Moon Township, Pa. – The
Robert Morris University men's basketball team concluded the non-conference portion of its 2019-20 schedule Saturday with an 81-69 loss to UNLV at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev. The Colonials finished with a record of 4-9 outside of Northeast Conference action.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Trailing, 35-34, entering the second half, the Runnin' Rebels used a 14-5 run to grab a 48-40 advantage. Vitaliy Shibel scored six points during the surge, while Donnie Tillman capped it with a pair of free throws. The deficit for RMU reached its largest point at the 12:28 mark of the second half, as a three-pointer from Jonah Antonio gave the Runnin' Rebels a 58-44 cushion.
SEE SAW
The first half featured seven ties and 15 lead changes, with a three-point play courtesy of junior forward
AJ Bramah giving the Colonials a 35-32 lead with 41 seconds to play before the break. Bramah finished with 11 points and three rebounds, the eighth consecutive game he's played in and has scored in double figures. During that span, Bramah is averaging 12.1 points per contest.
FINDING THE OPEN MAN
Robert Morris dished out 21 assists Saturday against UNLV while suffering 13 turnovers. Sophomore guard
Dante Treacy finished with a game-high six dimes, while junior guard
Jon Williams posted five helpers. Combined the duo finished with just three turnovers.
BENCH SUPPORT
RMU stretched its streak in receiving at least 25 points from its bench to four against the Runnin' Rebels, as Bramah, sophomore guard
Jalen Hawkins and senior guard
Sayveon McEwen combined to score 33 points. Hawkins finished with 12 points, four boards, two assists and a pair of steals, while McEwen scored 10 points. Combined, the trio shot 55 percent (11-for-20) from the field, including 50 percent (4-for-8) from beyond the arc.
LEADING THE WAY
Redshirt senior guard
Josh Williams tied for game-high honors in scoring with 17 points for Robert Morris. He converted five of his 12 attempts from beyond the arc while knocking down both of his attempts at the stripe. He also added five rebounds, two assists and a steal. Williams enters NEC play having reached double figures in three consecutive games and six of his last seven contests. In the last three games, Williams has averaged 19.0 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 52 percent (13-for-25) from deep.
UP NEXT
League play begins with a two-game road swing through New England. Robert Morris visits New Britain, Conn., Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020, with a 7:00 p.m. tip against Central Connecticut at Detrick Gymnasium. The Colonials will also travel to North Andover, Mass., to take on Merrimack Saturday, Jan. 4.
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