GAME 35
Presbyterian (19-15) vs. Robert Morris (18-16)
2019 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT)
Sunday, March 24, 2019 • 1:00 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: WatchCIT.com
Twitter: @RMUMBasketball • Instagram: @RMUMBasketball
 
Quick Hits
 
- The Robert Morris University men's basketball team, making its second appearance in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) in program history, welcomes Presbyterian to the North Athletic Complex Sunday for a 1:00 p.m. tip for its second consecutive home game in the tournament.
 
- RMU advanced to the second round of the 2019 CIT with a 98-89 overtime win over Cornell (3/19/19) at the North Athletic Complex. Senior guard Matty McConnell hit three-pointers on three consecutive possessions in the extra frame and scored 11 points in overtime to help bolster the Colonials.
 
- Senior guard Josh Williams scored a game-high 36 points in the victory over the Big Red. He shot 12-for-26 from the field, including 6-for-16 from beyond the arc, and went 6-for-9 at the free-throw line. Williams also added four assists and two steals.
 
- Senior guard Matty McConnell added a career-high 27 points, seven rebounds and three steals in the win over Cornell, while sophomore guard Jon Williams also established a career high in scoring with 20 points to go along with six assists. Combined, Josh Williams, Matty McConnell and Jon Williams shot 15-for-30 (50%) from beyond the arc. As a team, RMU finished 16-for-34 (47.1%) from international waters.
 
- In its first appearance in the CIT in 2012, Robert Morris advanced to the quarterfinals thanks to road victories @ Indiana State (3/13/12), 67-60, and @ Toledo (3/17/12), 69-51, before falling @ Fairfield (3/21/12), 67-61. Former guard Coron Williams (2009-13) averaged 12.0 points per game in the 2012 CIT to pace the Colonials.
 
- Robert Morris has finished first or second in the NEC in scoring defense five times in the previous eight seasons under head coach Andrew Toole. The Colonials enter the second round of the 2019 CIT ranked second in the circuit in 2018-19, allowing an average of 68.4 points per game. RMU paces the NEC in rebounding defense, allowing an average of 32.9 rebounds per contest.
 
-  Senior guard Josh Williams was named to the 2019 All-NEC Third Team in a vote of league head coaches and enters Sunday's game against the Blue Hose leading RMU in scoring at 14.6 points per game. He has knocked down 102 three-pointers in 2018-19, which ranks second in the Robert Morris single-season record book. Williams is one of just two RMU student-athletes to hit at least 100 three-pointers in a season, joining Karvel Anderson (2012-14), who hit 119 as a senior in 2013-14. 
 
- Senior guard Matty McConnell was named to the 2019 All-NEC Tournament Team after averaging 19.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals in two games. He shot 40 percent (12-for-30) from the field, including 40 percent (4-for-10) from beyond the arc, and was a perfect 10-for-10 at the free-throw line.

PRESBYTERIAN LINKS
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Game Notes (ISSUU)
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
 
Cornell Tidbits - RMU picked up its first win over the Big Red in an all-time series that has included three games between the two programs ... The win in the first round of the 2019 CIT marked the first time Robert Morris hosted Cornell in the all-time series ... The Big Red shot 59.3 percent (35-for-59) from the field overall but were just 3-for-8 (37.5%) in overtime ... Cornell's 35 field goals, 22 assists and 59.3 percent success rate from the floor were all season highs by an opponent in 2018-19 ... RMU forced 20 turnovers and owned a 27-13 advantage in points off miscues ... The Colonials also held a 20-6 edge in second-chance points, while Cornell finished with a 46-34 advantage in points in the paint ... Robert Morris outrebounded the Big Red, 40-32, including 19-4 on the offensive glass.
 
Pair Of Aces - Senior guard Matty McConnell keeps looking for reasons to put on a Robert Morris uniform, and in his latest effort joined an exclusive club in school history in which he is just the second member. Thanks to five three-pointers in a 98-89 overtime win over Cornell (3/19/19) in the first round of the 2019 CIT en route to a career-high 27 points, McConnell pushed his career total for triples to 202. Just the ninth player in program history to eclipse 200 career three-pointers, McConnell joins former guard Jeremy Chappell (2005-09) as the only student-athletes in school history to eclipse career totals of 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists, 200 steals and 200 three-pointers. McConnell enters Sunday's game with Presbyterian with 1,146 points, 517 boards, 301 assists and 237 steals.
 
Three Of A Kind - Senior guards Josh Williams (36) and Matty McConnell (27) and sophomore guard Jon Williams (20) combined for 83 points in RMU's 98-89  overtime win over Cornell (3/19/19) in the first round of the 2019 CIT, the most points scored by a Robert Morris trio in a game on record in program history. The three became the first RMU student-athletes to each eclipse 20 points in the same game since former Colonials A.J. Jackson (28), Tony Lee (23) and Derek Coleman (20) combined for 71 points in a 94-75 win @ Saint Francis U (1/23/07), a span of 419 games.
 
The Jack - While senior guard Matty McConnell eclipsed 200 career three-pointers in RMU's 98-89 overtime win over Cornell (3/19/19) in the first round of the 2019 CIT, sophomore guard Jon Williams eclipsed 100 career triples thanks to a 4-for-5 performance from deep en route to a career-high 20 points against the Big Red. Williams, who has shot a red hot 62.1 percent (18-for-29) from beyond the arc in his last nine games, owns 103 career three-pointers entering Sunday's game. Williams has shot 40.7 percent (103-for-253) from international waters on his career, which ranks seventh in program history.
 
The Ace Of Spades - Senior guard Josh Williams posted his third game eclipsing the 30-point plateau in RMU's 98-89 overtime win over Cornell (3/19/19) in the first round of the 2019 CIT with a game-high 36 points. Thanks to the performance, he joins former guard Gene Nabors (1995-00) as the only Colonials in school history to score 34 or more points in a game on three separate occasions.
 
Did You Know? RMU is 41-16 (.719) in nine seasons under head coach Andrew Toole when finishing with at least 40 rebounds in a game, including a perfect 8-0 in 2018-19. The Colonials have won nine consecutive contests when grabbing at least 40 boards in a game dating back to last season after posting a 40-32 edge in rebounds in a 98-89 overtime win over Cornell (3/19/19) in the first round of the 2019 CIT.
 
Comeback Kids - Robert Morris has made a habit of climbing out of double-digit deficits under Andrew Toole, and in a 98-89 overtime victory over Cornell (3/19/19) at the North Athletic Complex in the first round of the 2019 CIT, the Colonials turned the trick again. RMU fell behind in the first half, 24-12, and also trailed, 62-51, with 12:07 to play before charging back to force overtime and earn the win. The Colonials have erased 37 double-digit deficits in nine seasons under Toole. On 28 of those occasions Robert Morris has earned a victory.
 
Rally Revival - Robert Morris enters Sunday's game against Presbyterian in the second round of the 2019 CIT having faced a double-digit deficit in 10 of its last 13 games. During that span, the Colonials have erased eight of those deficits, including two in one game @ Saint Francis U (2/16/19). Overall in 2018-19, RMU has erased 11 double-digit deficits and has won four of its last five contests when falling behind by 10 or more points. In erasing a 15-point deficit in a 69-65 overtime win over St. Francis Brooklyn (3/6/19) in the quarterfinals of the 2019 NEC Tournament, it marks the sixth time in nine seasons under head coach Andrew Toole that Robert Morris has erased a deficit of at least 15 points.
 
The Anatomy Of Overtime - Robert Morris has been to overtime 14 times under head coach Andrew Toole in his nine years leading the Colonials. Under Toole, Robert Morris is 9-5 (.643) in overtime, including a perfect 6-0 at home. All-time in program history RMU has posted a record of 31-27 (.534) in overtime contests.
 
Did You Know? In nine seasons under head coach Andrew Toole, Robert Morris has compiled a record of 99-39 (.717) when scoring at least 70 points in a game. Included in that record is a mark of 38-6 (.863) when eclipsing the 80-point plateau.

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