GAME 13
Saint Francis (3-9) vs. RMU (5-7)
Wednesday, December 21, 2022 • 7:00 p.m.
UPMC Events Center (4,000) • Moon Township, Pa.

TV: ESPN+ • Audio: RMU Athletics Gameday App
Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp) & Jim Elias (color)
Twitter: @RMUMBasketball • Instagram: RMUMBasketball
 
Opening Tip
 
- The RMU men's basketball team returns home to conclude its non-conference slate, welcoming in-state rival Saint Francis U for a 7:00 p.m. tip Wednesday at the UPMC Events Center.
 
- The Colonials, winners of three of their last five, are coming off a 68-59 victory @ Mount St. Mary's (12/18/22). RMU held the Mount to four points over the final five minutes in grabbing the win as junior guard Josh Corbin paced the offense with 20 points on the strength of a 6-for-10 performance from beyond the arc.
 
- Junior guard Enoch Cheeks registered his first double-double of the 2022-23 season and fourth of his career with 19 points while tying a career high with 10 rebounds in the win at the Mount. Fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear added 11 points and four caroms while matching a personal best with four blocked shots.
 
- RMU enters Wednesday's non-conference finale against the Red Flash tied for second in the Horizon League with Northern Kentucky in scoring defense, allowing an average of 64.9 points per contest. During the month of December, the Colonials are giving up an average of 62.6 points per game, holding opponents to a shooting percentage of 40.3 percent (114-for-283), including just 31.5 percent (28-for-89) from beyond the arc.
 
- In their last home game, the Colonials fell to Marshall (12/10/22), 69-60. Junior guard Enoch Cheeks tied for team-high honors against the Thundering Herd with 17 points while also adding four rebounds and three steals. Freshman forward Stephaun Walker posted his first career double-double against Marshall, establishing career highs in points (17) and rebounds (11).
 
- Off the bench, senior guard Michael Green III finished with 11 points and three assists. His three-pointer in the first half helped him eclipse the 1,000-point plateau. In four seasons at the NCAA Division I level, Green III has scored 1,014 career points in 92 games, an average of 11.0 points per contest. 
 
- Prior to hosting Marshall, the Colonials concluded a seven-game road trip that accumulated over 3,300 miles (3,337) with a 71-66 win @ Central Michigan (12/7/22). Junior guard Josh Corbin paced the Colonials with 20 points, converting seven of his 13 shots from the floor, including a 6-for-11 performance from beyond the arc. Junior guard Enoch Cheeks chipped in 17 points, four assists and two blocks.
 
- Fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear recorded his fourth double-double of the year in the victory over the Chippewas, scoring 18 points while tying a career high with 15 rebounds. He also recorded a game-high seven assists, setting a new personal best in dimes. During RMU's seven-game road trip, Spear paced the Colonials in scoring (17.9 ppg) and rebounding (9.7 rpg).
 
SAINT FRANCIS LINKS
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
- RMU Athletics Gameday App
- Tickets

The All-Time Series (Saint Francis U) – The longest running rivalry in program history, SFU and RMU tip for the 91st time in the all-time series Wednesday, with the Colonials owning a 52-38 (.578) advantage. In the first meeting between the two programs as non-conference foes since 1981, RMU posted a 75-67 win at DeGol Arena (12/22/21) in Loretto, Pa., in the final non-conference game of the 2021-22 season for the Colonials. Forward Matt Mayers notched a double-double in the victory with 16 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 6-for-6 from the field and 3-for-3 at the free-throw line.
 
Mount St. Mary's Notes – RMU grabbed a 37-36 (.507) edge in the all-time series and has won five of the last seven meetings between the two programs ... The Colonials have won three of the last four games at Knott Arena ... RMU established season highs for ties (9) and lead changes (16) in the victory ... The Mount owned a 34-22 edge in points in the paint, while the Colonials posted advantages in points off turnovers, 14-13, and second-chance opportunities, 14-11 ... The Colonials held Mount St. Mary's to just 4-for-18 (22.2%) from beyond the arc and 39.3 percent (24-for-61) overall from the field.
 
Board Games – In a 68-59 victory over Mount St. Mary's at Knott Arena in the final non-conference road game of the season for the Colonials, RMU won the rebounding battle, 40-32, and in the process improved to 3-0 this season when grabbing at least 40 boards in a game. The Colonials have won five consecutive games dating back to last season when reaching the 40-rebound plateau and in 16 seasons under RMU Pat Gallagher Head Coach Andrew Toole own a record of 52-22 (.703) when turning the trick. Overall when outrebounding their opponent under Toole, the Colonials are 125-48 (.733). 
 
Back On Track – Josh Corbin connected for six three-pointers in a 68-59 triumph @ Mount St. Mary's (12/18/22), the fourth time this season the junior guard has hit least six triples in a game. Corbin is tied for fourth in NCAA Division I in three-point field goals made (44) with Drew Friberg of Belmont and also leads the Horizon League in three-point field goal percentage (.478). In the RMU single-season annals, Corbin is tied for second with former guard Karvel Anderson (2012-14) for the most three-pointers through RMU's first 12 games, trailing only former guard Josh Williams, who hit 49 in the first 12 tilts of the 2018-19 campaign.
 
On My Way – Kahliel Spear has found a comfort zone during the month of December, as the fifth-year forward enters Wednesday's game against the Red Flash averaging 15.4 points and 6.8 rebounds in the last five games. He kicked off the holiday month by tying a career high with 27 points in an 80-59 triumph @ Wright State (12/1/22). Spear has scored 985 career points at the NCAA Division I level after transferring from Bucknell, including 813 in three seasons with the Colonials. Barring injury, Spear will eclipse 1,000 career points in the coming weeks and needs to average 9.8 points over RMU's final 19 tilts to accomplish the feat in an RMU uniform.
 
Consistency Is Key – Each student-athlete has its own line of development, and usually the final piece to fall into place is consistency. For junior guard Enoch Cheeks, he has blossomed into a key contributor and budding star due in large part to his ability to be consistent. Despite missing a pair of games this year, Cheeks has reached double figures in scoring in each of his 10 games this season as well as 12 consecutive contests dating back to last year. During that span Cheeks has stuffed the stat sheet, producing averages of 16.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.8 steals per contest while shooting 47 percent (71-for-151) from the field. In a 68-59 win @ Mount St. Mary's (12/18/22), Cheeks notched his first double-double of the 2022-23 campaign and fourth of his career thanks to 19 points and 10 rebounds.
 
At The Rim – Fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear is as active as any member of the Colonials in recent years at the rim, and you just have to look at the numbers. In 62 career contests at RMU, Spear owns 76 dunks (1.23 per game), including 12 so far during the 2022-23 campaign. On the defensive end, Spear has rejected 73 shots (1.18 per contest) in his RMU career, matching a career high with four in a 68-59 win @ Mount St. Mary's (12/18/22), and has compiled 103 career blocks in five seasons at the NCAA Division I level. Spear has cracked the top 10 for career blocks at RMU with his 73, just one behind former forward Chaz McCrommon, who ranks seventh with 74 rejections from 2000 to 2005.

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