Moon Township, Pa. – The
Robert Morris University men's basketball team continued a three-game homestand Thursday at the North Athletic Complex with a 69-62 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson in the Northeast Conference opener for both teams. In earning their second straight win and improving to 5-1 at home, the Colonials moved to 6-8 overall in 2018-19.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
In a game that featured three ties and 13 lead changes, neither team led by more than seven in the opening 20 minutes of action. RMU used a 13-2 run to in the second half to open its biggest lead of the contest, 57-46, with 8:26 to go. Sophomore forward
Charles Bain scored six consecutive points to ignite the surge, while senior guard
Matty McConnell knocked down a three-pointer.
NORTHEAST CONFERENCE OPENERS
Robert Morris improved to 20-18 (.526) all-time in Northeast Conference openers, including a 7-2 (.778) mark under ninth-year head coach
Andrew Toole. It also marked RMU's first victory in an NEC opener at home since Jan. 3, 2015, a 70-45 win over Mount St. Mary's at the Charles L. Sewall Center.
RECHARGE
Fairleigh Dickinson (5-8 / 0-1 NEC) called timeout after falling down by double digits and didn't wilt, closing to within 59-57 with 3:38 remaining after a fastbreak layup in the paint from Jahlil Jenkins. Mike Holloway, Jr., who led all scorers in the game with 18 points, contributed four during the surge, while Darnell Edge knocked down a three-pointer.
BIG SHOT
Jenkins knocked down a pair of free throws with 2:09 left in the contest to pull the Knights to within 62-60, but McConnell came up big with a jumper from the elbow with 1:43 to play that helped keep FDU at bay. Robert Morris followed by forcing two turnovers and an errant three-pointer and sealed the win at the free-throw line. Senior guard
Josh Williams went 3-for-4 and sophomore forward
Charles Bain hit both of his attempts at the chalk in the final 32 seconds.
QUOTABLE
"Really proud of the way our guys competed tonight," head coach
Andrew Toole said. "Turnovers are something we have to get under control for sure, but once we were able to steady ourselves a bit we were able to get high percentage shots.
Yannis Mendy got us on solid ground in the first half, which allowed us to breath. We just needed somebody to stabilize us, and he did a good job of that."
BALANCED ATTACK
Four players scored in double figures for RMU, led by McConnell and Bain with 15 points each. Mendy scored 11 of his career-high 13 points in the first half, while senior forward
Malik Petteway came off the bench to supply 13 points, five rebounds and three blocks.
KNOCKING THEM DOWN
Robert Morris shot better than 50 percent for the third consecutive home game and fourth time overall at the North Athletic Complex this season, converting 55.8 percent (24-for-43) of its shots from the field. In nine seasons under head coach
Andrew Toole, the Colonials are 43-6 (.878) when converting at least half of their attempts from the floor.
QUOTABLE
"The coaches have done a really good job of keeping up with me in practice to make sure I'm stepping into the shot," senior guard
Matty McConnell said. "It carried well over from the last game. I just stuck with it and kept shooting."
UP NEXT
The Colonials conclude a three-game homestand Saturday, Jan. 5, with a 5:00 p.m. tip against Mount St. Mary's at the North Athletic Complex.
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