GAME 10
RMU (3-6) @ Central Michigan (4-4)
Wednesday, December 7, 2022 • 7:00 p.m.
McGuirk Arena (5,300) • Mount Pleasant, Mich.

TV: ESPN+
Talent: Adam Jaksa (pxp) & Matt DeVries (color)
Audio: RMU Athletics Gameday App
Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp)
Twitter: @RMUMBasketball • Instagram: RMUMBasketball
 
Opening Tip
 
- The RMU men's basketball team wraps up a seven-game road trip Wednesday by traveling to Mount Pleasant, Mich., for a 7:00 p.m. tipoff against Central Michigan at McGuirk Arena.
 
- The Colonials concluded opening weekend of Horizon League play in their last outing, falling to Northern Kentucky (12/3/22), 60-56, at Truist Arena. Fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear and junior guard Enoch Cheeks each scored 13 points to pace RMU, with Spear adding six rebounds, a career-high five steals and two blocks.
 
- Junior guard Josh Corbin added 11 points, two rebounds and three assists against the Norse. Corbin, who has scored in double figures in four straight games, leads the Horizon League in three-point field goal percentage (.485) and three-point field goals made per game (3.56).
 
- The Colonials snapped a four-game slide in their 2022-23 Horizon League opener, surging to an 80-59 victory @ Wright State (12/1/22). Fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear tied a career high with 27 points to pace RMU while also notching five rebounds, three steals and three blocks.
 
- Spear was one of four Colonials to score in double figures in the triumph over the Raiders. Junior guard Josh Corbin added 15 points and paced RMU in rebounds with a career-high eight, junior guard Enoch Cheeks finished with 12 and a game-high six assists and senior guard Michael Green III contributed 11 points and four assists off the bench.
 
- RMU shot 52.5 percent (32-for-61) from the field in its victory @ Wright State (12/1/22), including a 9-for-17 (52.9%) performance from beyond the arc. Combined, junior guard Josh Corbin and fifth-year Kahliel Spear finished 7-for-10 from the three-point line.
 
- RMU concluded the Hostilo Hoops Community Classic in Savannah, Ga., at Enmarket Arena with an 84-70 setback to South Alabama (11/27/22). Junior guard Josh Corbin paced the Colonials against the Jaguars with 19 points, while fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear recorded his second consecutive double-double thanks to 16 points and 10 caroms.
 
- In a 54-53 setback against Evansville (11/26/22), junior guard Josh Corbin led RMU with a career-high 22 points, shooting 8-for-12 from the field, including a 6-for-10 performance from beyond the arc.
 
- In three games of the Hostilo Hoops Community Classic, fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear led RMU by averaging a double-double. He produced averages of 18.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per contest while knocking down an even 50 percent (21-for-42) of his shots from the field.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN LINKS
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Audio 
- Video
- Live Stats
- RMU Athletics Gameday App
 
The All-Time Series (Central Michigan) – RMU and Central Michigan meet on the hardwood for the sixth time Wednesday, with the Chippewas owning a 3-2 (.600) edge in the all-time series. Wednesday's game concludes a home-and-home series that began in 2019. In the last meeting between the two programs, RMU shot 53.3 percent (16-for-30) from the field in the second half in erasing an 11-point deficit en route to an 83-79 victory at the UPMC Events Center (12/17/19). In the win former guard Josh Williams (2018-20) scored a game-high 24 points on the strength of a 5-for-9 performance from beyond the arc while also grabbing a career-high eight rebounds. The Colonials have won consecutive games in the series over the Chippewas thanks to a 73-60 victory over CMU in a neutral site game that was played at the Palace at Auburn Hills (12/20/08). In that victory former guard Jeremy Chappell (2005-09) posted his third double-double of the year with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Northern Kentucky Notes – The Norse extended their advantage in the all-time series against RMU to 4-1 (.800) ... NKU owned a 36-25 advantage on the glass, including a 13-4 edge in offensive rebounding ... Thanks to the edge in offensive boards, the Norse outscored the Colonials, 15-4, in second-chance points ... RMU held a 28-24 advantage in points in the paint while the two teams tied, 19-19, in points off turnovers ... The Colonials shot an even 50 percent (12-for-24) from the field in the first half in grabbing a 30-23 halftime edge and overall converted 48.8 percent (21-of-43) of their shots from the floor.
 
Putting It Together – Despite a seven-game road trip in which the Colonials will have traveled over 3,300 miles (3,337) upon completion, consistent defensive efforts are beginning to form. Over the last six games, opponents are averaging 64.8 points per contest and have shot just 43.5 percent (145-for-333). It marks the best defensive stretch for RMU since joining the Horizon League. All that's left for the Colonials is sealing the deal. During its road trip, RMU is 0-3 in games decided by six points or less.
 
On My Way – Kahliel Spear has found a zone for the Colonials in recent weeks, as he enters RMU's finale of a seven-game road trip Wednesday having reached double figures in scoring in six consecutive games. During that span Spear is producing averages of 17.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per contest while shooting 51.8 percent (43-for-83) from the field and includes a 27-point performance in an 80-59 win @ Wright State (12/3/22), which tied a career high.  Spear has scored 948 career points at the NCAA Division I level after transferring from Bucknell, including 776 in three seasons with the Colonials. Barring injury, Spear will eclipse 1,000 career points in the coming weeks and needs to average 10.2 points over RMU's final 22 tilts to accomplish the feat as a member of the Colonials. 
 
JCPenney – Junior guard Josh Corbin has settled in nicely for the Colonials as a deep threat. The transfer from Winthrop who in 20 games last year hit 25 three-pointers has already knocked down 32 triples in his first nine games in an RMU uniform. Corbin, who opened the year 0-for-6 from deep @ Ohio State (11/7/22), is shooting 53.3 percent (32-for-60) from international waters in the eight games since. During RMU's road swing, Corbin is averaging 14.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals per contest while shooting 52.4 percent (22-for-42) from beyond the arc.
 
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 59 career contests at RMU, Spear owns 71 dunks (1.20 per game), including seven so far during the 2022-23 campaign. On the defensive end, Spear has rejected 68 shots in his RMU career, an average of 1.15 per contest, and has compiled 98 career blocks in five seasons at the NCAA Division I level.

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