GAME 24
Detroit Mercy (9-11 / 6-4 #HLMBB) vs. RMU (6-17 / 4-10 #HLMBB)
Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022 • 7:00 p.m.
UPMC Events Center (4,000) • Moon Township, Pa.
 
TV: ESPN+ / 22 The Point / MeTV Ohio Valley
Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp) & Jim Elias (color)
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 to the UPMC Events Center for four of its next five games to close out the home portion of its 2021-22 regular season. The Colonials will open the stretch Wednesday against Detroit Mercy.
 
- In 10 games this season at the UPMC Events Center, the Colonials are holding opponents to an average of 68.0 points per game. Foes are converting 40.4 percent (230-for-569) of their shots from the field, including just 29.6 percent (63-for-213) from deep, and have been outrebounded by a margin of -2.1.
 
- RMU picked up its first Horizon League road victory in its last outing, posting a 66-49 triumph @ IUPUI (2/5/22). Senior forward Kahliel Spear paced the Colonials by recording his second consecutive double-double and sixth of the year with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
 
- Sophomore guard Enoch Cheeks contributed 14 points, eight rebounds and a pair of blocks in the win over the Jaguars as RMU held IUPUI to a shooting percentage of 30.5 percent (18-for-59) and its lowest point total by a Horizon League foe in two years as a member of the league.
 
- The Colonials opened a two-game road swing in Chicago, Ill., with an 80-75 setback to UIC at Credit Union 1 Arena. A total of seven of RMU's 11 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.

DETROIT MERCY LINKS
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The All-Time Series (Detroit Mercy) – RMU and Detroit Mercy will tip for the fifth time Wednesday, with the Titans having won each of the previous four meetings between the two programs. The Colonials and Titans played three consecutive games last season, with the two teams concluding the 2020-21 regular season with a pair of games at Calihan Hall. UDM posted an 85-74 win over RMU Friday, Feb. 19, 2021, in the opener of a two-game set before earning an 80-61 victory to close out the regular season the next day. Five days later RMU returned to Calihan Hall to take on Detroit Mercy in the first round of the 2021 Horizon League Tournament. The Colonials grabbed an early 9-3 lead before the Titans responded behind Antoine Davis, who scored 24 points in the first half, including 15 during a 24-5 run that helped UDM open up a 27-14 lead. Forward Kahliel Spear paced the Colonials in that meeting with 22 points, five rebounds, two blocks and three steals.
 
IUPUI Notes – The 66-49 win for the Colonials over the Jaguars marked the first meeting between the two programs in school history ... IUPUI also marked the last Horizon League opponent RMU hadn't faced since joining the league in July of 2020 ... The only Horizon League foe the Colonials haven't visited yet is Northern Kentucky, which RMU will visit Thursday, Feb. 24 ... RMU was able to take control early in the second half with a 10-0 spurt that opened up a 40-29 advantage ... The Colonials held a 37-34 edge in rebounding despite being outrebounded, 14-8, on the offensive glass ... Senior forward Kahliel Spear posted four of RMU's eight caroms on the offense glass.
 
Block Party – RMU has recorded at least five blocks in eight of its last 16 games after recording six rejections in a 66-49 victory @ IUPUI (2/5/22) that concluded a two-game road swing. It's a key reason the Colonials rank second in the Horizon League in total blocks on the 2021-22 season with 86, trailing only Milwaukee, which has rejected 87 shots. RMU also ranks second in the circuit in blocks per game with an average of 3.74 per contest, trailing only Cleveland State (3.86 per game). The 86 rejections rank seventh in a season in program history, and the Colonials are pace to conclude the 2021-22 regular season with 112 blocks. That total would rank third in the RMU record book. The school record of 127 was set in 2015-16, while the Colonials posted 121 rejections in 2008-09.
 
Did You Know? Thanks to a 66-49 win @ IUPUI (2/5/22) that concluded a two-game road trip, RMU improved to 3-0 this season when holding opponents to under 60 points. The Colonials have won nine consecutive games dating back to the 2019-20 season when turning the trick. Overall under 12th-year RMU Pat Gallagher Head Coach Andrew Toole, the Colonials are 77-8 (.906) when holding opponents to less than 60 points.
 
Reliability – Senior forward Kahliel Spear in the midst of his best stretch in two seasons with the Colonials as RMU hits the stretch run of the 2021-22 regular season. Ranking second in the Horizon League this season in field goal percentage (.531), Spear is averaging 16.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 11 games since the calendar has switched to 2022 while shooting 60.7 percent (74-for-122) from the field and 73.7 percent (28-for-38) at the free-throw line. Spear has also been equally good at home, as in 10 games at the UPMC Events Center he has supplied averages of 16.9 points, 7.6 boards and 1.8 blocks while shooting 67 percent (69-for-103) from beyond the field.
 
Reliability Part Deux – 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 11 games during the 2022 calendar year, Cheeks has supplied RMU with averages of 11.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 52.4 percent (43-for-82) from the field at 86.7 percent (26-for-30) at the charity stripe. Twice during the month of January Cheeks 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 nine consecutive opportunities at the free-throw line entering Thursday's game against Detroit Mercy at the UPMC Events Center
 
Dunk You Very Much – Senior 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 addition to being tied for fourth in the Horizon League with an average of 1.22 blocks per game, Spear is RMU's leader on the other end of the court in dunks. In 23 games in 2021-22, Spear has provided 36 jams, and in 41 career contests at RMU he owns 49 dunks (1.20 per game). Spear owns 65.4 percent (36-for-55) of the dunks the Colonials have provided during the 2021-22 campaign.

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