Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU men's basketball team saw its 2022-23 season come to a close Thursday in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Barbasol Horizon League Tournament with a 75-70 overtime loss to Cleveland State at the Wolstein Center. The Colonials finish the year with an overall record of 16-17 (.485).
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Cleveland State closed regulation on a 7-0 run to tie the game, 61-61, and force overtime. Drew Lowder began the push with a three-pointer, and a layup from Tristan Enaruna, who scored a game-high 23 points, pulled the Vikings to within 61-59 with under a minute to go. A couple of empty possessions by the Colonials led to Lowder heading to the free-throw line with 7.7 seconds left and connecting for a pair to tie the contest. RMU had one last chance to win it in regulation but couldn't get a shot off. The two teams traded baskets early in the extra frame before an 8-2 burst pushed Cleveland State in front, 71-65.
QUOTABLE
"Valiant efforts don't get you much in March," RMU Pat Gallagher Head Coach
Andrew Toole said. "I thought we had some chances with a minute and-a-half to go, but we can't let Lowder get loose. It's killer. This is certainly a difficult one to handle. It was a tough, hard-nosed physical game. I certainly loved coaching these guys. They were all dedicated to becoming the best team we could be. It hurts because you want to see them continue on. We came up just a little short."
ENERGIZER
Tied, 6-6, in the early going, the Colonials used a 7-0 surge to grab a 13-6 advantage that was capped by an alley-oop from senior guard
Michael Green III to fifth-year forward
Kahliel Spear. Green III started the run himself with a three-point play and also added a layup. A stoppage in play ensued so everyone could check their watches, and out of the break Cleveland State scored nine of the next 11 points to knot the game again, 15-15. RMU stemmed the tide, grabbing a 28-20 lead on the strength of an 11-3 surge. The run was capped by, that's correct, an alley-oop flush by Spear, this time from junior guard
Enoch Cheeks. RMU eventually owned a 32-28 lead at halftime.
PRESSURE
In the opening minutes of the second half, the Colonials received consecutive three-pointers to open up their largest lead of the contest, 44-32. Junior guard
Josh Corbin connected for the first triple, while sophomore guard
Jackson Last added another. RMU matched its biggest lead, 47-35, with 12:20 remaining after Cheeks connected from mid-range and also owned a double-digit cushion with just over eight minutes left, 55-45, before the Vikings (20-12) made their final push.
SENIOR SALUTE
In his final game in an RMU uniform, Spear finished with eight points, eight rebounds and a block. In three seasons with the Colonials, Spear compiled career totals of 1,159 points, 613 rebounds and 104 rejections while also producing a field goal percentage of 53 percent (454-for-857). One of just 15 student-athletes in program history to eclipse career totals of 1,000 points and 500 rebounds, Spear established an RMU single-season record for blocks (46) in 2022-23, and his 273 boards ranks second, trailing only the 274 former forward Earl Cureton (1976-77) posted in his lone NCAA Division I season with the Colonials.
QUOTABLE
"I can't necessarily speak on what I've done for the program," Spear said. "I'll let other people say those things. The program did a lot for me. I'm always grateful for the coaching staff and Colonial fans for giving me a chance. They all supported me when I first came here. It helped me through times like this in previous years, and it's going to help me get through this tough time right now."
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Freshman forward
Stephaun Walker paced the Colonials with 15 points and also grabbed six rebounds, converting six of his 10 shots from the field. Corbin and Green III each finished with 14 points, while Green III adding five assists and four steals. As a team, the Colonials shot 43.5 percent ( 27-for-62) from the floor, while Cleveland State converted 46.7 percent (28-for-60) of its shots.
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