After closing out 2025 with a home loss, Robert Morris University men’s basketball team rebounded with an 85-77 road victory over the University of Detroit Mercy on Jan. 3 inside Calihan Hall. The win lifted the Colonials to 11-5 overall and 3-2 in Horizon League play.
RMU continued the Michigan road trip on Jan. 4 against Oakland University.
After the team’s home loss to Northern Kentucky, head coach Andy Toole emphasized the importance of earning wins on the road.
“Now you got to go and play two games on the road. We lost to Detroit last year. Obviously Oakland, by all the metrics, is the best team in the league right now. When you don’t protect your home court in league [play], now you have to go try to get one on the road, and that’s really hard,” Toole said.
RMU’s second-half offensive effort was the difference, led by DeSean Goode, who finished with a team-high 18 points. Goode was perfect from beyond the arc, knocking down all three of his three-point attempts. Redshirt junior Ryan Prather Jr. added 16 points, while Nikolaos Chitikoudis recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Shooting struggles marked the opening half, as Detroit Mercy held RMU to 28.6% from the field. Despite the slow start, the Colonials managed to stay competitive, trailing 32-27 as they entered the locker room. A late nine-point run by the Titans, sparked by free throws and a three-pointer, created the halftime margin.
The second half told a different story. RMU surged offensively, shooting 17-of-27 from the floor after the break and built a lead that reached as many as 12 points. The Colonials also asserted control on the glass, outscoring Detroit Mercy 36-26 in the final 20 minutes.
Chitikoudis opened the comeback with a layup, and Prather Jr. followed with a three-pointer as RMU quickly closed the gap. Moments later, Prather Jr. connected from long range again to give the Colonials a 46-44 advantage, a lead they would not relinquish.
Detroit Mercy attempted to rally, as it trimmed the deficit to one possession with under 10 minutes remaining. The Titans later drained three consecutive three-pointers to cut the lead to five with 1:30 left.
Strong free-throw shooting sealed the win. The Colonials went 19-for-20 at the line in the second half — scoring 10 points from the stripe in the final minutes. Prather Jr. capped the performance by converting both of his free throws to close out the victory.
Robert Morris dropped a 96-73 decision to Oakland, falling to 3-3 in Horizon League play against the Golden Grizzlies. The loss moved Oakland to the top of the league standings as it extended its winning streak to two games.
Goode led the Colonials offensively, finishing with a team-high 18 points and serving as the lone RMU player to reach double figures. Prather Jr. and Chitikoudis followed with eight points apiece.
Foul trouble proved costly early for the Colonials, who were whistled for 12 fouls in the first half. Oakland capitalized at the free-throw line, converting 20 attempts for the game. After two ties in the opening two minutes, RMU did not again find itself in a one-possession contest.
Despite knocking down three free throws late in the half, Robert Morris entered the locker room trailing by 11.
Oakland maintained control after halftime, forcing 10 turnovers in the second half and scoring 14 points off those miscues. By comparison, RMU generated just two points off turnovers in the half.
Those turnovers fueled the Golden Grizzlies’ transition game, as they recorded seven fast-break points in the second half and 12 overall.
The Colonials put together an eight-point run with under three minutes left, but the rally came too late. Oakland stretched its lead to 23 points, which marked the largest margin of defeat for RMU against a Division I opponent this season.
Robert Morris returns home Jan. 11 to face Purdue University Fort Wayne at the UPMC Events Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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