GAME 29
St. Francis Brooklyn (16-12, 8-7 NEC) vs. RMU (14-14, 9-6 NEC)
Saturday, February 23, 2019 • 5:00 p.m.
North Athletic Complex (1,000) • Moon Township, Pa.

Radio: ESPN 970 AM & 106.3 FM
Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp) & Jim Elias (color)
Video: RMUColonials.com • NECFrontRow.com
Twitter: @RMUMBasketball • Instagram: @RMUMBasketball
 
Quick Hits
 
- The Robert Morris University men's basketball team concludes the home portion of its 2018-19 regular season slate Saturday when it welcomes St. Francis Brooklyn to the North Athletic Complex for a 5:00 p.m. tip.
 
- The Colonials snapped a three-game losing streak with a 62-49 win over LIU Brooklyn (2/21/19) to open a two-game homestand at the North Athletic Complex. RMU fell behind by double digits in the first half, 17-7, but used a 24-4 run in the second half to turn a 31-24 deficit into a 48-35 lead with 9:10 to play.  Senior guard Matty McConnell capped the run with a pair of free throws, while freshman guard Dante Treacy knocked down a corner three-pointer to give Robert Morris its first double-digit lead.
 
- Senior guard Matty McConnell led the way against the Blackbirds with 12 points and added five rebounds, three assists and a steal, while freshman guard Dante Treacy tied a career-high with 10 points off the bench while dishing out a pair of assists.
 
- RMU currently sits in second place in the Northeast Conference standings with a 9-6 (.600) league mark. The Colonials are tied with Fairleigh Dickinson, and the two programs own a one-game lead over St. Francis Brooklyn, Wagner and Sacred Heart.
 
- Thanks to the victory over the Blackbirds, head coach Andrew Toole picked up career victory No. 100 against Northeast Conference opposition. He is the ninth head coach in league history to amass at least 100 wins against league foes. Overall, Toole owns a record of 164-137 (.545) in nine seasons at the helm at Robert Morris, including a mark of 100-57 (.637) against the NEC.
 
- The win over LIU Brooklyn also improved RMU to 10-3 (.769) at home in 2018-19, the first time the Colonials have won at least 10 home games since the 2014-15 season. In 43 seasons as an NCAA Division I member, Robert Morris has posted at least 10 home wins 20 times.
 
- Senior guard Matty McConnell leads the Northeast Conference in steals with an average of 1.86 per contest thanks to 52 thefts in 28 games. RMU's active leading scorer (1,055 points) and rebounder (489), McConnell needs 11 caroms to become the 14th player in program history to eclipse career totals of 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.
 
- Senior guard Josh Williams leads the NEC in three-point field goals made per game (3.00) and is tied for fifth in the RMU single-season record book for triples (84) with former guards Maurice Carter (2002-03) and Jeremy Chappell (2008-09).
 
- Robert Morris has finished first or second in the Northeast Conference in scoring defense five times in the previous eight seasons under head coach Andrew Toole. The Colonials currently rank second in the circuit in the category in 2018-19, allowing an average of 67.8 points per game and trailing only Wagner (66.7 ppg).

ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN LINKS
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Game Notes (ISSUU)
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
 
LIU Brooklyn Tidbits - The Colonials split the 2018-19 season series with the Blackbirds and have now won five of the last six meetings between the two programs ... All-time RMU is 47-32 (.595) against LIU Brooklyn ... Robert Morris shot 50 percent (15-for-30) from the field in the second half after knocking down just 26.7 percent (8-for-30) of its attempts in the first 20 minutes ... The Colonials held a 32-28 edge in points in the paint and also outscored the Blackbirds, 28-6, in bench points ... LIU Brooklyn suffered 17 turnovers in the contest, including 12 in the second half ... Julian Batts led all scorers in the contest with 16 points for the Blackbirds ... The Colonials held the NEC's leading scorer, Raiquan Clark, to a season-low eight points ... Clark entered the game averaging 20.3 points per contest.
 
Even Distribution - In RMU's nine victories this season against Northeast Conference opponents, the Colonials are allowing just 57.4 points per game and own a +6.8 rebounding margin. Robert Morris averages 36.4 rebounds in league wins while holding opponents to an average of 29.7 boards per game. While defense is a team effort and is evenly distributed, so is RMU's offense in those same contests. A total of five Colonials average between 9.2 and 10.9 points per game in victories against league opposition. Senior guard Matty McConnell leads the way at 10.9 points per game, followed by Malik Petteway (10.3 ppg), Charles Bain (9.4), Yannis Mendy (9.3) and Josh Williams (9.2).
 
Comeback Kids - Robert Morris has made a habit of climbing out of double-digit deficits under Andrew Toole, and in a 62-49 victory over LIU Brooklyn (2/21/19) at the North Athletic Complex the Colonials turned the trick again. RMU fell behind halfway through the first half, 17-7, before charging back to earn the win. The Colonials have erased 34 double-digit deficits in nine seasons under Toole. On 25 of those occasions Robert Morris has earned a victory.
 
Rally Revival - In five of RMU's six games during the month of February the Colonials have fell behind by double digits, coming back to erase those deficits on four occasions. In a 72-69 setback @ Saint Francis U (2/16/19), the Colonials erased not one, but two, 13-point deficits. RMU fell behind, 18-5, in the first half before charging back to take a 23-22 lead with 5:34 left in the first half. Robert Morris fell behind at halftime, 38-28, and were down, 49-36, with 13:22 to play before rallying to tie the game, 62-62, with 5:04 remaining. In 2018-19, RMU has erased a total of eight double-digit deficits in a game but failed to close out the game with a win until erasing a 10-point deficit in a 62-49 victory over LIU Brooklyn (2/21/19). Twice this season the Colonials have come back from two double-digit deficits in the same game, as RMU also erased double-digit deficits in each half of a 74-71 loss to Siena (12/8/18).
 
Koby Returns - Sophomore forward Koby Thomas has returned to the rotation for the Colonials after missing 15 games and has given Robert Morris a spark. In two games since getting back to action, Thomas is averaging 10.5 points and 9.5 rebounds while shooting 47.4 percent (9-for-19) from the floor. He recorded his second double-double of the season and fifth of his career with 13 points and a career-high 13 rebounds @ Saint Francis U (2/16/19). Despite missing 15 games, Thomas still leads RMU in dunks this season with 14, pushing his career total to 48.
 
Defensively Speaking - Robert Morris has won 18 consecutive games when holding opponents to less than 60 points dating back to the 2016-17 season after a 62-49 victory over LIU Brooklyn (2/21/19) at the North Athletic Complex. In nine years under Andrew Toole, the Colonials are 65-7 (.903) when turning the trick, including a perfect 10-0 mark in 2018-19. The last loss for RMU when yielding under 60 points was a 48-47 setback @ Mount St. Mary's (1/26/17).
 
Board Games - Part of following the formula in regard to being successful for RMU over the last 12 seasons has been the program's ability to crash the boards. Since the beginning of the 2007-08 campaign, Robert Morris owns a record of 158-42 (.790) when the Colonials are even or better in rebounding in a game, including a 149-36 (.805) mark when outrebounding their opponent.

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