Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU men's basketball team opened its 2021-22 season Wednesday, dropping a 69-59 decision to Central Florida at Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, Fla.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
The Knights grabbed an early 14-6 advantage less than five minutes into the contest, but the Colonials steadied, getting a three-pointer from fifth-year guard
Ferron Flavors, Jr., and a fastbreak layup from senior forward
Jaron Williams off the bench to close to within 14-11. RMU made it a one-possession game at the 12:20 mark of the first half after another triple from Flavors, Jr., but a 13-1 run gave UCF (1-0) a 33-19 cushion. Darius Perry gave the Knights their biggest lead of the first half, 40-21, with a three-pointer, and Central Florida eventually owned a 42-25 advantage at halftime.
KEEP BATTLING
RMU was able to trim its deficit to 46-37 at the 15:00 mark of the second half after a mini-spurt from fifth-year guard
Rasheem Dunn. He converted a layup on a feed from senior forward
Kahliel Spear after a steal, then knocked down a triple, again thanks to a Spear dime. The Knights were able to keep the Colonials at bay, however, eventually matching their largest lead of the contest, 60-41, after a driving layup from Tyem Freeman with 7:23 remaining. RMU finished with a flurry, using a 10-1 spurt to close to within 67-57 with 1:06 go after a jumper from Spear. Sophomore guard
Enoch Cheeks and Spear each supplied four points during the surge.
MO CHEEKS
A year after becoming the 11th true freshman in program history to earn a start in his NCAA Division I debut, Cheeks registered his first career double-double in Wednesday's season opener. He finished with 12 points on the strength of a 6-for-6 performance at the free-throw line while grabbing a career 10 rebounds. He showed his versatility on both ends of the floor on the glass, grabbing five offensive caroms and five on the defensive end while also posting an assist and a steal. The effort from Cheeks helped the Colonials own a commanding edge on the glass, 44-34, including a 17-10 cushion in offensive boards.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
In his RMU debut, Dunn tied with Cheeks for team-high honors in scoring with 12 points while also notching five rebounds, three assists and a block. Spear chipped in a complete performance, posting 10 points, five boards, three assists and a pair of blocks. The trio of Cheeks, Dunn and Spear finished a combined 15-for-16 (93.8%) at the free-throw line. Overall RMU shot 32.8 percent (20-for-61) from the floor, including 4-for-23 (17.4%) from beyond the arc.
SEASON OPENERS
RMU slipped to 21-25 (.457) all-time in season openers with the loss to Central Florida, including 4-8 (.333) under 12th-year RMU Pat Gallagher Head Coach
Andrew Toole. A total of seven Colonials made their debut in an RMU uniform against the Knights, as in addition to Dunn, junior guard
Michael Green III and junior forward
Justin Winston were members of the starting lineup. Green finished with seven points, while Winston scored four. Leading the way for Central Florida was Perry, who scored 13 of his game-high 18 points in the first half and was one of three Knights to score in double figures.
UP NEXT
RMU opens play in the Kentucky Classic Friday, Nov. 12, with a 7:00 p.m. tip against the University of Kentucky at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky.
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