GAME 23
RMU (12-10, 7-2 NEC) @ Fairleigh Dickinson (10-11, 5-4 NEC)
Saturday, February 1, 2019 • 4:30 p.m.
Stratis Arena (5,000) • Teaneck, N.J.

Radio: ESPN 970 AM & 106.3 FM
Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp) & Jim Elias (color)
Video: FDUKnights.com • NECFrontRow.com 
 
Quick Hits
 
- The Robert Morris University men's basketball team opens the second half of its Northeast Conference schedule Saturday as well as the month of February on the road with a 4:30 p.m. tip against Fairleigh Dickinson at Stratis Arena in Teaneck, N.J.
 
- The Colonials concluded a three-game homestand by having their four-game winning streak snapped with a 76-73 setback to Saint Francis U (1/31/19) at the North Athletic Complex. Senior guard Matty McConnell led RMU with a career-high 24 points and also added eight rebounds and two steals. He also became the 25th member of the Robert Morris 1,000-Point Club and owns 1,005 career points.
 
- Senior forward Malik Petteway contributed 13 points and four rebounds off the bench against the Red Flash, while senior guard Josh Williams tallied 10 points, two rebounds and two assists.
 
- Head coach Andrew Toole owns the highest winning percentage (.626) 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 57-34 in games decided by five points or less, including a 2-2 mark in 2018-19.
 
- Robert Morris enters Saturday's game @ Fairleigh Dickinson leading the Northeast Conference in scoring defense (66.7 ppg) and scoring margin (+2.5) while ranking second in the circuit in three-point field goal percentage (.355), three-point field goal percent defense (.329), rebounding defense (33.0 rpg), steals (7.73 per game) and turnover margin (+1.27).
 
- Against Northeast Conference opposition, the Colonials lead the league in scoring defense (62.8 ppg), rebounding defense (29.8 rpg) and steals (8.00 per game) while ranking second in the conference in scoring margin (+4.7).
 
- In nine seasons under head coach Andrew Toole, RMU has compiled a record of 45-20 (.692) during the month of February. Dating back to the 2007-08 season, a span of 12 years, the Colonials are 65-26 (.714) in February.
 
- Robert Morris stretched its winning streak to four with a 57-51 victory over Wagner (1/26/19) at the North Athletic Complex. Sophomore guard Jon Williams hit a baseline jumper with exactly a minute to play to give the Colonials a 49-45 edge, and RMU shot 8-for-8 at the free-throw line in the final 31 seconds to seal the victory.
 
- Senior forward Malik Petteway paced RMU against the Seahawks with 13 points and also added five rebounds and a block. He converted five of his nine shots from the floor and was 3-for-3 at the free-throw line as the Colonials shot a season high 88.9 percent (16-for-18) at the stripe. Senior guard Matty McConnell contributed eight points and a career-high 12 rebounds in the win over Wagner, while senior guard Josh Williams scored nine points and dished out three assists.

FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON LINKS:
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Game Notes (ISSUU)
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
 
Saint Francis U Tidbits - The Red Flash have won seven consecutive games against RMU as well as eight of the last nine meetings ... RMU owns a 49-36 (.576) advantage in the all-time series ... Robert Morris held a 31-30 edge in rebounding, including a 14-10 cushion on the offensive glass ... SFU outscored the Colonials, 26-15, in points off turnovers and 29-5 in fast break points ... RMU held the edge in bench points, 22-5, and second-chance opportunities, 24-10 ... The trio of Jamaal King (23), Isaiah Blackmon (20) and Keith Braxton (19) combined to shoot 58.3 percent (21-for-36) from the field, including 57.1 percent (8-for-14) from beyond the arc.
 
Join The Club - Senior guard Matty McConnell became the 25th member of the Robert Morris 1,000-Point Club in the finale of a three-game homestand at the North Athletic Complex, as he reached the plateau with a free throw at the 10:47 mark of the second half. McConnell is RMU's active leading scorer with 1,005 career points, which ranks 24th all-time in program history. He is also looking to join the RMU 500-Rebound Club, as he is the program's active leader in caroms with 460. Should he eclipse 500 career boards, McConnell would be just the 14th student-athlete in program history to go over career totals of 1,000 points and 500 boards.
 
Home Cooking - Matty McConnell wrapped up RMU's three-game homestand pacing the Colonials offensively, as the senior guard averaged 17.0 points and 8.7 rebounds during that stretch while shooting 51.9 percent (14-for-27) from the field, including 43.8 percent (7-for-16) from beyond the arc. McConnell, who ranks seventh all-time at Robert Morris with 216 steals, is looking to become just the second student-athlete in program history to post at least 200 steals and 200 three-pointers. McConnell currently ranks 10th in school history for three-point field goals with 183.
 
Triples Wild - Senior guard Josh Williams leads the Northeast Conference in three-point field goals made per game with an average of 3.18 per contest. Thanks to a trio of triples in RMU's finale of a three-game homestand at the North Athletic Complex, Williams pushed his season total to 70. He is also just a trio of three-pointers away from 200 for his career, as he knocked down 127 triples in 69 games (1.84 per contest) at Akron from 2015-17 before transferring to Robert Morris. In 91 career games at the NCAA Division I level, Williams averages 2.16 three-pointers per contest.
 
January By The Numbers - Senior guard Matty McConnell was one of four Colonials to average in double figures scoring during the month of January with a team-high 12.1 points per game ... Junior forward Yannis Mendy shot 57.7 percent (30-for-52) from the field in nine January contests ... Senior forward Malik Petteway averaged 11.1 points, a team-high 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.3 blocks per contest in January ... RMU finished 7-2 (.778) in January, improving to 48-31 (.608) in nine seasons under head coach Andrew Toole during the month ... As a team in January, RMU held opponents to just 62.8 points per game and owned a +3.9 margin in rebounding.
 
The Steel City - Robert Morris has consistently been at the top of the Northeast Conference leaderboard in steals throughout head coach Andrew Toole's tenure, as the Colonials have led the league in steals in each of the last three years as well as six times overall. So far in 2018-19, senior guard Matty McConnell leads the NEC in thefts with an average of 1.86 per contest thanks to 41 steals in 22 games. As a team, Robert Morris ranks second, posting an average of 7.73 pilfers per contest and trailing only Fairleigh Dickinson (8.10).

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