Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU men's basketball team concluded its 2022-23 regular season Thursday, closing out with an 81-75 loss to IUPUI in Indianapolis, Ind., at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. The Colonials own an overall record of 15-16 (.484) during the 2022-23 campaign, including 10-10 (.500) in the Horizon League.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Senior guard
Michael Green III drove into the lane and converted in the paint to give RMU a 50-43 advantage with 13:05 to go. Over the next nine minutes, however, the Jaguars outscored the Colonials, 25-12, to turn a seven-point deficit into an eight-point lead, 68-60. Armon Jarrard capped the surge with a three-pointer as IUPUI converted nine of its 14 attempts from the field (.643) while also going 6-for-6 at the free-throw line. Six different Jaguars scored during the run, with DJ Jackson leading the way with six points.
QUOTABLE
"We just ran out of gas," RMU Pat Gallagher Head Coach
Andrew Toole said. "We weren't able to get stops. Or consecutive stops. They made all the plays and the big shots and killed us on the glass. When you're the hungrier team good things happen like they did tonight for IUPUI. Give Coach Crenshaw and his staff credit. He's trying to build his program and they've been in some really close games in the league this year. I thought the two four-point plays by Armon were huge. It's frustrating, because we've been in these positions before. We have to bounce back and get ready for the Horizon League Tournament."
GAFFERS TAPE
RMU shot just 33.3 percent (9-for-27) from the field in the first half but were able to grab a 34-29 lead at the break after closing the opening stanza on a 7-2 run. Junior guard
Enoch Cheeks, who scored 13 points in the first 20 minutes, hit a jumper, Green III canned a three-pointer and fifth-year forward
Kahliel Spear added his own jumper.
CONNECTION LOST
RMU was able to keep its distance early in the second half, matching its largest lead of the contest at seven on, you guessed it, seven different occasions. IUPUI, however, plugged in the ethernet, knocking down 55.2 percent (16-of-29) of its shots after the break while also going 18-for-21 (85.7%) at the free-throw line. Overall, the Jaguars visited the stripe 28 times, converting 22 (78.6%). RMU finished at 72.4 percent (21-for-29) at the chalk.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Spear capped the 2022-23 regular season by recording his 21st career double-double with the Colonials, scoring 27 points while grabbing 12 boards, including six offensive caroms. He also recorded a pair of assists and two blocks. Spear has cracked the top 20 at RMU in career points (1,134) as well as the top 10 in career rebounds (594). Cheeks and Green III each finished with 15 points for the Colonials, who were 0-for-9 from beyond the arc in the second half and just 4-for-20 (20%) overall.
UP NEXT
RMU is off for the final day of the regular season Saturday, Feb. 25, with each of the other 10 teams in the league in action. The Colonials will host a first round game in the 2023 Barbasol Horizon League Tournament at the UPMC Events Center Tuesday, Feb. 28.
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