GAME 27
RMU (11-15 / 6-9 #HLMBB) @ Purdue Fort Wayne (15-11 / 7-8 #HLMBB)
Sunday, February 12, 2023 • 1:00 p.m.
Gates Sports Center (2,300) • Fort Wayne, Ind.

TV: ESPN+ w/ Josh Ayen (pxp) & Michael Kobiloski
Radio: RMU Athletics Gameday App w/ Chris Shovlin (pxp)
Twitter: @RMUMBasketball • Instagram: RMUMBasketball
 
Opening Tip
 
- The RMU men's basketball team wraps up a two-game road swing looking for its first win in February Sunday by traveling to Fort Wayne, Ind., for a 1:00 p.m. tip against Purdue Fort Wayne at the Gates Sports Center.
 
- A tip-in from Deante Johnson with 2.0 seconds left helped lift Cleveland State to a 57-55 victory over the Colonials at the Wolstein Center (2/10/23) in RMU's last outing. Junior guard Enoch Cheeks posted a game-high 17 points and also added three rebounds, five assists and four blocks for the Colonials.
 
- Fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear finished with 11 points and nine rebounds against the Vikings, while freshman forward Stephaun Walker registered his second career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. RMU successfully erased a 15-point deficit, grabbing a 55-53 lead with just over a minute to play @ Cleveland State, only to fall in the waning moments.
 
- The Colonials wrapped up a four-game homestand by dropping an 82-67 decision to Wright State (2/4/23) at the UPMC Events Center. Junior guard Enoch Cheeks paced RMU with 21 points and also recorded four rebounds, two assists and three steals.
 
- Fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear recorded his third consecutive double-double and 10th of the 2022-23 campaign with 11 points and 11 rebounds against the Raiders, while freshman forward Stephaun Walker finished with 10 points and five rebounds. The Colonials concluded their four-game homestand at the UPMC Events Center with a 2-2 (.500) record.
 
- During its four-game homestand, fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear paced the Colonials, averaging 20.8 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting 61.5 percent (32-for-52) from the field. Spear sits fifth overall this season in the Horizon League in field goal percentage at 51.3 percent (157-for-306).
 
- The Colonials had a three-game surge snapped by falling to Northern Kentucky (2/2/23), 62-52, to open February. The Norse closed the game on a 17-2 run to earn the win as RMU tied a season high with 19 turnovers. The Colonials also finished with 19 turnovers in a 71-66 triumph @ Central Michigan (12/7/22).
 
- Junior guard Enoch Cheeks led RMU against NKU with 20 points and also finished with eight rebounds and three steals. Fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear, meanwhile, notched 17 points and 10 rebounds. Cheeks (16.5 ppg) and Spear (15.8 ppg) rank seventh and 10th, respectively, in the Horizon League in scoring.
 
- Behind a career-high 30 points and 11 rebounds from fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear, the Colonials closed out January with a 68-63 victory over Oakland (1/29/23). Spear shot 11-for-16 from the field in the victory, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, and was a perfect 5-for-5 at the free-throw line.

PURDUE FORT WAYNE LINKS
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
- RMU Athletics Gameday App
 
The All-Time Series (Purdue Fort Wayne) – Purdue Fort Wayne and RMU meet for the sixth time Sunday, with the Mastodons owning a 3-2 (.600) advantage in the all-time series. Each game between the two programs have come as Horizon League foes. In the 2022-23 season series opener, junior guard Enoch Cheeks scored a career-high 24 points to help lift RMU to a 75-70 win at the UPMC Events Center (12/29/22). The Colonials used a 13-4 run to snap a 45-45 tie en route to the victory.
 
Cleveland State Notes – RMU has dropped seven consecutive games to the Vikings, with Cleveland State extending its advantage in the all-time series to 13-7 (.650) ... The Vikings have also won nine of the last 10 meetings between the two programs, claiming five of those victories by seven points or less ... The Colonials held the advantage on the glass, outrebounding Cleveland State, 38-36 ... The Vikings, however, owned a 17-12 cushion in offensive rebounds ... RMU fell behind, 20-5, with under 10 minutes to go in the first half and also trailed, 27-12, at 6:59, only to use a 17-3 burst to close to within 30-29 at halftime ... The 15-point deficit is the largest the Colonials have erased during the 2022-23 season.
 
All-American Rejects – RMU posted a season-high eight blocks @ Cleveland State (2/10/23), with junior guard Enoch Cheeks establishing a career high against the Vikings with four rejections. Adding a pair of blocks was fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear, while sophomore forward Trey James and senior guard Josh Corbin each had one. Both Cheeks (1.29 bpg) and Spear (1.12 bpg) rank in the top five in the Horizon League in blocks, ranking second and fifth, respectively. The eight rejections @ Cleveland State match the most RMU has posted in a game since joining the Horizon League prior to the 2020-21 season. The Colonials also notched eight blocks in a 74-64 win over Northern Kentucky (1/15/22) at the UPMC Events Center.
 
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 217-67 (.764) when holding opponents under 70 points since the beginning of the 2007-08 season. Despite a 57-55 setback @ Cleveland State (2/10/23), the Colonials own a mark of 166-60 (.735) 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 54.1 percent (283-of-523) of the time.

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