Photo Credit: Josh Gales (Purdue Fort Wayne Athletics)
Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU men's basketball team concluded a two-game road trip Sunday in Fort Wayne, Ind., with a come-from-behind victory over Purdue Fort Wayne, 71-64, at the Gates Sports Center. In snapping a three-game slide, the Colonials improved to 12-15 (.444) overall during the 2022-23 season, including 7-9 (.438) in the Horizon League.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Two days after falling behind by 15 in the first half at Cleveland State, erasing the deficit but falling short, the Colonials completed the charge Sunday against the Mastodons. Purdue Fort Wayne scored the first 15 points of the contest and grabbed its biggest lead of the game at the 5:35 mark of the first half, when Bobby Planutis knocked down a triple to give the Mastodons a 31-13 cushion. RMU closed to within 37-24 at halftime and got behind the exploits of senior guard
Michael Green III, who scored 18 of his game-high 24 points in the second half to bolster the Colonials. His three-pointer from the top of the key with 1:17 remaining snapped a 64-64 tie and was part of a 16-2 run for RMU to close the contest.
QUOTABLE
"One of the things we did was challenge the guys at halftime," RMU Pat Gallagher Head Coach
Andrew Toole said. "It's now been two games in a row where we didn't start the game very well. We have to figure that out, but I was proud of the way we responded in the second half. And really, it was everybody. Our defense was so active in the second half, and that was the key that kept us in the game. There have been times this season where we're in the gap but sometimes we're not as active as we need to be. Today we got to our gaps and used our hands and were ready to guard. Jackson (Last) had four steals, and I think all four were in the second half, and that really fueled us. I couldn't be prouder of our guys for the effort they gave in the second half in getting a much-needed win."
MR. DRILLER
Damian Chong Qui helped Purdue Fort Wayne (15-12 / 7-9 #HLMBB) grab a 43-28 lead just 72 seconds into the second half with a three-pointer, and Ra Kpedi kept the cushion in double digits, 48-37, with 13:43 remaining with a pair of free throws. RMU followed with a 14-4 burst to trim its deficit to one, 52-51, after fifth-year forward
Kahliel Spear hit the front end of a pair of opportunities at the free-throw line. The Dons seemed to steady, stretching their lead to 62-55 after a three-point play from Kpedi thanks to a layup and foul with 5:28 left, but it was all RMU from there. Green III helped the Colonials put forth their final push with a layup and scored nine points during the deciding salvo.
QUOTABLE
"The last five minutes (
Michael Green III) was fantastic," Toole said. "There was a different look in his eyes in the second half, and that's the MGIII that we need. He rose up and hit the big shot that gave us the lead, and his bucket that extended the lead to five I thought he got fouled on. I'm super proud of Mike. There can't be any differential from a mindset perspective as we get ready to go into the last 12 days of the regular season. When he's locked in we're a better team."
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
RMU matched its largest deficit to climb out of in 13 years under Toole Sunday against the Mastodons, as the Colonials also erased an 18-point deficit against Siena (12/8/18) at the North Athletic Complex. RMU eventually lost that game to the Saints, 74-71. Sunday's performance against Purdue Fort Wayne is the largest comeback in program history in a road contest while ranking third overall. RMU trailed at home against Youngstown State (11/25/08), 57-34, with 16:37 remaining before roaring back for a 74-72 win at the Charles L. Sewall Center. Also at home, the Colonials trailed St. Francis Brooklyn (1/10/00), 53-34, with 14:55 to go before posting a 73-63 triumph.
QUOTABLE
"It's not a recipe for success, that's for sure," Toole said. "Kahliel was talking about it in the huddle of the last media timeout. He mentioned how we were able to come back Friday night at Cleveland State but weren't able to finish it off. He did a great job rallying the guys and keeping the momentum we had going. I said it Friday and I'll say it again. I think the communication from our guys has been great. We just have to figure out a way to get off to a better start, especially on the road, but today we were able to finish it off."
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
The performance by Green III is a season-high as well as the most points he's scored in two seasons in an RMU uniform. He finished 9-for-14 from the field, including 1-for-3 from the arc, and was a perfect 5-for-5 at the free-throw line. He also added five assists and a steal. Spear contributed 12 points and seven rebounds, while freshman forward
Stephaun Walker just missed a second consecutive double-double by tallying nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds. In the second half, the Colonials shot 62.1 percent (18-for-29) from the field while holding the Mastodons to a 9-for-23 (39.1%) performance from the floor.
UP NEXT
RMU returns home to the UPMC Events Center for its final homestand of the year, beginning Thursday, Feb. 16, with a 7:00 p.m. tip against Green Bay. The Colonials will also host Milwaukee (2/18/23) and Youngstown State (2/21/23) before concluding the regular season Thursday, Feb. 23, at IUPUI.
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