GAMES 4/5
RMU (1-2 / 0-0 Horizon League) @ Purdue Fort Wayne (1-2 / 0-2 Horizon League)
Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020 • 7:00 p.m. & Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020 • 5:00 p.m.
Hilliard Gates Sports Center (2,300) • Fort Wayne, Ind.

Audio: RMU Athletics Gameday App
Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp)
TV: ESPN+ and Marquee Sports Network
Talent: John Nolan (pxp) & Steve Gansey (color)
Twitter: @RMUMBasketball • Instagram: @RMUMBasketball
 
Quick Hits
 
- The RMU men's basketball team opens a new era this weekend with its first games as a member of the Horizon League. The Colonials travel to Fort Wayne, Ind., for a two-game set with Purdue Fort Wayne at Hilliard Gates Sports Center. The two programs will tip Saturday at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday at 5:00 p.m.
 
- RMU officially joined the Horizon League July 1, 2020, with 10 of its 16 intercollegiate athletic programs competing in the league. The Colonials spent 39 years as a charter member of the Northeast Conference (NEC) before joining the Horizon League.
 
- During their 39-year run in the NEC, the Colonials posted a record of 384-289 (.571) in conference play and claimed a league-high nine tournament championships and subsequent bids to the NCAA Tournament. The last NEC Tournament title for RMU came March 10, 2020, with a 77-67 triumph over Saint Francis U at the UPMC Events Center.
 
- RMU concluded its non-conference season with an 85-71 setback @ Marshall (12/20/20) in its first road game of the 2020-21 campaign. Senior forward AJ Bramah led four Colonials in double figures with 18 points and also grabbed six rebounds.
 
- Senior guard Jon Williams scored 15 points and dished out four assists against the Thundering Herd. He tied a career-high with five three-pointers and enters this weekend's action leading the Horizon League while ranking 14th in NCAA Division I in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.67). 
 
- Off the bench @ Marshall, junior forward Kahliel Spear finished with 13 points, five rebounds, three blocks and a pair of steals. Junior guard Dante Treacy added 12 points, four caroms, four assists and two thefts.
 
- Led by RMU Pat Gallagher Head Coach Andrew Toole, the Colonials return three starters and five letterwinners from a 2019-20 team that finished with an overall record of 20-14 (.588), including a mark of 13-5 (.722) in the Northeast Conference (NEC).
 
- The Colonials return 49.5 percent (1,175-of-2,373) of their scoring, 49.4 percent (564-of-1,141) of their rebounding and 66.5 percent (374-of-562) of their assists from the 2019-20 season.
 
- RMU was picked to finish fourth in the 2020 Horizon League Preseason Poll. The poll was conducted by Horizon League head coaches, communication professionals and select members of the media. In addition, senior forward AJ Bramah was named to the 2020-21 Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team. In 33 games last season, Bramah averaged 13.4 points and a team-high 8.2 rebounds.
 
PURDUE FORT WAYNE LINKS
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Audio
- Video (12/26/20)
- Video (12/27/20)
- Live Stats
- RMU Athletics Game Day App

Marshall Tidbits - The Thundering Herd owns a 5-2 (.714) edge over RMU in the all-time series and has won two straight over the Colonials ... Jannson Williams scored 18 of his game-high 24 points in the first half for Marshall and also added six rebounds, three blocks and a pair of steals ... Despite being outrebounded, 40-38, RMU owned a 15-14 edge in offensive rebounds, which helped the Colonials outscore the Thundering Herd, 14-10, in second chance points ... Both Marshall and RMU finished with 15 steals, with the Thundering Herd owning a 29-18 chance in points off turnovers ... RMU has scored at least 30 points in the paint in each of its first three games of the 2020-21 season after finishing with 30 @ Marshall.
 
Slow & Steady - While distributing the basketball has been the forte of senior guard Jon Williams during his time at RMU, he's proven to be a consistent marksman from beyond the arc for the Colonials. Williams tied a career high with five triples @ Marshall (12/20/20), the third time in his career he's connected for five three-pointers in a game. Williams ranks 12th all-time in program history for three-point field goals (168) while being tied for seventh in career three-point field goal percentage (.406) with former guard and current DoBO Jimmy Langhurst (2006-10). 
 
The Rattler - Don't blink or you might miss one. Senior forward AJ Bramah is arguably the most accomplished dunker in program history in his year plus with the Colonials. Through three games of the 2020-21 season, Bramah already owns nine throw downs on the year, including four @ Marshall (12/20/20). He's pushed his career total in dunks to 54 and enters this weekend's game @ Purdue Fort Wayne ranked second in the Horizon League in scoring (18.7 ppg), fifth in field goal percentage (.522) and eighth in rebounding (7.0 rpg). Dating to the 2019-20 season, Bramah has scored in double figures in eight consecutive games, 31 of his last 32 contests and 32 times in 36 career games at RMU.
 
The Steal City - Just three games into the 2020-21 season, and a pair of rookies have already finished with five steals in a game for the Colonials. The latest to join the list is freshman guard Enoch Cheeks, who recorded five thefts @ Marshall (12/20/20) to go along with five points and five rebounds. In RMU's season opener, a 75-57 win over Point Park (12/5/20), freshman guard Trayden Williams also notched five steals. Cheeks and Williams are the first rookies to post five steals in a game since former guard Dachon Burke (2016-18) recorded five thefts @ Bryant (2/16/17). As a team, RMU leads the Horizon League in steals with an average of 9.67 per contest.
 
Start Me Up - Guard Jon Williams opened his senior season much the same way he has the previous three: as a member of the starting lineup. Williams has started each of his 105 career games at RMU, a school record for consecutive starts. Williams dished out 10 assists before suffering his first turnover of the 2020-21 season in the second half against Bowling Green (12/18/20) and enters RMU's first games in the Horizon League this weekend @ Purdue Fort Wayne with a career assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.82, which ranks fourth all-time at RMU. He needs 19 dimes to enter the top 10 in program history for assists, owning 415 for his career.

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