Game #34 • 2012 Northeast Conference Tournament Final No. 3 Robert Morris (24-9) @ No. 1 LIU Brooklyn (24-8)
2011-12 Schedule / Results 11 15 19 22 25 27 1 3 6 8 17 20 22 29 2 5 7 12 14 19 21 26 28 2 4 8 11 16 18 23 25 1 4 7
NOVEMBER (4-2) RIDER W, 83-57 @ Saint Peter’s W, 69-52 @ Penn # L, 60-66 @ James Madison # W, 82-77 vs. La Salle # W, 51-44 @ No. 16 Pittsburgh # L, 71-81 DECEMBER (6-2) FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON * W, 66-54 MONMOUTH * W, 69-51 @ Duquesne W, 64-60 CLEVELAND STATE L, 58-62 LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE W, 72-64 HAMPTON W, 64-54 @ Youngstown State W, 59-56 @ Memphis L, 47-64 JANUARY (6-3) @ Ohio W, 70-67 @ Bryant * W, 84-53 @ Central Connecticut State * L, 53-68 QUINNIPIAC * L, 76-78 SACRED HEART * W, 70-67 @ Fairleigh Dickinson * W, 67-55 @ Monmouth * (OT) W, 81-73 LIU BROOKLYN * W, 75-66 ST. FRANCIS (N.Y.) * L, 68-81 FEBRUARY (6-2) @ Wagner * L, 69-80 @ Mount St. Mary’s * W, 67-62 @ Saint Francis (Pa.) * W, 78-74 SAINT FRANCIS (Pa.) * W, 70-56 BRYANT * W, 69-40 CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE * W, 68-60 @ Sacred Heart * W, 55-53 @ Quinnipiac * L, 69-73 MARCH (2-0) No. 6 MONMOUTH $ W, 87-68 @ No. 2 Wagner $ W, 71-64 @ No. 1 LIU Brooklyn $ 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012 • 7:00 p.m. • The WRAC (2,500) • Brooklyn, N.Y. TV: ESPN2 with Jon Sciambi (play-by-play) & Tim Welsh (color) Radio: WPIT-AM (730) with Chris Shovlin (play-by-play) & Jim Elias (color) Audio available at www.rmucolonials.com Top Story - The Robert Morris University men’s basketball team continues its quest for a leaguerecord eighth Northeast Conference Tournament championship Wednesday by squaring off with No. 1 seed LIU Brooklyn in a 7:00 p.m. tip at the WRAC in Brooklyn, N.Y., in the championship game of the 2012 NEC Tournament. The Colonials are making their fourth straight appearance in the NEC Tournament final and 11th overall thanks to a 71-64 victory @ No. 2 seed Wagner (3/4/12) in semifinal action at the Spiro Sports Center on Staten Island, N.Y. Redshirt junior guard Velton Jones paced RMU against the Seahawks with 25 points, converting five of his 10 shots from the field while going 14-for-16 at the free-throw line. Redshirt junior forward Russell Johnson added 12 points and eight rebounds in the win, while redshirt sophomore guard Coron Williams finished with 11 points, four rebounds and a pair of assists. Quick Stat of the Night - Robert Morris makes its fourth straight appearance in the championship game of the Northeast Conference Tournament Wednesday @ LIU Brooklyn, one of just three programs in league history that can make that claim. Fairleigh Dickinson appeared in five straight NEC Tournament title tilts from 1985 to 1989, while former league member Rider played in four consecutive finals from 1993 to 1996. Wednesday’s game also marks the fifth time RMU and LIU Brooklyn will meet in the championship game of the NEC Tournament, with the two programs having split the previous four contests. All-time the Colonials and Blackbirds have squared off in the postseason seven times, with LIU Brooklyn owning a 4-3 (.571) advantage against Robert Morris in the NEC Tournament. Wednesday’s Opponent and The All-Time Series RMU vs. LIU Brooklyn - LIU Brooklyn and Robert Morris meet for the 65th time on the hardwood Wednesday, with the Series Record ........... Robert Morris leads, 37-27 Colonials holding a 37-27 (.578) edge in the all- First Meeting ............... 12/2/78; RMU, 66-65 (OT) time series. The two programs met just once dur- Last Meeting ......................... 1/26/12; RMU 75-66 ing the 2011-12 regular season, with RMU Last RMU Win ....................... 1/26/12; RMU 75-66 Current Streak .......................... Robert Morris, 1 posting a 75-66 victory over the Blackbirds at Toole vs. Long Island ....................................... 2-2 the Charles L. Sewall Center (1/26/12). In that contest redshirt junior guard Velton Jones led Robert Morris with 23 points, seven assists and two steals. In six career contests against LIU Brooklyn, Jones has averaged 18.0 points and 3.8 assists per game, eclipsing the 20-point plateau four times.
# The Philly Hoop Group Classic (Philadelphia, Pa.) (La Salle game played at the Palestra) * NEC game; $ NEC Tournament
Robert Morris Probable Starters ... # 34 24 1 2 3
P F F F G G
Name Russell Johnson (6-6, 180, R-Jr.) Lawrence Bridges (6-5, 225, Sr.) Mike McFadden (6-8, 220, So.) Velton Jones (6-0, 170, R-Jr.) Coron Williams (6-2, 170, R-So.)
Pts. 8.5 3.8 8.1 16.6 10.7
Reb. 5.6 3.9 4.3 2.8 2.7
G/GS 27/24 33/30 23/22 33/32 33/33
Hometown Chester, Pa. Detroit, Mich. Newark, N.J. Philadelphia, Pa. Midlothian, Va.
Quick Fact Active career leader for Robert Morris in rebounds with 540 RMU owns 31-10 (.756) record with Bridges in starting lineup Over last 10 games is averaging 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds Has eclipsed the 20-point plateau eight times in 2011-12 Career 66.7% (16-for-24) shooter from arc in NEC Tournament
Robert Morris Off The Bench ... # 22 11 5 35 21
P F C G F G
Name Lucky Jones (6-5, 195, Fr.) Lijah Thompson (6-7, 215, Jr.) Anthony Myers (5-11, 170, So.) Keith Armstrong (6-7, 230, Fr.) Brandon Herman (6-1, 190, Fr.)
Pts. 8.4 7.5 6.4 2.1 1.8
Reb. 6.2 4.1 2.8 1.8 0.9
G/GS 31/9 28/14 32/1 29/0 26/0
Hometown Newark, N.J. Philadelphia, Pa. Washington, D.C. Raleigh, N.C. Chattanooga, Tenn.
Quick Fact Averaging 12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds in 2012 NEC Tournament Leads Robert Morris in blocks (32), owns 61 career rejections Owns an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.12 last 15 games Shooting 52.9 percent (9-for-17) from field his last nine games Tied career-high @ Wagner (2/2/12) with 11 points off bench