Moon Township, Pa. – The
Robert Morris University men's basketball team opened a three-game road trip Saturday with a 70-59 loss to Cleveland State at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Tied, 30-30, entering the second half, the Vikings (4-4) scored the first nine points out of the break to grab a 39-30 advantage. Forward
Yannis Mendy stemmed the tide with a 1-for-2 performance at the free-throw line, but the Colonials (2-7) were unable to get their first field goal of the half until the 14:08 mark, when guard
Jalen Hawkins converted a layup.
QUOTABLE
"Points off turnovers really hurt us tonight," Pat Gallagher Head Coach
Andrew Toole said. "It's so frustrating. I just told the guys in the locker room what a bad job I'm doing getting our guys energized and excited about playing a basketball game. We have to be locked in and ready to go, and we're just not right now."
A GOOD START
Robert Morris used a 13-4 surge to grab a 21-13 lead with 8:23 to go in the first half. Guard
Josh Williams opened the run with a three-pointer and scored eight points during the spurt, including a layup that gave the Colonials an eight-point advantage. Cleveland State responded, however, with a 17-3 run of its own to grab a 30-24 lead.
QUOTABLE
"We have to find someone who is a lightning rod for us and someone that is going to give us some life," Toole said. "We have to find someone who is concerned about the team. We have guys that are worried about shots and minutes and not about the team. We just don't know how to play both sides of the ball right now with the same level on intensity. It's the mental side we can't crack. How to get everyone connected and the importance of every possession."
VALUE THE BASKETBALL
Three nights after finishing with a season-high 19 turnovers in a 102-62 victory over Geneva (11/27/19) at the UPMC Events Center, the Colonials upped that total to 20 Saturday, with the Vikings turning those turnovers into 27 points. Cleveland State finished with 16 turnovers, the second time on the 2019-20 campaign an opponent posted a positive turnover margin against RMU.
LEADING THE WAY
Williams paced the Colonials against Cleveland State with 17 points and also registered six rebounds, two assists, a pair of steals and a block. Forward
AJ Bramah added 12 points and six boards for RMU. Robert Morris shot 40.4 percent (23-for-57) from the field, including 20.7 percent (6-for-29) from beyond the arc.
UP NEXT
Robert Morris continues its three-game road swing by staying in the state of Ohio, visiting Youngstown State Wednesday, Dec. 4., with a 7:00 p.m. tip at the Beeghly Center.
Follow The Colonials: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Snapchat | YouTube
