Game 15: Getting scrappy with it

[Chris Cappella]

Robert Morris took on Wagner with a national TV audience and delivered with a scrappy 77-73 win. RMU has improved to 2-1 in conference play. Some thoughts...

-Lucky Jones carried RMU through the finish line with 18 points, including the last six points for the team (all from the line). He finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and really just played his as off. That's the best way I could put it. I was impressed all game with the way Lucky worked for boards, got to the line, and just found himself at the right place at the right time.

I think many who have studied both teams thought this would be a good matchup for Lucky. Wagner fouls more than any team in college basketball and Lucky strives off getting to the line. He had 14 free throw attempts in the game, hitting on 12 of them.

-As a team, RMU hit 27-35 free throws. Talk about a game changer. I always preach YGTMYFT (You Got To Make Your Free Throws) and the Colonials did that today.

-Tonight was a perfect example of how tough this league will be. RMU took on what is perceived to be a bottom-end NEC team, but on the road on national television. Wagner played with a lot of energy and was incredibly efficient on offense. Every game will be a battle.

-Point guard Kavon Stewart was awesome. He finished with 6 points, five assists, four steals, and ZERO turnovers. He was in compete control, again.

-My favorite Kavon/Toole moment of the season: With 3:11 remaining, Wagner went to a 2-3 zone to try and get a stop. Kavon handled the ball, then got a double high screen as he drove through the middle of the lane, picking off the top wing players. Kavon finished with a tough lefty floater to stretch the lead to four. It was the last non-free throw of the game for RMU.

-RMU had 15 assists on 22 made baskets. Without looking, I would bet that's the best ratio for any game of the year.

-On the other end, I thought this was the worst defensive performance of the season. Wagner might have had 17 turnovers, but they also shot 40.4 percent from the field, 52.6 from the field, and 17-23 from the line. I was really unimpressed with RMU's ability to keep guards in front of them, rotate, and keep the ball out of the low post. Wagner did a good job of letting Marcus Burton create for them.

-Marcus Burton is really, really good.

-Speaking of really, really good, how about Marcquise Reed again? He finished with 15 points on 5-10 shooting and handled the ball more than he's been asked to all season. He also had 3 assists, four steals, and just 1 turnover. If Burton was the best player on the court, Reed and Lucky Jones were co-tied for second best. So impressive in so many different ways.

-Relatively loved the way Toole played offense/defense lineups. He brought in Appolon for every keep defensive moment to pester at the top of the zone.

-Side note: RMU played just 8 guys tonight. With no official update, I believe big men Andre Frederick and Leo Gomis were healthy scratches. Both guys played at St. Francis PA. That would mean, RMU played just eight guys tonight. Return of the crazy eight?

-Wasn't crazy with the play of Stephan Bennett tonight. He fouled out after 21 minutes with 4 points on 1-5 shooting and 2-4 from the line. He also added four rebounds. The numbers aren't terrible, but Bennett really just didn't pass the eye test. it's one of those things. His two low post touches were ugly and he also took a long two. Last year, I thought Bennett had a nice balance between the two. He wasn't a low post player, but the 12 foot jump shot he hit was an effective shot. We haven't seen it this year.

I much rather would have seen Elijah Minnie in late game opportunities, but to Bennett's credit he did have a really great defensive possession before he fouled out and it wasn't like Minnie was tearing it up on defense. Just to be clear, big man minute breakdown goes as follows:

-Bennett: 21
-Tate and Minnie: 18 each

-The late game dynamic was more interesting than the final result, at leas in my eyes. Pryor took control in a must-have possession, drawing a (controversial) blocking foul. The flow of the offense wasn't great, but the final outcome was.

That's really all I have. More to come in the AM.

--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella

 

[ColonialCrazy]

Very tough gritty win. I would be willing to bet that just before he closed his eyes for the night, Velton Jones smiled. That was a V-Jones led Colonials type win (throwback!). Grind it out down the stretch, and walk off the court with more points than the opposition.

Speaking of Jones, I don't know how much credit he deserves, but it sure seems like he is working hard with Kavon Stewart. I don't think it's a coincidence that Stewart has played very well against MSM and Wagner, and RMU has won each game. He was average against St Francis (PA) and the Colonials were average, falling just short. This team, with all the scoring on the wings, 2-3 zone, etc, will still ultimately continue to go as Stewart goes. Six points, five assists, and four steals is a nice line. Throw in zero turnovers, and that's a hell of a game for a point guard.

Nice to see Rodney Pryor bounce back. 18 points --15 in the first half-- on 5-9 shooting is very efficient. I know he didn't make a field goal in the second half, but that's more a credit to Wagner. They adjusted their defense to slow Pryor. He didn't force it. I think we will see more of this Pryor as the season moves on, not the guy in the 11 jersey the three prior games.

THAT is the Lucky Jones that Colonials fans have come to know. 18 points, 10 boards (including a BEASTLY rebound mid-second half to start a break, taking it away from three Wagner players). Keep that up Luck.

As Chris noted, Quise Reed is so impressive. Another ho-hum 15 points, three assists, and four steals. It feels like this line is expected now, and that shows just how good he is. What a steal for Andy Toole on the recruiting trail. How about his fellow freshman, Elijah Minnie? Nine points, four boards, in just 18 minutes. A perfect 3-3 from the field and 3-3 from the line. What I liked most about Minnie last night was his effort. All his points were scrappy, second chance opportunities and being in the right place at the right time. Whenever you can score without having to diagram offense, it's a huge plus.

Not to be a sour grape, but man Stephan Bennett was...umm, off last night. He's been all over the place this season. I still don't understand why he is taking so many long jumpers. Not mid-range J's. Those I can live with, but long jumpers. When he is at the basket, good things happen. He is the biggest player RMU has on their roster, so the minutes will be there. Get on the post my man! I will say, he had some nice defensive plays last night. He provided solid rim protection, and had a huge stop late when Marcus Burton attacked the rim, and was stoned. If Bennett can replicate his performance Monday night at SFPA, RMU will be in good shape.

David Appolon was not that good last night. He's human. Three turnovers, two points. I'm not at all worried about App though. Every player has off nights. I expect the typical eight points, three assists, two steals line Saturday.

I'm sure Andy Toole would have loved to win all three of these road games, but taking two of three is not bad at all. The Colonials can do that with a win Saturday (3:30pm) at Central Connecticut before they return home next Friday with a showdown against St Francis Brooklyn, 9pm on ESPNU.