average of 67.6 points per game, scoring margin (+1.9) and three-point field goal percentage (.364). Against league competition, the Colonials pace the circuit in scoring defense (63.0 ppg), three-point field goal percentage (.354), steals (9.00 per game) and rebounding defense (29.2).
 
- Senior forward Malik Petteway has registered at least two steals in each of his last five games and over that span is averaging 2.80 thefts per game, which leads the Northeast Conference against league foes. Overall in 2018-19, Petteway ranks eighth in the NEC in steals with an average of 1.80 per contest.
 
- Head coach Andrew Toole owns the highest winning percentage (.633) in games decided by five points or less (minimum 50 games) during the KenPom era (2002 to present). In nine seasons under Toole, the Colonials have posted a record of 57-33 in games decided by five points or less, including 2-1 in 2018-19. Both wins have come against Northeast Conference opponents.
 
- The Colonials had their four-game winning streak snapped in their last contest with an 80-73 setback @ LIU Brooklyn (1/12/19). The Blackbirds shot 65.2 percent (15-for-23) from the field in the second half and 58 percent (29-for-50) overall, the highest field goal percentage by an opponent in 2018-19. Senior guard Josh Williams paced RMU against LIU Brooklyn with 20 points while dishing out four assists.
 
- Sophomore forward Charles Bain contributed 17 points and four rebounds @ LIU Brooklyn (1/12/19), while off the bench senior forward Malik Petteway finished with 10 points, three rebounds and two steals.
 
- Robert Morris returns home to the North Athletic Complex for five of its next six games after taking on Central Connecticut Monday. The Colonials open a three-game homestand Thursday, Jan. 24, with a 7:00 p.m. tip against Sacred Heart.

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT LINKS
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Game Notes (ISSUU)
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
 
Bryant Tidbits - Robert Morris has won three straight against the Bulldogs and improved to 8-1 (.889) all-time against Bryant at the Chace Athletic Center ... RMU shot 57.8 percent (26-for-45) from the field, a season high against a Division I opponent ... The Colonials forced the Bulldogs into 20 turnovers, turning that into a 26-13 advantage in points off turnovers ... RMU grabbed its biggest lead, 57-36, with 12 minutes to play after a pair of free throws from senior forward Malik Petteway ... Robert Morris held a 32-24 advantage in points in the paint, while the reserves for the Colonials outscored the Bryant bench, 28-27 ... Junior guard Sayveon McEwen scored seven points in 14 minutes of action, while sophomore forward Chris Coalmon knocked down his only three-point attempt of the game.
 
Free Leek - No member of the Colonials has been more active on both ends of the floor in recent weeks than senior forward Malik Petteway. Petteway has reached double figures in scoring in seven consecutive games, the longest active streak for an RMU student-athlete, and during that stretch is averaging 12.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 2.4 steals per contest. Petteway has converted 51.5 percent (35-for-68) of his shots from the floor during the last seven games and enters Monday's game ranked third in the NEC in blocks (1.33 per game), fifth in field goal percentage (.528) and eighth in steals (1.50). Robert Morris is 8-3 (.727) this season when Petteway scores in double figures.
 
The Middle - Junior forward Yannis Mendy shot 5-for-6 from the field to score 10 points in a 79-65 win @ Bryant (1/19/19) to help get the Colonials back in the win column. Each of Mendy's three double-figure scoring games of the 2018-19 season have come against Northeast Conference foes, and he enters Monday's game @ Central Connecticut ranked fifth in the circuit against league foes in field goal percentage at 59.4 percent (19-for-32). RMU is a perfect 3-0 this season when both Mendy and senior forward Malik Petteway each score in double figures in a game.
 
Creating & Creating - Sophomore guard Jon Williams enters Monday's finale of a four-game road trip @ Central Connecticut having done a stellar job of directing the offense during RMU's time away from home. Over the last three games, Williams has dished out 13 assists against just four turnovers, an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.25. Williams has been solid at the point since the beginning of December, averaging 4.1 assists per game over the last 11 contests while posting an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.05. He enters Monday's game at Central Connecticut ranked fifth in the Northeast Conference in both assists (4.06 per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.78).
 
Amongst The Waves - One area the Colonials have significantly improved since the calendar has switched to 2019 has been on the backboards. In starting Northeast Conference play with a 4-1 record, Robert Morris is averaging 33.0 caroms per contest and owns a rebounding margin of +3.8. The duo of junior forward Yannis Mendy and senior forward Malik Petteway have combined for 61 boards in the first five league games, an average of 12.2 rebounds per game. As a team, RMU is allowing an average of 29.2 rebounds per contest, which is tops in the conference against NEC opposition for rebounding defense.
 
The Senior - Matty McConnell, RMU's active leading scorer with 942 career points, ranks seventh all-time at Robert Morris for career steals (208) and 10th in three-point field goals (173). Thanks to 13 points, five rebounds and five assists in a 79-65 victory @ Bryant (1/19/19), the Colonials improved to 20-7 (.741) over the last two seasons when McConnell scores in double figure.

Defense Wins Championships - The numbers bear out that following in the footsteps of defending is victories. Thanks to a 79-65 win @ Bryant (1/19/19) that continued a four-game road trip, Robert Morris improved to 175-50 (.778) when holding their opponent to under 70 points since the beginning of the 2007-08 season. Under ninth-year head coach Andrew Toole, RMU owns a mark of 122-42 (.744) when turning the trick. Overall the last 12 years, Robert Morris has held its opponent to under 70 points 57 percent (225-of-395) of the time.

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