GAME 12
RMU (2-9 / 0-2 #HLMBB) @ Oakland (7-4 / 2-0 #HLMBB)
Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021 • 7:00 p.m.
Athletics Center O'Rena (4,000) • Rochester, Mich.
 
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Neal Ruhl (pxp) & Rex Walters (color)
Audio: RMU Athletics Gameday App
Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp)
Twitter: @RMUMBasketball • Instagram: RMUMBasketball
 
Opening Tip
 
- The RMU men's basketball team returns to Horizon League play to close out 2021 by visiting Oakland for a 7:00 p.m. tip Thursday, Dec. 30. The Colonials also travel to Detroit Mercy on New Year's Day to conclude a four-game road trip.
 
- RMU concluded the non-conference portion of its 2021-22 slate with a 75-67 victory @ Saint Francis U (12/22/21). The Colonials were led by fifth-year guard Rasheem Dunn, who matched a season high with 21 points while also adding six rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals.
 
- Junior forward Matt Mayers recorded his first RMU double-double in the win over the Red Flash with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while sophomore guard Enoch Cheeks contributed 13 points and eight rebounds. As a team, the Colonials shot 48.3 percent (29-for-60) from the field in the triumph.
 
- Fifth-year guard Rasheem Dunn is averaging a team-high 19.0 points against Horizon League opposition to go along with averages of 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals. He has shot 48.1 percent (13-for-27) from the floor in #HLMBB tilts and overall in road games this year has averaged 11.8 points per game.
 
- The Colonials opened their four-game road swing with a 100-74 setback @ Bowling Green (12/19/21). Junior forward Matt Mayers earned his first start for the Colonials against the Falcons and paced RMU with 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field and a 3-for-3 performance at the free-throw line. 
 
- Off the bench @ Bowling Green (12/19/21), junior guard Michael Green III scored 14 points and grabbed four rebounds, while sophomore guard Kam Farris chipped in 13 points. Also scoring in double figures was junior forward Justin Winston (11) and sophomore guard Enoch Cheeks (10).
 
- RMU dropped an 85-74 decision to Florida Gulf Coast (12/11/21) in wrapping up a two-game homestand at the UPMC Events Center. Senior forward Kahliel Spear paced four Colonials in double figures scoring by notching his second consecutive double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
 
- Fifth-year guard Rasheem Dunn finished with 16 points, seven assists and three steals against the Eagles, while sophomore guard Enoch Cheeks contributed 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.
 
- The Colonials picked up their first win of the 2021-22 campaign in the first game of the homestand with a 99-51 victory over Lancaster Bible (12/8/21) at the UPMC Events Center. Sophomore guard Kam Farris led all five starters in double figures with a career-high 27 points on 10-of-13 shooting, including 7-for-10 from deep. Senior forward Kahliel Spear notched a double-double in the triumph over the Chargers with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

OAKLAND LINKS
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
- RMU Athletics Gameday App
 
The All-Time Series (Oakland) – RMU and Oakland meet for the seventh time on the hardwood and just the third time as conference opponents in Rochester, Mich., Thursday. The Golden Grizzlies own a 5-1 (.833) advantage in the all-time series. In a two-game set last year at the UPMC Events Center, the Colonials and Golden Grizzlies split a pair of games. RMU earned a double overtime victory over Oakland, 88-82, in the opener before dropping an 86-81 decision to close out the set. Forward Kahliel Spear paced the Colonials in their double overtime victory last season with his first double-double in an RMU uniform thanks to 16 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. 
 
Saint Francis U Notes – RMU improved to 52-38 (.578) all-time against the Red Flash and has now won three consecutive games over SFU in the all-time series ... The Colonials used a 19-5 surge to turn a 22-16 deficit into a 35-27 lead with under a minute to play in the first half en route to a 35-30 halftime advantage ...  RMU scored the first six points of the second half to grab its first double-digit advantage, 41-30, and used a 12-4 burst to open up its largest lead, 55-39 ... The Colonials outscored SFU, 46-22, in points in the paint and recorded 16 assists on their 22 field goals.
 
All-Around Effort – Rasheem Dunn has settled in to being a complete player for the Colonials, as the fifth-year guard is in the midst of his best stretch in an RMU uniform. Over the last six games, Dunn is providing averages of 14.8 points, 5.7 assists and 2.0 steals per contest while shooting 47.1 percent (32-for-68) from the field and 70.4 percent (19-for-27) at the free-throw line. Twice during that stretch Dunn has established a season high in scoring with 21 points and also registered his first RMU double-double with 10 points and 10 assists in a 99-51 triumph over Lancaster Bible (12/8/21). Dunn enters Thursday's game @ Oakland ranked sixth in the Horizon League in assists (4.18 per game) and 16th in scoring (12.5 ppg).
 
A Small Group – Junior forward Matt Mayers became the second RMU student-athlete in as many years to produce a perfect shooting night on the road in a 75-67 victory @ Saint Francis U (12/22/21). In registering his first career double-double with 16 points and 11 caroms, Mayers shot 6-for-6 from the field, including his only attempt from beyond the arc, while going 3-for-3 at the free-throw line. Mayers joined sophomore guard Kam Farris on the active roster to post a perfect shooting night away from home and overall is just the fifth member of the Colonials on record to turn the trick. A closer look ...
 

Name	Opponent (Date)	FG	3FG	FT	Points
Bubba Donnelly	@ Rider (1/10/94)	7-for-7	7-for-7	0-for-0	21
Tony Lee	@ Canisius (12/20/06)	8-for-8	1-for-1	0-for-0	17
Jimmy Langhurst	@ FIU (11/29/07)	7-for-7	5-for-5	0-for-0	19
Kam Farris	@ Purdue FW (12/26/20)	6-for-6	5-for-5	0-for-0	17
Matt Mayers	@ Saint Francis U (12/22/21)	6-for-6	1-for-1	3-for-3	16

 
Finding A Zone – RMU has found a groove offensively as it returns to Horizon League play to close out 2021. Over the last five games, the Colonials are converting 51.4 percent (148-for-288) of their shots from the field, including 41 percent (41-for-100) from beyond the arc. A total of four Colonials are averaging in double figures during that span, led by fifth-year guard Rasheem Dunn, who has scored at a 14.4 points per game clip while also averaging 6.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Sophomore guard Kam Farris has averaged 12.0 points per contest during the same span, converting 51.6 percent (16-for-31) of his attempts from deep.
 
Downtown – Kam Farris has been a consistent threat for RMU from beyond the arc in his two seasons with the Colonials. He enters Thursday's game @ Oakland with 55 career three-pointers in 24 games at RMU, an average of 2.29 per contest, while converting at a 48.7 percent (55-for-113) clip from deep. A total of 71.4 percent (55-of-77) of the career field goals for Farris have been from beyond the arc, and he is the second fastest to reach 50 triples, accomplishing the feat in 21 contests.
 
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 204-57 (.782) when holding opponents under 70 points since the beginning of the 2007-08 season. Under 12th-year RMU Pat Gallagher Head Coach Andrew Toole, the Colonials own a mark of 153-50 (.754) when turning the trick. Overall the last 15 years, RMU has held its opponent to under 70 points 54.8 percent (261-of-476) of the time.

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