GAME 28
Green Bay (3-24 / 2-14) vs. RMU (12-15 / 7-9 #HLMBB)
Thursday, February 16, 2023 • 7:00 p.m.
UPMC Events Center (4,000) • Moon Township, Pa.

TV: ESPN+ • Radio: RMU Athletics Gameday App
Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp) & Jim Elias (color)
Twitter: @RMUMBasketball • Instagram: RMUMBasketball
 
Opening Tip
 
- The RMU men's basketball team concludes the home portion of its 2022-23 regular season with a three-game stand at the UPMC Events Center, beginning Thursday with a 7:00 p.m. tip against Green Bay.
 
- The Colonials picked up their first win in the month of February in their last outing, climbing out of an 18-point deficit to earn a 71-64 triumph over Purdue Fort Wayne (2/12/23) at the Gates Sports Center. Senior guard Michael Green III scored 18 of his game-high 24 points in the second half to bolster RMU.
 
- The Colonials trailed against the Mastodons, 15-0, and faced their largest deficit, 31-13, at the 5:35 mark of the first half but closed the game on a 16-2 run to earn the win. Green III connected for a three-pointer to snap a 64-64 tie and also hit a jumper that gave RMU a 69-64 edge with 23 seconds remaining. Fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear added 12 points and seven rebounds in the triumph.
 
- In four games during the month of February, the Colonials have been led by junior guard Enoch Cheeks, who is stuffing the stat sheet. He is producing averages of 16.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per contest. Overall this season in 25 games, Cheeks ranks ninth in the Horizon League in scoring (16.2 ppg), third in blocks (1.2 bpg) and fourth in steals (1.9 spg).
 
- 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 the opener of RMU's two-game road trip. Junior guard Enoch Cheeks posted a game-high 17 points and also added three rebounds, five assists and a career-high 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.
 
- Freshman forward Stephaun Walker is averaging 7.8 points and 8.3 rebounds in four games during the month of February, converting 51.9 percent (14-for-27) of his shots from the field during that span. Of his 33 rebounds in February, a whopping 51.5 percent (17-of-33) have come on the offensive glass.
 
- Fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear has reached double figures in 11 consecutive games entering RMU's final homestand of the season, averaging 18.5 points and 8.9 rebounds during that stretch while converting 55 percent (77-for-140) of his shots from the field.
 
- RMU welcomes Milwaukee (2/18/23) and Youngstown State (2/21/23) as part of its final homestand after taking on the Phoenix Thursday.

GREEN BAY LINKS
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
- RMU Athletics Gameday App
- Tickets
 
The All-Time Series (Green Bay) – Green Bay and RMU meet for the fourth time Thursday, with the Colonials owning a 2-1 (.667) edge in the all-time series. In the opening game of the 2022-23 season series, the Colonials posted a 72-38 win over the Phoenix in Green Bay, Wisc., at the Resch Center (1/21/23). RMU led at halftime, 19-17, and freshman forward Stephaun Walker opened the scoring after the break by converting a three-point play. It was part of an 11-0 stretch to open the second half that gave the Colonials a 30-17 edge with 16:14 remaining en route to the victory. Fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear joined the RMU 500-Rebound Club in the first half against the Phoenix. His first board of the contest, which came on the offensive glass at the 14:00 minute mark and was followed by a layup that gave RMU a 10-4 lead, helped Spear become the 19th member of the exclusive club at Robert Morris. He led all scorers in the game with, ironically, 19 points while also compiling six rebounds, two assists and a block.
 
Purdue Fort Wayne Notes – Two programs that joined the Horizon League prior to the 2020-21 season, the Colonials tied the all-time series with Mastodons, 3-3 (.500), thanks to the victory ... RMU forced Purdue Fort Wayne into 21 turnovers and owned a 21-7 advantage in points off miscues ... The Colonials have forced an opponent into 20+ turnovers on three occasions this season and are 2-1 (.667) in those contests ... RMU posted a 40-22 edge in points in the paint, improving to 2-3 (.400) during the 2022-23 season when scoring at least 40 points down low ... RMU earned its second win of the 2022-23 season when trailing at halftime, as the Colonials also trailed by one at home to Detroit Mercy (1/27/23), 33-32, before earning an 85-77 win.
 
Comeback Kids – The Colonials matched their largest deficit to climb out of in 13 years under RMU Pat Gallagher Head Coach Andrew Toole in a 71-64 win @ Purdue Fort Wayne (2/12/23). The Mastodons led, 31-13, with 5:35 to go in the first half, owned a 13-point lead at the break, 37-24, and also had a 15-point cushion early in the second half before the Colonials charged back. RMU also trailed by 18 at home against Siena (12/8/18) at the North Athletic Complex, only to grab a four-point lead with 2:40 to play. The Saints closed the game, however, on a 9-2 run to earn a 74-71 win on a three-pointer from Kevin Degnan. Eight times under Toole the Colonials have erased a deficit of at least 15 points, and the deficit @ Purdue Fort Wayne is RMU's largest to fall behind and earn a win in a road game on record. 
 
Double Vision – Fifth-year forward Kahliel Spear recorded his third consecutive and 10th double-double of the 2022-23 season against Wright State (2/4/23) to conclude a four-game homestand at the UPMC Events Center, finishing with 11 points and 11 rebounds. The double-double was also the 19th of his career with the Colonials, which ranks second all-time in program history. The only student-athlete in program history to post at least 20 double-doubles over the course of his career is former forward A.J. Jackson (2003-08), who finished with 25.
 
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 218-67 (.765) when holding opponents under 70 points since the beginning of the 2007-08 season. Thanks to a 71-64 victory @ Purdue Fort Wayne (2/12/23), the Colonials own a mark of 167-60 (.736) 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 (285-of-524) of the time.

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