GAME 2
RMU (0-1) @ #10 Kentucky (0-1)
KENTUCKY CLASSIC
Friday, Nov. 12, 2021 • 7:00 p.m.
Rupp Arena (23,500) • Lexington, Ky.
 
TV: SEC Network
Talent: Mike Morgan (pxp) & Daymeon Fishback (color)
Audio: RMU Athletics Gameday App
Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp)
Twitter: @RMUMBasketball • Instagram: RMUMBasketball
 
Opening Tip
 
- The RMU men's basketball team opens play in the Kentucky Classic Friday with a 7:00 p.m. tip against No. 10 Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., at Rupp Arena. The Colonials will also travel to Ohio (11/15) and host Mount St. Mary's (11/19) at the UPMC Events Center as part of the tournament.
 
- RMU opened its 2021-22 season and 46th year of NCAA Division I basketball with a 69-59 setback @ Central Florida (11/10/21). Sophomore guard Enoch Cheeks recorded his first career double-double against the Knights with 12 points and a career-high 10 rebounds.
 
- In his first game as a member of the Colonials, fifth-year guard Rasheem Dunn tied Cheeks for team-high honors in scoring with 12 points @ UCF (11/10/21). He also added five rebounds and three assists.
 
- Senior forward Kahliel Spear chipped in 10 points, five caroms, three assists and a pair of blocks in the season opener against the Knights. He shot 3-for-7 from the floor and was true on each of his four attempts at the charity stripe.
 
- The trio of Cheeks, Dunn and Spear combined to shoot 93.8 percent (15-for-16) at the free-throw line in the season opener @ UCF (11/10/21). Cheeks was a perfect 6-for-6.
 
- Led by 12th-year RMU Pat Gallagher Head Coach Andrew Toole, the Colonials return two starters and three letterwinners in 2021-22, including sophomore guard Kam Farris and senior forward Kahliel Spear. The duo combined to score 319 points in 2020-21. Farris did not play in RMU's season opener @ UCF.
 
- The Colonials return 28.6 percent (393-of-1,374) of their scoring, 26.2 percent (169-of-646) of their rebounding and 15.7 percent (47-of-299) of their assists from the 2020-21 campaign.

- Senior forward Kahliel Spear, a transfer from Bucknell, averaged 9.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in 18 games for RMU last year, including 10 starts. He ranked fourth in the Horizon League with an average of 1.28 blocks per game, recording 23 rejections on the season.
 
- A total of nine new Colonials are part of the 2021-22 roster for RMU, including graduate transfers Rasheem Dunn and Ferron Flavors, Jr. Dunn, a transfer from St. John's who began his career at St. Francis Brooklyn, has scored 1,419 career points at the NCAA Division I level.
 
- Flavors, Jr., a transfer from Oklahoma State who has also spent time at the NCAA Division I level at Fairfield and Cal Baptist, owns career totals of 911 points and 209 three-pointers. During the 2019-20 season at Cal Baptist, Flavors, Jr., led the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in three-point field goal percentage (.439).

KENTUCKY LINKS
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
- RMU Athletics Gameday App

The All-Time Series (Kentucky) - Friday's game with the Wildcats as part of the Kentucky Classic marks the third meeting in the all-time series between RMU and UK, with the two programs having split the previous two contests. The Colonials earned a landmark 59-57 win over the Wildcats in the first round of the 2013 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) at the Charles L. Sewall Center (3/19/13) in the first meeting between the two programs. Former forward Lucky Jones (2011-15) paced RMU in that victory with 15 points. In the rematch, the Wildcats earned an 87-49 triumph over the Colonials at Rupp Arena (11/17/13). In that contest former guard Karvel Anderson (2012-14) finished with 16 points to lead RMU.
 
Central Florida Notes - The season opener between the Knights and Colonials marked the first meeting between the two programs ... RMU held a 44-34 advantage on the glass, including a 17-10 edge in offensive caroms ... The Colonials posted 11 assists on their 20 field goals and also notched four steals ... UCF shot 53.1 percent (17-for-32) from the field in the first half but were held to 34.4 percent (11-for-32) after the break ... RMU shot 32.8 percent (20-for-61), including 4-for-23 (17.4%) from deep ... The Colonials dipped to 21-25 (.457) all-time in season openers, including 4-8 (.333) under 12th-year RMU Pat Gallagher Head Coach Andrew Toole.
 
Block Party - Forward Kahliel Spear picked up right where he left off from last year in RMU's season opener @ UCF (11/10/21) in his ability to protect the rim. Spear posted two rejections against the Knights and in 19 career games for the Colonials has recorded 25 blocks, an average of 1.32 per game. Overall in four seasons at the NCAA Division I level, Spear owns 55 blocks in 65 contests, an average of 0.85 per game. His performance @ Central Florida in the 2021-22 season opener marked the eighth time in an RMU uniform he has finished with at least two rejections in a game.
 
Defense Wins Championships - The numbers bear out that following in the footsteps of defending is victories. Over the last 15 years, RMU owns a record of 202-57 (.780) when holding opponents under 70 points since the beginning of the 2007-08 season. Under 12th-year head coach Andrew Toole, the Colonials own a mark of 151-50 (.751) when turning the trick. Overall the last 15 years, RMU has held its opponent to under 70 points 55.6 percent (259-of-466) of the time after holding UCF to 69 points in its 2021-22 season opener.
 
Board Games - Part of following the formula in regard to being successful for RMU over the last 15 seasons has been the program's ability to crash the boards. Since the beginning of the 2007-08 campaign, RMU owns a record of 175-51 (.774) when the Colonials are even or better in rebounding in a game, including a 166-44 (.790) mark when outrebounding their opponent.

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