GAME 33
#4 LIU (15-17) vs. #1 Robert Morris (18-14)
2020 Northeast Conference Tournament Semifinals
Saturday, March 7, 2020 • 2:00 p.m. ET
Peoples Court at the UPMC Events Center (4,000) • Moon Township, Pa.
 
Radio: ESPN 970 AM & 106.3 FM
Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp) & Jim Elias (color)
TV: ESPN3
Talent: Paul Dottino (pxp) & Terry O'Connor (color)
Twitter: @RMUMBasketball • Instagram: @RMUMBasketball
 
Quick Hits
 
- The Robert Morris University men's basketball team continues its quest for a league-record ninth Northeast Conference Tournament title Saturday by hosting No. 4 seed LIU for a 2:00 p.m. tip at Peoples Court at the UPMC Events Center. It marks the fourth consecutive year as well as the 12th time in the last 13 seasons the Colonials are appearing in the semifinals of the NEC Tournament.
 
- RMU is making its 17th consecutive appearance in the NEC Tournament, the longest active streak in the conference. Overall, the Colonials have qualified for the NEC Tournament 36 out of a possible 39 times. Robert Morris owns league tournament records for appearances, victories (43), semifinal appearances (23) and championships (8).
 
- Robert Morris opened the 2020 NEC Tournament with a 59-58 victory over No. 8 seed St. Francis Brooklyn (3/4/20) in the quarterfinals. Junior forward AJ Bramah paced the Colonials with 22 points, eight rebounds and a pair of blocks, while redshirt senior guard Josh Williams scored 11 points, grabbed five boards and posted two assists.
 
- The Colonials forced 22 turnovers in the victory over the Terriers in the quarterfinals of the NEC Tournament, the fourth time on the 2019-20 season an opponent has finished a game with at least 20 turnovers. Robert Morris also posted 19 assists in the win as junior guard Jon Williams finished with a game-high six dimes.
 
- Under 10th-year RMU Pat Gallagher Head Coach Andrew Toole, the Colonials own a record of 13-3 (.813) in NEC Tournament games when holding opponents under 70 points. When turning the trick at home in the tournament under Toole, Robert Morris owns a mark of 8-1 (.889).
 
- Robert Morris enters the semifinals of the 2020 NEC Tournament leading the league in assists (16.44 per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.29) while ranking second in the circuit in three-point field goal percentage (.360) and turnover margin (+2.16).
 
- In home games at the UPMC Events Center, redshirt senior guard Josh Williams is averaging 15.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 50 percent (71-for-142) from the field, including 44.1 percent (45-for-102) from beyond the arc. Junior forward AJ Bramah is supplying the Colonials with averages of 14.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest at home while shooting 64.8 percent (70-for-108) from the floor.
 
- Redshirt senior guard Josh Williams has eclipsed the 20-point plateau nine times in 2019-20, with the Colonials owning a record of 8-1 (.889) in those contests. RMU has won eight consecutive games when Williams scores at least 20 points in a game, including a perfect mark of 7-0 at home.
 
- Redshirt senior guard Josh Williams has scored in double figures in four consecutive games, averaging 16.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest during that stretch. 

LIU LINKS
- Game Notes
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
 
St. Francis Brooklyn Tidbits - RMU improved to 51-31 (.622) all-time against the Terriers and also picked up its sixth consecutive win over St. Francis Brooklyn at home ... SFC posted a 40-26 edge on the glass, including a 13-8 advantage in offensive caroms ... Chauncey Hawkins scored a game-high 23 points for the Terriers ... RMU outscored St. Francis Brooklyn, 28-20, in points in the paint ... Sophomore guard Dante Treacy posted a career-high five steals as the Colonials finished with 10 thefts ... Robert Morris owned its biggest lead with 3:31 to go in the first half, 29-15 ... The Terriers erased RMU's 14-point advantage and owned their largest lead, 47-43, with 7:21 remaining.
 
Join The Club - Redshirt senior guard Josh Williams is the 10th student-athlete in program history to drain at least 200 three-pointers during his career in a Robert Morris uniform. He knocked down a pair in a 59-58 win over St. Francis Brooklyn (3/4/20) in the quarterfinals of the 2020 NEC Tournament, pushing his career total to 202 and moving into a tie for eighth place all-time at RMU with former guard Matty McConnell  (2015-19).  Overall during his four-year career at the NCAA Division I level, Williams has drained 329 three-pointers in 136 games, an average of 2.42 per contest. With the Colonials, Williams has averaged 3.01 three-pointers per contest.
 
Dunkin Donuts - Junior forward AJ Bramah has proven to be active around the rim for Robert Morris in his first season with the program in 2019-20, and one only needs to look at his dunks to prove that. Bramah posted a pair of dunks in a 59-58 win over St. Francis Brooklyn (3/4/20) to push his season total in the category to 42. It's the most dunks by an RMU student-athlete in 10 years under RMU Pat Gallagher Head Coach Andrew Toole.
 
A New Record - Junior guard Jon Williams established a new Robert Morris record for consecutive starts by being a member of the starting lineup in a 64-57 victory over Central Connecticut (2/1/20) at the UPMC Events Center. Williams broke the mark of 90 held by former guard Tony Lee (2005-08) and former forward A.J. Jackson (2003-08) and has started each of the 100 games he has appeared in. Across NCAA Division I, the 100 consecutive starts ranks second in the junior class, trailing only Taveion Hollingsworth of Western Kentucky (101). Williams became the fifth student-athlete all-time to start 100 career games in a 59-58 win over St. Francis Brooklyn (3/4/20).
 
Close and Late - A common theme in the 10 years that head coach Andrew Toole has been at the helm at Robert Morris has been playing close games late. During Toole's tenure, the Colonials have posted a record of 65-41 (.613) in games decided by five points or less, including a mark of 9-7 (.563) in games decided by just a single point.
 
Defensively Speaking - RMU advanced to the semifinals of the 2020 NEC Tournament with a 59-58 win over St. Francis Brooklyn (3/4/20). Thanks to the victory, the Colonials improved to 73-8 (.901) in 10 seasons under Andrew Toole when holding opponents to under 60 points. Included in that mark is a record of 8-1 (.889) in 2019-20.

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