GAME 17
IUPUI (3-13 / 0-5 #HLMBB) vs. RMU (7-9 / 2-3 #HLMBB)
Monday, January 9, 2023 • 7:00 p.m.
UPMC Events Center (4,000) • Moon Township, Pa.

TV: ESPN+ • Athletics Gameday App
Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp) & Jim Elias (color)
Twitter: @RMUMBasketball • Instagram: RMUMBasketball
 
Opening Tip
 
- The RMU men's basketball team hosts its first game of the 2023 calendar year Monday when it welcomes IUPUI to the UPMC Events Center for a 7:00 p.m. tip.
 
- The Colonials are looking to snap a two-game slide after falling to Youngstown State (1/5/23), 78-56, at the Beeghly Center. Junior guard Enoch Cheeks paced RMU against the Penguins with 16 points and also added three rebounds, an assist and a block. Freshman forward Stephaun Walker added 11 points and three rebounds.
 
- The Colonials have hit connected on just four of their last 26 attempts (15.4%) from beyond the arc in the last two games and are converting at just a 23.6 percent (25-for-106) from deep in their last seven losses. In the last five wins? RMU has shot 43.3 percent (45-for-104) from downtown.
 
-RMU 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 their #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 1,035 career points, including 863 in three seasons with the Colonials.
 
- 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.

- A four-game road trip awaits after RMU hosts IUPUI Monday. The Colonials open the swing Thursday, Jan. 12, with a 7:00 p.m. tip @ Oakland and RMU will also visit Detroit Mercy (1/14), Milwaukee (1/19) and Green Bay (1/21).

IUPUI LINKS
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
- RMU Athletics Gameday App
- Tickets
 
The All-Time Series (IUPUI) – RMU and IUPUI meet for the third time on the hardwood Monday, with the two programs having split the 2021-22 season series. In the last meeting, the Jaguars hit seven three-pointers in the second half, including four in the final 5:20 of action as part of a 16-5 run that gave IUPUI a 61-52 advantage with 1:11 to play, en route to a 66-56 victory over RMU at the UPMC Events Center (2/17/22). In the first meeting between the two programs in school history, the Colonials earned a 66-49 win over the Jaguars at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum (2/5/22). A one-point game at the break in favor of the Colonials, 28-27, RMU was able to take control early in the second half with a 12-2 spurt that opened up a 40-29 advantage. Forward Kahliel Spear and guard Enoch Cheeks combined for 31 points, 19 rebounds, four assists and three blocks for the Colonials in the win @ IUPUI.
 
Youngstown State Notes – The Penguins tied the all-time series with the Colonials, 13-13 (.500) thanks to the win ... The 12 steals for Youngstown State marked the second consecutive game an RMU opponent recorded a season high in thefts ... The five turnovers by the Penguins also marked a season low by an opponent ... The two teams tied in rebounds, 29-29, including 6-6 in offensive caroms ... RMU is 0-7 when trailing at the half during the 2022-23 season after falling behind at the break, 29-25 ... The Colonials handed out 17 assists, including a career-high four dimes from sophomore guard Jackson Last. 
 
Paint By Numbers – RMU scored 42 points in the paint @ Youngstown State (1/5/23), establishing a season high against an NCAA Division I opponent, as an incredible 75 percent (42-of-56) of the points for the Colonials against the Penguins came in high percentage situations. Since the beginning of December, RMU is averaging 32.2 points per game in the paint and overall this season are scoring at a 31.3 points per game clip. The Colonials own a +2.9 advantage during the 2022-23 campaign on their opponents in scoring in the paint.
 
1979 – 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 66 career contests at RMU, Spear owns both 79 dunks and 79 blocks, an average of 1.20 per game. Spear matched a career high with four rejections in a 68-59 win @ Mount St. Mary's (12/18/22) and has compiled 109 career blocks in five seasons at the NCAA Division I level. Spear has cracked the top 10 for career blocks at RMU with 79, as he is tied for fifth with former guard Jeremy Chappell (2005-09). Spear also has a chance to be the only RMU student-athlete on record to eclipse career totals of both 100 blocks and 100 dunks during their career with the Colonials.
 
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 (66) and starts (53), has scored 863 points in 66 career contests for the Colonials since transferring from Bucknell, an average of 13.1 points per game. Spear needs to average 9.1 points over the final 15 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 14 games this season as well as 16 consecutive contests dating back to last year. During that span Cheeks has stuffed the stat sheet, producing averages of 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks per contest while shooting 48.8 percent (103-for-211) 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.

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