Moon Township, Pa. – The
Robert Morris University men's basketball team opened the home portion of its 2019-20 schedule Tuesday with the first game at Peoples Court at the UPMC Events Center, falling to Pitt, 71-57.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Tied, 27-27, entering the second half, the Panthers (2-1) hit their first five shots from the floor and also went 5-for-5 at the free-throw line in putting together a 16-6 run to open up a 43-33 lead. Trey McGowens scored eight points during the surge for Pitt, while Ryan Murphy added five. RMU (0-3) was able to whittle its deficit to 44-37 after a jumper from guard
Jalen Hawkins, but a 14-6 spurt opened up a 58-43 advantage for the Panthers.
THE FIRST BUCKET
Murphy connected on the first attempt from the field in the contest, draining a three-pointer at 19:36 of the first half. It was part of a 7-0 run to open the game for Pitt. However, the Colonials responded with an 18-0 run of their own to grab a double-digit lead. Guard
Dante Treacy scored the first points in the UPMC Events Center for Robert Morris with a pair of free throws, while the first field goal came courtesy of forward
Yannis Mendy, who converted a jumper at 15:07.
QUOTABLE
"They executed some offense really well, and we ended up being behind, unfortunately, on too many possessions that allowed them to build their lead," head coach
Andrew Toole said. "I thought we had some good looks offensively that we didn't make. (Terrell) Brown was really the difference in the game. His ability to protect the rim made it really hard for our guys to finish around the basket."
BALANCE BEAM
Seven different Colonials scored in the first half, and the only one that didn't, guard
Jon Williams, dished out four assists. Forward
Charles Bain had a pair of big three-pointers, the first of which gave RMU an 11-point lead and the other that tied the contest, 27-27, with 1:23 to go before halftime.
QUOTABLE
"I thought the environment was really cool," Toole said. "I thought our students came out and supported the way we'd love them to support all the time. This could become a great home court for us if we can get the campus and community support I think these guys deserve. To be connected as a University community, it's something we need to build upon."
DISHING DIMES
Robert Morris finished with 16 assists on its 22 field goals as brothers
Josh Williams and
Jon Williams combined for 10 dimes.
Josh Williams finished with a team-high 12 points for the Colonials and also registered four rebounds and three steals. Also scoring in double figures for RMU were Hawkins (11) and Mendy (10). McGowen finished with game-high honors for Pitt, scoring 15 of his 25 points in the second half to lead four Panthers in double figures.
UP NEXT
RMU returns to play in the 2019 Men Against Breast Cancer Invitational, traveling to Toledo, Ohio, for a pair of games. The Colonials take on Howard Friday, Nov. 15, at 2:00 p.m. at Savage Arena in a neutral site tilt. Robert Morris concludes the tournament Saturday, Nov. 16, against the Rockets at 2:00 p.m.
Follow The Colonials: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Snapchat | YouTube
