Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU men's basketball team concluded the month of January Saturday by posting back-to-back wins for the first time during the 2021-22 season thanks to a 62-60 win over Green Bay at the UPMC Events Center. The Colonials improved to 5-16 (.238) overall on the year, including 3-9 (.250) in the Horizon League.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Kamari McGee hit a jumper from the free-throw line to open the scoring in the second half and give the Phoenix a 29-26 advantage, but the Colonials used a 13-2 run to jump in front, 39-31. Senior forward
Kahliel Spear opened the scoring for RMU in the second half and spurt with a turnaround jumper in the lane, while junior guard
Michael Green III tied the game, 31-31, with a three-pointer. Green III scored five points, while junior forward
Brandon Stone capped the run with a dunk off an assist from Green III. RMU was able to keep the lead the rest of the contest.
DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME
Green Bay (4-16 / 3-8 #HLMBB) made it a one-possession game with 6:35 remaining when McGee provided a driving layup to pull the Phoenix to within 50-47. McGee scored 13 of his 15 points after the break, including a jumper at the 3:31 mark and the back end of a pair of free throws with 2:51 to go that made it a one-point game, 54-53. Spear answered on the next possession for RMU with a driving layup on the baseline to give the Colonials a 56-53 edge, and a triple from Green III at 1:52 helped push the advantage to 59-55.
QUOTABLE
"It's conference basketball and it's almost February," RMU Pat Gallagher Head Coach
Andrew Toole said. "It's going to be a grind. I thought for the most part our effort tonight was really good. We just didn't seem to have a lot of flow offensively, and credit to that goes to Green Bay. They did a great job slowing us down, but were able to get some stops late and get on the backboards. Some of the effort plays that separate winning and losing we made tonight, and that was the difference."
THE FREE-THROW LINE
Emmanuel Ansong was fouled on a three-point attempt after the triple from Green III and hit just the first of his three attempts to pull the Phoenix to within 59-56 with just under a minute to go. On the second miss at the chalk, however, Nate Jenkins came up with the offensive rebound for Green Bay. He was fouled and promptly knocked down both of his attempts to again make it a one-point contest, 59-58. The Phoenix called a 30-second timeout, and out of the break junior forward
Jaron Williams missed a three-pointer, but Stone provided the offensive carom for the Colonials and was fouled by Jenkins. Stone hit both of his attempts to give RMU a 61-58 cushion. Green III followed by picking the pocket of Japannah Kellogg III, who recovered to block a layup attempt by Green III. McGee was then fouled with 3.8 seconds to go to ensure Green Bay was unable to get off an attempt from beyond the arc to tie it, and he hit both ends to pull the Phoenix to within 61-60. On the inbounds play, Green III was immediately fouled for RMU, and he hit the front end before missing the second. A last second desperation shot from half court by Lucas Steibler of Green Bay was off the mark, securing the win for the Colonials.
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"They say defense decides whether you win or lose and the offense determines by how much," Toole said. "The other night we defended really well, our offense was rolling and we won by a lot. Tonight we defended really well, the offense wasn't rolling and we won by a little. The defense is really what's key. We've been trying to preach that all year long, and we haven't always embraced it. I think the last couple of games the guys have done a really good job of trying to lock down and get the stops when necessary."
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
Green III paced the Colonials Saturday by reaching double figures for the seventh consecutive game. He scored a season-high 21 points and also added four assists and a pair of steals. Sophomore guard
Enoch Cheeks added his third double-double of the 2021-22 season with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while off the bench Stone provided 11 points, seven boards and a pair of blocks. The Colonials shot just 36.1 percent (22-for-61) from the floor but held a 43-30 edge in rebounding, including a commanding 17-5 advantage on the offensive glass. RMU outscored Green Bay, 16-2, in second chance points.
QUOTABLE
"Some of the rebounds (Enoch) had late, they really gave us life," Toole said. "They allowed us to run that clock, exhale a little bit and really create an advantage for us. I can't tell you how impactful those were. His performance tonight was part of the difference. Maybe Enoch's rebound in the first half where he got low-bridged but was still able to tip it in, maybe that was the difference in the game. When you have guys that are thinking in that regard, where whatever the game asks me to do I'm going to do, because this play right here might be the difference between us getting over the hump or being a little bit short. When our guys go to the glass, good things happen for us."
UP NEXT
RMU takes to the road to open its February slate, beginning with an 8:00 p.m. tip Thursday, Feb. 3, at UIC. The two-game swing concludes Saturday, Feb. 5, with a Noon tip at IUPUI.
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