RMU Men’s Basketball: Four Stars Of The Game In NEC Tournament Win Over Wagner
By Larry Snyder
In the opening round of the Northeast Conference men’s basketball tournament Wednesday, the Robert Morris University Colonials downed the Wagner College Seahawks 91-68 at the Charles L. Sewall Center.
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RMU is the No. 2 seed in the tournament and advanced their record to 17-14 overall and 12-6 in the NEC this season, while Wagner, the No. 7 seed, closed out their campaign 10-20 overall and 8-10 in the conference.
Coach Andrew Toole‘s squad shot 53.6 percent from the field overall and 60 percent from beyond the arc. The Colonials went on a 15-4 run to capture a 15-7 advantage at the 14:37 mark of the first half and never looked back. They were up by as many as 19 on the scoreboard before going into half time with an 11-point lead.
There was an assault of 3-pointers from Robert Morris, one by junior guard Rodney Pryor and three in a row by senior guard Lucky Jones that helped take control of the game. RMU also held a 34 to 29 edge on the boards.
Wagner rallied back to close the gap within nine early in the second half. However, it was not enough as the Seahawks were held to 41.4 percent shooting from the floor. They did convert 17-of-19 from the free-throw line.
Let’s take a look at four players that helped the Colonials win their fourth straight since an 80-76 loss Feb. 19 to the Sacred Heart University Pioneers.
1) Coming off the bench, Jones contributed 5 of 6 three-point attempts and finished with 27 points which tied a career high. The 6-foot-6, 210-pound senior was eight of 12 from the floor overall and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line.
2) The second leading scorer was freshman guard Marcquise Reed, who came through with 22 points against the Seahawks. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Landover, Maryland native added five rebounds, five assists, and three steals on the scoresheet.
3) Pryor led the Colonials with eight rebounds and a career-high seven assists. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound guard from Evanston, Illinois also put up 15 points.
4) Kavon Stewart rounded out the offense with 10 points in 33 minutes of play. The 6-foot, 190-pound sophomore guard out of Paterson, New Jersey had five assists on the night.
Lucky Jones had this to say on Twitter…
Lucky Jones: "We're trying to play our best basketball of the year. It's my last postseason, and I want to go out with a bang."
— RMU Basketball (@RMUMBasketball) March 5, 2015
L. Jones: "It took us awhile to understand what kind of talent we have. We'll never have the same group of guys & need to enjoy the moment."
— RMU Basketball (@RMUMBasketball) March 5, 2015
At the other end of the floor, NEC first-team senior guard Marcus Burton and junior forward Mike Aaman led the Seahawks with 19 points apiece. The 6-foot, 170-pound Burton scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half. The 6-foot-8, 210-pound Aaman was the Wagner leader with eight rebounds.
Up Next: Robert Morris hosts the semifinals Saturday, March 7 against the No. 3 seed Bryant University. The Bulldogs advanced Wednesday after they defeated the Sacred Heart University Pioneers 91-85 in double overtime.
The tip-off is set for noon at the Charles. L. Sewall Center. The Colonials are 9-6 at home this season while the Bulldogs are 7-9 on the road.
From The Clipboard: The NEC head coaches Tuesday voted Marcquise Reed the 2015 Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year. He also claimed a spot on the 2015 All-NEC Rookie Team and joined teammates Jones and Pryor on the 2015 All-NEC Second Team.