MOON TOWNSHIP, PA (93.7 The Fan) – This season Robert Morris has excelled in the second half and did so again on Friday night beating Green Bay 94-85. The 21st win of the season, most in 11 years.
Eight different times the three-win Phoenix held a lead in the first half. It wasn't until an 8-1 run just past the midway point gave the Colonials (21-8, 13-5 Horizon) the lead for the rest of the night. Although it was a five-point game at halftime with Green Bay (3-25, 1-16) shooting 54% from the floor.
"Our defensive intensity and urgency was not where it needed to be," said Robert Morris head coach Andy Toole. "Green Bay deserves a little bit of credit for that."
"Can you come out from the jump and be ready to play or are you going to see what you can get away with? I felt like our defense today was a little bit trying to see what we could get away with. You have to be able to go respect the game and play it the right way. I don't think we did that for the 40 minutes tonight."
"Hopefully we can learn a lot from this because we got to certainly perform better on defensively as we move forward."
Robert Morris held GB to 40% in the second half while shooting 60% including finishing 0-6 from three, meaning RMU was made 75% of it's traditional field goals in the last 20 minutes.
"We were able to get some high percentage shots," Toole said. "We wanted to play in the paint. We were able to draw a bunch of fouls. I think that was helpful early in the half to create a little bit a space and take some control of the game."
Near triple-double
Just his third career double-double nearly was a first triple-double for Robert Morris senior Kam Woods. 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists with only one turnover. And he was aware.
"One assist away, I was calling to Josh (Omojafo). I had given Josh the back-door cut and he missed the lay-up. So I've been on him. I was just on him in the locker room about it."
"One assist away, man."
"He was able to attack," Toole said. "He was able to get downhill. I thought for the most part offensively he made the right decision virtually every time. When he gets on the glass, that is something that is huge for us."
Notes
· It's the second most regulation points Robert Morris has scored all season and the most points they've given up in a win all year.
· Leading the Horizon League in assists at over 14 a game, the Colonials finished with 22 Friday night to only 6 turnovers.
· Phoenix head coach and national radio host Doug Gottlieb picked up a technical foul for arguing a foul call in the second half
· It's the best season since 2013-14 when the Colonials won 22 games, the NEC regular-season title and beat St. John's in Queens in the first-round of the NIT.
· Final home game of the regular season is Sunday at 2p against 18-win Milwaukee
