Battling a five-game losing streak to start the 2021-22 season, the Robert Morris men’s basketball team hit the hardwood for its first Horizon League game of the season Thursday night looking for different results.
The outcome remained the same.
The Colonials (0-6, 0-1 Horizon) hit the road to face Green Bay (2-5 1-0) and fell up short by 12 points losing 70-58.
The Phoenix scored the first five points, but the Colonials would stick around throughout and swing the games back and forth.
The matchup was tied 11-11 with around 14 minutes left in half. RMU proceeded to go on a run in their first conference game and started to gain control of the first 10 minutes.
Robert Morris led 17-11 nearing 11 minutes left as Rasheem Dunn recorded seven early points.
The two teams continued to trade possessions, being tied 22-22 with 7:45 left.
RMU grabbed a one-point lead with two minutes left, but didn’t score the rest of the half. Green Bay scored one more time and took a 31-30 lead to the locker room.
Dunn guided the Colonials in double figures with 11 points thanks to a perfect 6/6 from the free-throw line. Justin Winston also scored seven and Enoch Cheeks with five.
The team only had two bench points, coming from Kam Farris, but shot an impressive 50% from the field and 4/6 from deep, both better than the Phoenix. RMU outrebounded Green Bay, but trailed in the turnover department 9-4.
Green Bay was paced by 10 points on 5/8 shooting from Emmanuel Ansong in the first half. The Phoenix shot just under 47% in the first 20 minutes.
Green Bay maintained the lead 40-36 and a timeout on the floor with 15:11 left in the game.
Regardless, Robert Morris would not go away still seeking its first victory. The Colonials led 48-46 under 11 minutes remaining as Winston began pouring it on the Phoenix.
Winston was a major difference maker in the second half both from defensively and hitting three-point shots.
A two-point Green Bay spread to begin the game was living up to the hype with the Phoenix clinging to a one-point lead under eight left in the game.
Green Bay lumped out to a 59-52 advantage nearing six minutes left, starting to pull away at home in the Colonials’ conference opener.
RMU’s shooting percentage remained relatively steady, with Green Bay picking up the pace and was up by nine under four minutes left and RMU drawing cold offensively.
Senior forward Kahliel Spear struggled mightily scoring the ball but hit two free throws to help cut the lead late.
The Colonials needed multiple stops defensively to stay in it, but couldn’t do so as Donovan Ivory crushed RMU late to seal it.
The main difference was 46 points in the paint for Green Bay, crushing RMU down low and out scoring their opponent by a large variety.
Green Bay won the matchup 70-58 in the Horizon League opener with the Colonials continuing to search for their first win.
Dunn finished with a team-high 17 points and Winston recorded 16. Spear only totaled five points on 1/9 shooting. RMU collectively shot 38% from the floor, dropping significantly as the second half wore on.
Ansong scored a game-high 23 points and Ivory 11 as the Phoenix shot an even 50% from the field.
RMU ends it’s three-game road trip against another conference opponent in Milwaukee Saturday morning at noon, before returning home to play Lancaster Bible on Wednesday.
