GAME 16
RMU (7-8 / 2-2 #HLMBB) @ Youngstown State (10-5 / 2-2 #HLMBB)
Thursday, January 5, 2023 • 7:00 p.m.
Beeghly Center (6,300) • Youngstown, Ohio

TV: ESPN+
Talent: Robb Schmidt (pxp) & Ron Potesta (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 opens a new year with its shortest road trip of the season, venturing west to Youngstown, Ohio, for a 7:00 p.m. tip against Youngstown State at the Beeghly Center.
 
- The Colonials concluded a three-game homestand and the 2022 calendar year at the UPMC Events Center with a 63-54 loss to Cleveland State (12/31/22). RMU had a three-game winning streak snapped with the setback.
 
- Junior guard Enoch Cheeks led the Colonials against the Vikings with a game-high 19 points and three rebounds. Fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear contributed 18 points, seven rebounds and a pair of blocks as RMU shot 42 percent (21-for-50) from the field, including 3-for-16 (18.8%) from deep.
 
- In its #HLMBB home opener, the Colonials earned a 75-70 victory over Purdue Fort Wayne (12/29/22). Junior guard Enoch Cheeks set career highs in points (24) and assists (6) and also added five rebounds and four steals to lead the way.
 
- Fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear contributed 10 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks in the win over the Mastodons. His free throw at the 4:11 mark of the first half gave him exactly 1,000 points during his NCAA Division I career, which began at Bucknell. Spear owns 1,027 career points, including 855 in three seasons with the Colonials.
 
- RMU enters Thursday's game ranked fourth in the Horizon League in scoring defense, allowing an average of 65.2 points per game. Youngstown State, meanwhile, owns the top offense in the circuit, averaging 84.1 points per contest.
 
- Junior guard Enoch Cheeks averaged 18.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.9 steals in eight games during December while shooting 48.7 percent (55-for-113) from the field and 71 percent (22-for-31) at the free-throw line. He was one of three Colonials to average in double figures during the month.
 
- In the opener of its three-game homestand, RMU concluded non-conference play with a 77-66 victory over in-state rival Saint Francis U (12/21/22). Junior guard Enoch Cheeks led five Colonials in double figures with 23 points and also added five rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block.
 
- Junior guard Josh Corbin added 15 points, two assists and three steals in the win over the Red Flash, while fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear contributed 14 points and five rebounds. Sophomore guard Jackson Last chipped in a career-high 11 points, while off the bench junior forward Matt Mayers posted 10 points and a season-high nine rebounds.
 
- Five of its next six games on the road starting Thursday at Youngstown State, RMU returns home to the UPMC Events Center after taking on the Penguins, welcoming IUPUI Monday, Jan. 5, for a 7:00 p.m. tip.

YOUNGSTOWN STATE NOTES
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
- RMU Athletics Gameday App
 
The All-Time Series (Youngstown State) – RMU and Youngstown State meet for the 26th time Thursday, with the Colonials holding a 13-12 (.520) edge in the all-time series. A total of 18 of the 25 meetings between the two programs have been decided by eight points or less, including 17 of the last 21 contests. The two teams met in the first round of the 2022 Horizon League Tournament, with the Colonials earning a 77-73 victory at the Beeghly Center (3/1/22). RMU never trailed in the contest as forward Kahliel Spear paced the Colonials with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Guards Enoch Cheeks and Michael Green III contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively. The victory helped the Colonials improve to 7-5 (.583) all-time at the Beeghly Center.
 
Cleveland State Notes – RMU has dropped six consecutive games to the Vikings, with Cleveland State improving its record in the all-time series to 12-7 (.632) ... The 11 steals for CSU marked a season high by an opponent, while the one theft for the Colonials a season low ... Both teams scored 32 points in the paint ... RMU outrebounded Cleveland State, 35-31, including a 7-5 edge on the offensive glass ... Freshman forward Stephaun Walker finished with a game-high 10 caroms, including three offensive boards ... The Vikings forced the Colonials into 17 turnovers and owned a 17-8 advantage in points off miscues.
 
December Defense – RMU enters the new year coming off the month of December in which it held opponents to an average of 64.0 points per game while converting just 40.7 percent (185-for-454) of its shots from the field, including 48-for-143 (33.6%) from deep. The Colonials allowed an opponent to reach the 70-point plateau once in eight games during December, which came in a 75-70 victory over Purdue Fort Wayne (12/29/22) in its Horizon League home opener. RMU has held its opponent under 70 points in 11 of its 15 games overall this season.
 
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 65 career contests at RMU, Spear owns 79 dunks (1.22 per game), including 15 so far during the 2022-23 campaign. On the defensive end, Spear has rejected 78 shots (1.20 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 108 career blocks in five seasons at the NCAA Division I level. Spear has cracked the top 10 for career blocks at RMU with 78, ranking seventh. He is just two rejections shy of becoming just the fifth student-athlete in program history to eclipse 80 career blocks.
 
On My Way – While the exploits of Kahliel Spear are well documented at the rim on both ends of the court, Spear is also on his way to scoring 1,000 points in an RMU uniform. Spear, who is RMU's active leader for consecutive games played (65) and starts (52), has scored 855 points in 65 career contests for the Colonials since transferring from Bucknell, an average of 13.2 points per game. Spear needs to average 9.1 points over the final 16 games of the 2022-23 regular season to eclipse 1,000 career points at RMU. He would be the first student-athlete to score 1,000 points as a member of the Colonials since former guard Matty McConnell (2015-2019) turned the trick Jan. 31, 2019. He would also be the 26th player in program history to accomplish the feat.
 
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 13 games this season as well as 15 consecutive contests dating back to last year. During that span Cheeks has stuffed the stat sheet, producing averages of 17.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.4 blocks per contest while shooting 49.5 percent (96-for-194) 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.
 
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 215-64 (.770) when holding opponents under 70 points since the beginning of the 2007-08 season. Despite a 63-54 loss to Cleveland State (12/31/22) that wrapped up a three-game homestand at the UPMC Events Center, the Colonials own a mark of  164-57 (.742) 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 54.3 percent (278-of-512) of the time.

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