Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU men's basketball team took to the road for the first time on the 2020-21 season Sunday, dropping an 85-71 decision to Marshall in Huntington, W. Va., at the Cam Henderson Center. The Colonials slipped to 1-2 (.333) overall on the 2020-21 campaign.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
A slow start by both squads was eventually broken by the Thundering Herd (5-1), with Obinna Anochili-Killen converting the first basket of the contest at 17:29 with a floater in the lane. In action early on, RMU got a tip-in from junior forward
Kahliel Spear to pull within 12-9, but Marshall found its stroke from beyond the arc. Three consecutive triples were part of an 11-2 surge that gave the Thundering Herd a 23-11 lead with 12:19 left before halftime. The advantage eventually swelled to 35-17 for Marshall with just under eight minutes remaining before the break after a three-pointer from David Early.
WILLIAMS (Marshall)
Jannson Williams was the key offensive force for Marshall in the first half, as he scored 18 of his game-high 24 points before the break. In the first 20 minutes of action, Williams shot 7-for-8 from the field, including 4-for-5 from beyond the arc. The Thundering Herd converted 51.5 percent (17-for-33) of their shots from the field in the first half, including a 7-for-16 (43.8%) performance from beyond the arc, in grabbing a 45-32 cushion at halftime.
WILLIAMS (RMU)
Senior guard
Jon Williams found his stroke from beyond the arc against the Thundering Herd, converting five of his seven attempts to score in double figures for the first time in 2020-21 with 15 points for the Colonials. It marks the third time in his career Williams has converted five three-pointers in a game, tying a career high. He also notched four rebounds and four assists against Marshall while suffering just two turnovers.
STEAL CITY
Marshall extended its advantage to 51-32 in the early minutes of the second half and received a complete all-around performance from guard Jarrod West. The all-time career leader in steals for the Thundering Herd, West posted seven steals in the win against the Colonials and also added 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in 35 minutes of work. He pushed his career total in thefts to 224. RMU recorded a season-high 15 steals, with freshman guard
Enoch Cheeks posting a career-high five thefts.
A SPARK
Spear, a transfer from Bucknell who was deemed eligible by the NCAA prior to RMU's tilt with Bowling Green Friday, played an active role for the Colonials off the bench. He scored 13 points, grabbed five rebounds, rejected three shots and notched a pair of steals. Of his five boards, four came on the offensive glass, and Spear shot 5-for-7 from the field while providing a deft touch from downtown. He converted two of his three attempts from the three-point line.
CALIFORNIA LOVE
Senior forward
AJ Bramah led four scorers in double figures for RMU with 18 points while also grabbing a team-high six rebounds. In addition to
Jon Williams and Spear finishing in double figures for the Colonials, junior guard
Dante Treacy finished with 12 points, four rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals.
UP NEXT
RMU will look to get its inaugural season in the Horizon League underway with a two-game series on the road. The Colonials travel to Fort Wayne, Ind., to take on Purdue Fort Wayne Saturday, Dec. 26, and Sundayy, Dec. 27.
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