GAME 11
Marshall (8-1) vs. RMU (4-6)
Saturday, December 10, 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 the UPMC Events Center after a seven-game road trip by welcoming Marshall for a 7:00 p.m. tip Saturday. Four of the five games for the Colonials to close out the 2022 calendar year come at home.
 
- The seven-game road trip for RMU that accumulated over 3,300 miles (3,337) concluded 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 also 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, fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear paced the Colonials in scoring and rebounding, producing averages of 17.9 points and 9.7 boards per contest while also converting 51.5 percent (50-for-97) of his attempts from the field.
 
- Junior guard Josh Corbin, who has scored in double figures in five consecutive games, leads the Horizon League in three-point field goal percentage (.494) and three-point field goals made per game (3.80). Nationally, Corbin ranks fourth in NCAA Division I in three-point goals per game and 17th in three-point field goal percentage.
 
- The Colonials concluded opening weekend of Horizon League by falling @ 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.
 
- 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 has a week off for finals after taking on Marshall Saturday, returning to the court Sunday, Dec. 18, with a 2:00 p.m. tip at Mount St. Mary's.

MARSHALL LINKS
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
- RMU Athletics Gameday App
- Tickets

The All-Time Series (Marshall) – RMU and Marshall tip on the hardwood for the eighth time Saturday, with the Thundering Herd owning a 5-2 (.714) advantage in the all-time series. Saturday marks just the second time in the all-time series the Colonials will host Marshall. In the previous meeting, RMU earned an 85-61 victory at the Charles L. Sewall Center (12/2/91). The trio of Wade Timmerson (24), Myron Walker (20) and Joe Falletta (20) combined for 64 points in the 1991-92 season opener. In the last meeting between the two programs, the Thundering Herd earned an 85-71 victory over RMU at the Cam Henderson Center (12/20/20) in the 2020-21 season opener. Four Colonials reached double figures in scoring, including forward Kahliel Spear, who posted 13 points, five rebounds and three blocks in 27 minutes off the bench.
 
Central Michigan Notes – RMU picked up its third consecutive victory over the Chippewas to knot the all-time series, 3-3 (.500) ... The Colonials grabbed their biggest lead of the contest, 39-29, with 16:30 remaining on a three-pointer from junior guard Josh Corbin ... Central Michigan converted just 28 percent (7-for-25) of its shots from the field in the first half and 32.3 percent (20-for-62) overall ... RMU held a 28-24 advantage in points in the paint ... The Colonials finished with 18 assists on their 26 field goals, with the 18 dimes a season high against an NCAA Division I opponent.
 
JCPenney – During RMU's seven-game road trip, junior guard Josh Corbin averaged 15.0 points per game on the strength of a 28-for-53 performance (52.8%) from beyond the arc. Corbin enters Saturday's game against Marshall with 38 three-pointers, which leads NCAA Division I along with Darius McGee of Liberty and Riley Miller of St. Thomas. Corbin opened the year 0-for-6 from deep @ Ohio State (11/7/22) but is shooting 53.5 percent (38-for-71) from international waters in the nine games since. In addition, Corbin has hit at least three three-pointers in each of his last five games, averaging 4.6 during that stretch while converting at a 57.5 percent (23-for-40) clip. 
 
Top Of The Charts – Thanks to the performance by junior guard Josh Corbin through the first 10 games of the 2022-23 campaign, RMU sits atop the Horizon League in three-point field goal percentage as a team. The Colonials have converted 39.4 percent (78-of-198) of their attempts from beyond the arc, which also ranks 22nd in NCAA Division I. RMU has also gotten a boost in contributions from deep from junior guard Enoch Cheeks, who has shot 47.1 percent (16-for-34) from the three-point line and 49.5 percent (48-for-97) overall.
 
One More – Senior guard Michael Green III is coming off a seven-game road trip in which he averaged 5.3 assists per game. He enters RMU's tilt with Marshall Saturday tied for third in the Horizon League in assists per game (5.3) and tied for fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.21). Green III is also just one point shy of 1,000 for his career at the NCAA Division I level. In two seasons at Bryant before transferring to RMU, Green III scored 633 points and owns 366 in two seasons with the Colonials. Green III has also handed out 316 career assists, including 139 in 37 games at RMU, an average of 3.76 per contest.
 
On My Way – Kahliel Spear found a zone for the Colonials during their seven-game road trip, scoring in double figures in each contest. More impressively, Spear matched or established career highs in four categories during RMU's swing. Spear tied a career high with 27 points in an 80-59 triumph @ Wright State (12/1/22) and also matched a personal best in rebounds (15) in a 71-66 win @ Central Michigan (12/7/22). Also against the Chippewas, Spear set a career high in assists (7), which came just a game after he established a personal best in steals (5) @ Northern Kentucky (12/3/22). Spear has scored 966 career points at the NCAA Division I level after transferring from Bucknell, including 794 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 21 tilts to accomplish the feat as a member of the Colonials. 
 
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 60 career contests at RMU, Spear owns 73 dunks (1.22 per game), including nine so far during the 2022-23 campaign. On the defensive end, Spear has rejected 68 shots in his RMU career, an average of 1.13 per contest, and has compiled 98 career blocks in five seasons at the NCAA Division I level. Spear has cracked the top 10 career career blocks at RMU with his 68, just two behind former forward Dallas Green, who ranks ninth with 70 rejections from 2006 to 2010.
 
Defense Wins Championships – The numbers bear out that following in the footsteps of defending is victories. Over the last 16 years, RMU owns a record of 213-62 (.775) when holding opponents under 70 points since the beginning of the 2007-08 season. Thanks to a 71-66 victory @ Central Michigan (12/7/22) that wrapped up a seven-game road trip, the Colonials improved to 162-55 (.747) under 13th-year RMU Pat Gallagher Head Coach Andrew Toole when turning the trick. Overall in the last 16 years, RMU has held its opponent to under 70 points 54 percent (274-of-507) of the time.

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