Game #1 • Rider (0-0) vs. Robert Morris (0-0)
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 (0-0) RIDER @ Saint Peter’s @ Penn # @ James Madison # vs. La Salle # @ Pittsburgh # DECEMBER (0-0) FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON * MONMOUTH * @ Duquesne CLEVELAND STATE LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE HAMPTON @ Youngstown State @ Memphis JANUARY (0-0) @ Ohio @ Bryant * @ Central Connecticut State * QUINNIPIAC * SACRED HEART * @ Fairleigh Dickinson * @ Monmouth * LONG ISLAND * ST. FRANCIS (N.Y.) * FEBRUARY (0-0) @ Wagner * @ Mount St. Mary’s * @ Saint Francis (Pa.) * SAINT FRANCIS (Pa.) * BRYANT * CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE * @ Sacred Heart * @ Quinnipiac * MARCH (0-0) NEC Tournament Quarterfinals NEC Tournament Semifinals NEC Tournament Final
Friday, November 11, 2011 • 7:00 p.m. • Charles L. Sewall Center (3,056) • Moon Township, Pa. Radio: WPIT-AM (730) with Chris Shovlin (play-by-play) & Jim Elias (color) Audio, Video and Live Stats available at www.rmucolonials.com
7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 4:30 p.m. 5:00 p.m.
Top Story - The Robert Morris University men’s basketball team opens its 36th season of Division I basketball Friday when it welcomes Rider to the Charles L. Sewall Center for a 7:00 p.m. contest. Led by second-year head coach Andrew Toole, the Colonials return four starters and six letterwinners from a 2010-11 team that posted an overall record of 18-14 (.563), RMU’s sixth straight winning season. Robert Morris finished third in the Northeast Conference last year with a mark of 12-6 (.667) and advanced to their third straight NEC Tournament championship game before falling in overtime at Long Island, 85-82. In all, RMU returns 69.5 percent (1,496-of-2,153) of its scoring, 63 percent (709-of-1,124) of its rebounding and 79.8 percent (348-of-436) of its assists. The Colonials will be led by a pair of redshirt juniors in 2011-12 in guard Velton Jones and forward Russell Johnson. Jones averaged 12.1 points per game last season and led RMU in both assists (127) and steals (50), while Johnson produced averages of 11.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest. Robert Morris takes to the road for five straight games after hosting the Broncs, beginning with a 7:00 p.m. tip @ Saint Peter’s Tuesday, Nov. 15.
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# The Philly Hoop Group Classic (Philadelphia, Pa.) (La Salle game played at the Palestra) * Northeast Conference game
Quick Stat of the Night - Robert Morris enters Friday’s game against Rider sporting a record of 18-17 (.514) all-time in season openers. The Colonials are opening their season at home in the Charles L. Sewall Center for the second straight year, and all-time in season openers at home Robert Morris has posted a 14-2 (.875) record, including a mark of 8-2 (.800) in openers at the Sewall Center since the facility opened in 1985. The last loss for the Colonials in a season opener at home came Nov. 15, 1997, when Bucknell dealt RMU a 72-56 defeat. Over the last six years, Robert Morris has posted a record of 70-17 (.805) at the Sewall Center, including a mark of 11-2 (.846) last year.
RMU vs. Rider
Friday’s Opponent and The All-Time Series - Series Record ............................. Rider leads, 8-2 Rider and Robert Morris will meet for the 11th First Meeting .................... 1/14/93; Rider, 68-59 time in school history Friday, with the Broncs Last Meeting ...................... 2/22/97; RMU, 72-69 Last RMU Win .................... 2/22/97; RMU, 72-69 owning an 8-2 (.800) advantage in the all-time Current Streak .......................................... RMU, 1 series. A former member of the Northeast Toole vs. Rider ................................................. 0-0 Conference, each of the 10 meetings between Rider and RMU came between 1992 and 1997. The Broncs won eight of the first nine meetings between the two programs before the Colonials earned a 72-69 win in Lawrenceville, N.J., in the last meeting between the two programs. RMU enters Friday’s season opener sporting a record of 0-5 all-time against Rider in games at the Charles L. Sewall Center. During its five seasons as a member of the NEC, the Broncs won NEC Tournament championships in 1993 and 1994.
Robert Morris Probable Starters ... # 24 11 2 3 5
P F C G G G
Name Lawrence Bridges (6-5, 225, Sr.) Lijah Thompson (6-7, 200, Jr.) Velton Jones (6-0, 170, R-Jr.) Coron Williams (6-2, 170, R-So.) Anthony Myers (5-11, 170, So.)
Pts. 4.1 8.6 12.1 7.1 4.3
Reb. 3.2 4.4 2.9 1.9 3.4
G/GS 28/11 32/22 32/32 32/10 31/13
Hometown Detroit, Mich. Philadelphia, Pa. Philadelphia, Pa. Midlothian, Va. Washington, D.C.
2010-11 Quick Fact RMU went 9-2 (.818) with Bridges in the starting lineup Led the Northeast Conference in field goal percentage (.555) Averaged 20.7 points, 5.7 assists, 2.0 steals in NEC Tournament Led the NEC in three-point field goal percentage (.466) Established freshman record for assists with 116 in 2010-11
Robert Morris Off The Bench ... # 34 22 12 45 20
P F G/F F/C F G
Name Russell Johnson (6-6, 180, R-Jr.) Lucky Jones (6-5, 195, Fr.) Darren Washington (6-9, 220, Fr.) Keith Armstrong (6-7, 230, Fr.) Brandon Herman (6-1, 190, Fr.)
Pts. 11.0 ---------
Reb. 6.7 ---------
G/GS 32/21 ---------
Hometown Chester, Pa. Newark, N.J. Belleville, Mich. Raleigh, N.C. Chattanooga, Tenn.
2010-11 Quick Fact Averaged 12.0 points, 4.7 rebounds in NEC Tournament Led St. Anthony to a perfect 33-0 record in 2010-11 Averaged 10.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg at Father Gabriel Richards Helped Fishburne Military Academy to 23-10 record Averaged 20.2 ppg, 6.2 assists last year at Charis Prep