GAME 23
RMU (5-17 / 3-10 #HLMBB) @ IUPUI (2-18 / 0-9 #HLMBB)
Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022 • Noon
Indiana Farmers Coliseum (6,800) • Indianapolis, Ind.
 
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Greg Rakestraw (pxp) & Bob Lovell (color)
Audio: RMU Athletics Gameday App
Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp)
Twitter: @RMUMBasketball • Instagram: RMUMBasketball
 
Opening Tip
 
- The RMU men's basketball team concludes a two-game road trip to open its February slate Saturday with a Noon tipoff against IUPUI at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, Ind.
 
- The Colonials opened their swing in Chicago, Ill., with an 80-75 setback to UIC at Credit Union 1 Arena. A total of seven of RMU's 10 games during the 2022 calendar year have been decided by seven points or less, with the Colonials owning a record of 1-6 (.167) in those contests.
 
- Senior forward Kahliel Spear paced the Colonials against the Flames by recording his fifth double-double of the year and sixth of his career with 23 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. He also added four assists, three steals and a block.
 
- Off the bench @ UIC, junior forward Justin Winston scored a season-high 19 points, while junior guard Michael Green III (16) and sophomore guard Enoch Cheeks (12) also reached double figures. Cheeks also compiled six rebounds, three assists and a pair of rejections.
 
- RMU concluded the month of January with its third consecutive home victory thanks to a 62-60 triumph over Green Bay (1/29/22) at the UPMC Events Center. Junior guard Michael Green III paced the Colonials in the win with a season-high 21 points while also adding four assists and a pair of steals.
 
- Sophomore guard Enoch Cheeks posted his third double-double of the season against the Phoenix with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while junior forward Brandon Stone supplied 11 points, seven rebounds and two blocks off the bench.
 
- Senior forward Kahliel Spear paced RMU during the month of January, averaging 15.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 62.1 percent (59-for-95) from the field in nine games. Spear is one of two Colonials, joining sophomore guard Enoch Cheeks, to start each of RMU's 22 games in 2021-22.
 
- RMU opened a two-game homestand at the UPMC Events Center with a 77-53 victory over Milwaukee (1/27/22), its largest margin of victory in two seasons against a Horizon League foe. Senior forward Kahliel Spear paced the Colonials with a career-high 25 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field while grabbing nine rebounds.
 
- Junior guard Michael Green III added 13 points, four rebounds and two assists in the win over the Panthers. RMU held Milwaukee to a shooting percentage of 34.4 percent (22-for-64), including 1-for-12 (8.3%) from deep.
 
- RMU returns home to the UPMC Events Center for four of its next five games after taking on the Jaguars Saturday. The Colonials begin the stretch by facing Detroit Mercy for the first time this season Wednesday, Jan. 9 in a 7:00 p.m. tip. The only road game during that stretch is Sunday, Feb. 13, at Youngstown State.

IUPUI LINKS
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
- RMU Atheltics Gameday App
 
The All-Time Series (IUPUI) – RMU and IUPUI meet for the first time on the hardwood Saturday at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. The Jaguars are the final Horizon League foe the Colonials play after joining the league in 2020. IUPUI is the last of five opponents RMU is playing for the first time during the 2021-22 season. The list also included non-conference games against UCF, Davidson and Lancaster Bible as well as the first meeting in program history against Green Bay. The Colonials and Phoenix split their season series, with each team winning on its home court.
 
UIC Notes - The Flames grabbed a 4-0 lead in the all-time series against the Colonials, with each of those four contests coming at Credit Union 1 Arena ... The two programs will meet for the final time as Horizon League foes at the UPMC Events Center Saturday, Feb. 19, in the regular-season home finale for RMU ... UIC will join the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) July 1, 2022 ... The contest featured 10 ties and six lead changes ... RMU shot 47.5 percent (28-for-45) from the field, its highest field goal percentage of the 2021-22 season on the road against a Horizon League foe ... The Colonials and Flames tied in rebounding, 35-35 ... Each team scored 32 points in the paint, UIC held a 15-14 edge in points off turnovers and RMU owned a 12-11 advantage in second-chance opportunities.
 
Green Light - Junior guard Michael Green III has settled into his role in recent weeks as RMU's primary point guard, both as a scorer and a distributor. Green enters Saturday's game @ IUPUI having scored in double figures in eight consecutive games, the longest streak by a member of the Colonials this season. During that stretch, Green III has supplied RMU with averages of 15.8 points and 3.4 assists per game, including a season-high 21 points in a 62-60 win over Green Bay (1/29/22) to pace the Colonials. Green III is converting 45.1 percent (41-for-91) of his shots from the floor over the last eight games, including 44.7 percent (17-for-38) from beyond the arc.
 
Imagine That - While Michael Green III has scored in double figures in eight consecutive games entering Saturday's tilt against the Jaguars and is averaging 15.8 points per game over that span, senior forward Kahliel Spear has also averaged 15.8 points for RMU over the last eight contests. Spear is in the midst of his best stretch in two seasons with the Colonials. Ranking second in the Horizon League this season in field goal percentage (.530), Spear is averaging 16.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 10 games since the calendar has switched to 2022 while shooting 61.3 percent (68-for-111) from the field and 71.9 percent (23-for-32) at the free-throw line.
 
Bobby Mo (Cheeks) - Also growing into his role in 2021-22 has been sophomore guard Enoch Cheeks, who owns the ability to stuff the stat sheet in providing complete performances for the Colonials. In 10 games during the 2022 calendar year, Cheeks has supplied the Colonials with averages of 10.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 50.7 percent (38-for-75) from the field at 85.7 percent (24-for-28) at the charity stripe. Twice during the month of January Cheeks has tied a season high in scoring with 13 points, coming at home against Purdue Fort Wayne (1/9/22) and on the road @ Cleveland State (1/23/22). Cheeks has converted seven consecutive opportunities at the free-throw line entering Saturday's game.
 
Ride The Wave - The Colonials have done a solid job of rebounding in recent weeks, as RMU has averaged 43.5 boards over its last four games. That stretch includes a season-high 52 caroms in a 77-53 victory over Milwaukee (1/27/22) at the UPMC Events Center, the second highest mark against an NCAA Division I opponent in 12 years under RMU Pat Gallagher Head Coach Andrew Toole. The Colonials have posted a record of 119-44 (.699) under Toole when outrebounding their opponent, which includes a 5-5 (.500) record during the 2021-22 season. In addition, RMU is 49-22 (.690) under Toole when grabbing at least 40 boards in a game.

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