GAME 19
#12 RMU (4-14) @ #5 Detroit Mercy (11-9)
2021 HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND
Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021 • 7:00 p.m. 
Calihan Hall (7,917) • Detroit, Michigan
 
Audio: RMU Athletics Gameday App
Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp)
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Jeremy Otto (pxp) & Earl Cureton (color)
Twitter: @RMUMBasketball • Instagram: @RMUMBasketball
 
Quick Hits
 
- The RMU men's basketball team makes a return trip to Detroit, Mich., and Calihan Hall Thursday to square off with Detroit Mercy in the first round of the 2021 Horizon League Tournament. The Colonials enter the tourney as the No. 12 seed.
 
- The top four seeds in the Horizon League earn a bye to the quarterfinals of the 2021 Horizon League Tournament. Wright State and Cleveland State shared the 2021 #HLMBB regular-season title, with the Vikings earning the No. 1 seed. Quarterfinal games are set for Tuesday, March 2, at the highest seed.
 
- The Colonials are making their debut in the Horizon League Tournament in 2021 after posting a record of 45-29 (.608) in 39 years in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament. RMU won a league-high nine NEC Tournament titles.
 
- RMU concluded its 2020-21 regular season with a pair of road losses against the Titans. UDM posted an 85-74 win in the opener of a two-game series before garnering an 80-61 triumph in the finale.
 
- Senior forward Charles Bain averaged 18.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in the two-game set @ Detroit Mercy, converting 51.7 percent (15-for-29) of his shots from the field while going 4-for-5 (80%) at the free-throw line.
 
- Junior guard Cameron Wilbon scored a career-high 15 points in the opening game of the two-game series against the Titans. He knocked down seven of his 11 shots from the floor at Detroit Mercy and also grabbed six rebounds.
 
- Nine of RMU's 15 games in its first season as a member of the Horizon League have been decided by six points or less, including five that have gone to overtime. The Colonials are 2-7 (.222) in those contests, including 1-4 (.200) in games that have gone to the extra session.
 
- Senior guard Jon Williams enters the 2021 Horizon League Tournament leading the league in both assist-to-turnover ratio (4.15) and three-point field goal percentage (.427). In 17 games in 2020-21, Williams has handed out 83 dimes against 20 turnovers. He ranks third in NCAA Division I in assist-to-turnover ratio and 19th in three-point field goal percentage.
 
- Junior forward Kahliel Spear ranks fifth in the Horizon League in blocks (21) and third in blocks per game (1.24) entering the 2021 #HLMBB Tournament. Spear, who is shooting 54.5 percent (61-for-112) from the field, is averaging 10.0 points and 8.5 rebounds over his last four games. Spear has recorded at least one rejection in 11 of his 17 games for RMU in 2020-21.
 
- Junior guard Dante Treacy is averaging 10.0 points and 6.5 assists over his last four games. He has posted at least six assists in a game eight times on the 2020-21 season, including eight dimes in the opener of a two-game set @ Detroit Mercy.

DETROIT MERCY LINKS
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
- RMU Athletics Gameday App
- Horizon League Tournament Central
 
Detroit Mercy Tidbits - RMU slipped to 0-3 all-time against the Titans with the pair of losses ... The Titans shot 50.9 percent (59-for-116) from the field in the two games ... Antoine Davis, the leading scorer in the Horizon League at 23.3 points per game, averaged 27.5 points in the two-game set despite shooting just 37.5 percent (15-for-40) from the field ... Davis was 18-for-18 at the free-throw line in the two-game set and was named the #HLMBB Player of the Week for the third time in four weeks ... Freshman guard Kam Farris averaged 9.0 points in the two-game set, knocking down five of his 11 attempts (45.5%) from beyond the arc ... Guard Noah Waterman averaged 20.5 points in the two-game series for the Titans, converting 66.7 percent (14-for-21) of his attempts from the field, including 60 percent (9-for-15) from deep.
 
Defense Wins Championships - The numbers bear out that following in the footsteps of defending is victories. Thanks to a 67-64 win over Milwaukee (1/1/21) in RMU's first home game at the UPMC Events Center as a member of the Horizon League, the Colonials improved to 202-56 (.783) when holding opponents under 70 points since the beginning of the 2007-08 season. Under 11th-year head coach Andrew Toole, the Colonials own a mark of 151-49 (.755) when turning the trick. Overall the last 14 years, RMU has held its opponent to under 70 points 55.6 percent (258-of-464) of the time.
 
Double Up - Junior forward Kahliel Spear, a transfer from Bucknell who was deemed eligible by the NCAA in December, was inserted back into the starting lineup for RMU's two-game set against Oakland. He responded in the season opener against the Golden Grizzlies by recording his first double-double in an RMU uniform with team-high totals in both points (16) and rebounds (15). In nine games as a starter for the Colonials, Spear is producing averages of 10.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest while shooting 55.7 percent (39-for-70) from the field.
 
Downtown - Senior guard Jon Williams scored a career-high 22 points in the finale of RMU's two-game set with Oakland at the UPMC Events Center on the strength of a 7-for-10 performance from beyond the arc. It marked the second career 20-point effort for Williams, who scored 20 points in a 98-89 overtime win over Cornell (3/19/19) in the first round of the 2019 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). Thanks to seven triples against the Golden Grizzlies, Williams became the 11th student-athlete in program history to convert at least 200 field goals from beyond the arc. He enters the 2021 Horizon League Tournament with 205 career three-pointers, which ranks eighth in program history.
 
Brotherly Love - Senior guard Jon Williams played two seasons with his older brother, Josh, at RMU, from 2018-20, which was capped with a 2020 NEC Tournament championship game victory and NCAA Tournament berth. In two seasons with the Colonials, Josh Williams knocked down 209 three-pointers. Jon Williams eclipsed 200 career triples against Oakland at the UPMC Events Center and owns 205 in his four seasons at RMU. Combined, the brothers have hit 414 three-pointers in 118 games over the last four years with the Colonials.
 
Start Me Up - While senior guard Jon Williams has cracked the top 10 for career assists at RMU, he also is climbing the charts in other categories. One of just six student-athletes in program history to earn at least 100 starting assignments, Williams moved into third place all-time for career starts. He enters the 2021 Horizon League Tournament first round @ Detroit Mercy with 119 career starting nods. The all-time career leader for starts for RMU is former guard Velton Jones (2008-13) with 125, and ranking second is former guard Jeremy Chappell (2005-09) with 120.
 
Paint By Numbers - RMU has been solid attacking the rim in 2020-21, as the Colonials enter the first round of the 2021 Horizon League Tournament having scored at least 30 points in the paint in seven of their last eight games. During that stretch, RMU is averaging 33.8 points in the paint per game, including a season-high 48 against Youngstown State (2/5/21). Overall on the 2020-21 campaign, the Colonials are averaging 32.3 points in high percentage areas.
 
Board Games - Part of following the formula in regard to being successful for RMU over the last 14 seasons has been the program's ability to crash the boards. Since the beginning of the 2007-08 campaign, RMU owns a record of 175-50 (.778) when the Colonials are even or better in rebounding in a game, including a 166-43 (.794) mark when outrebounding their opponent.

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