Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU men's basketball team concluded the road portion of its 2022-23 non-conference schedule Sunday, posting a 68-59 victory over Mount St. Mary's in Emmitsburg, Md., at Knott Arena. The Colonials improved to 5-7 (.417) overall thanks to the win.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Tied, 32-32, at halftime, RMU used a 10-0 burst early in the second half to open up a 46-36 cushion. Junior guard
Enoch Cheeks scored the first five points, including a three-pointer that snapped a 36-36 deadlock, while sophomore guard
Jackson Last added a three-pointer of his own. The Mount answered with an 11-0 run to grab a one-point advantage, 49-48, after a triple from Xavier Lipscomb, but junior
Josh Corbin answered, draining a three-pointer to push the Colonials back on top, 51-49. Overall the contest featured nine ties and 16 lead changes.
QUOTABLE
"Tonight was chippy, and it was also physical," RMU Pat Gallagher Head Coach
Andrew Toole said. "We have so much respect for Mount St. Mary's. It's hard to come down here to Knott Arena and win a game. Anytime we get together this is what it looks like. Did you expect it would be any other way? We hit a couple of really big shots down the stretch and got a couple of really big stops. That's how you win. Really proud of the effort our guys put forth to get back in the win column."
THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
Dakota Leffew gave Mount St. Mary's (5-7) a 55-54 edge with 5:24 remaining with a driving layup off a turnover by the Colonials, but Cheeks would answer on the other end, driving into the lane, converting and also getting fouled by Jalen Benjamin. Cheeks converted the three-point play by nailing the free throw. On the next possession for the Mount, fifth-year forward
Kahliel Spear came down with a rebound and off an offensive rebound on the ensuing possession provided a dunk to push the lead to 59-55 for RMU. Spear added a turnaround floater with just over a minute to go that extended the advantage for the Colonials to 64-57 as Mount St. Mary's scored just four points over the final five minutes of the contest.
QUOTABLE
"In the first half I thought they got some penetration and were able to play one-on-one in space," Toole said. "In the second half we guarded the ball much better, and that led us to being successful defensively. I thought late there was a ton of two-man game, and that's where our rebounding played a huge and crucial role. Enoch rebounded really well tonight and so did
Jackson Last. When we have guys that are engaged on the backboard it's a huge help. Look at the rebound that Michael Green dug out late. That was also huge. When games are decided by just a few possessions, every rebound is critical."
INSIDE OUT
Cheeks locked up his first double-double of the 2022-23 season and fourth of his career with 19 points while matching a career high with 10 rebounds, while Spear chipped in 11 points, four rebounds and four blocks. Thanks to his four rejections, Spear eclipsed 100 on his NCAA Division I career, pushing his total to 103, including 73 as a student-athlete for the Colonials. Corbin, meanwhile, paced RMU with 20 points on the strength of a 6-for-10 performance from beyond the arc. It marks the fourth time this season Corbin has connected for at least six three-pointers, including the second consecutive road game.
QUOTABLE
"Enoch was phenomenal, especially in the second half," Toole said. "He helped us grab that big lead, and his effort was incredible. He also had the task of guarding Jalen Benjamin. To be able to disrupt his ability to be productive is a testament to the effort that Enoch put forth defensively tonight. For Kahliel, the number of shots he disrupted tonight was incredible. Not just his blocked shots, but his ability to defend and have guys alter their shot because of his activity. That was just as big as the last shot he hit late for us."
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
RMU grabbed a 37-36 (.507) advantage in an all-time series that dates back to both programs as members of the Northeast Conference (NEC). Arguably the best rivalry in NEC history, the Colonials have won three of their last four games at Knott Arena, which also includes a 60-56 triumph in the quarterfinals of the 2018 NEC Tournament. That victory began a stretch in which RMU has won five of the last seven contests over Mount St. Mary's.
UP NEXT
NEC reunion week continues Wednesday, Dec. 21, when the Colonials return home to the UPMC Events Center to conclude their non-conference slate with a 7:00 p.m. tip against in-state rival Saint Francis U.
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