40 minutes of play was not enough to decide Robert Morris University’s two-game road trip. The Colonials split their pair of overtime contests against Horizon League opponents Indiana University Indianapolis and Northern Kentucky University.
The Colonials fell to IU Indy 96-93 on Jan. 15 as the Jaguars picked up their first Horizon League win of the season. RMU dropped to 3-5 in conference play, and Ryan Prather Jr. once again led the team’s scoring effort with 21 points.
Former Jaguar DeSean Goode added 20 points and eight rebounds.
RMU built a 10-point lead in the first half thanks to an Albert Vargas three-pointer that ignited a 12-0 run. During that stretch, Darius Livingston knocked down two three-pointers as the lead grew to 15-5.
The Jaguars responded with 12 straight points to take a 17-15 lead. Jaxson Edwards, on a career night, accounted for six points in the run, including a steal in transition that resulted in a dunk.
After the early scoring bursts, both teams settled in, and five ties occurred in the final 13 minutes of the first half.
With 5:28 left, Ta’Zir Smith drained a three-pointer that kickstarted a long-range shooting flurry from both sides.
The Colonials and Jaguars traded three-point attempts and makes in the final three minutes, with RMU going 1-for-3 and IU Indy going 2-for-4.
Smith sank both of his free throws to close the half and send RMU into the break with a 41–38 lead.
The second half saw RMU open with an 11-2 run, but similar to the first half the Jaguars answered with an 11-0 run to take a 65-64 lead.
RMU held a four-point advantage with 3:26 to play, but Edwards scored six-straight points from the charity stripe. He later converted two more free throws to tie the game at 79 with under a minute remaining.
Vargas’ last-second jumper was off the mark, and sent the game into overtime.
Missed opportunities spoiled the Colonials’ efforts, as IU Indy never trailed in the extra period and knocked down five free throws to secure its first conference victory.
Inside Truist Arena, RMU defeated NKU 92-89 on Jan. 17 in overtime fashion. The Colonials improved to 4-5 in Horizon League play and 12-8 overall.
Prather scored 23 points in his third straight game with 20 or more. He tied his career best with nine field goals. Goode posted 12 points and 10 rebounds to record a double-double, while Nikolaos Chitikoudis registered his sixth double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
In the first half, both teams stayed within one possession until Livingston knocked down a three-pointer to extend RMU’s lead to five with 6:34 left to play.
On the next possession, the Colonials went on a 12-0 run that included seven points from the free-throw line. Prather knocked down shots from beyond the arc to grow RMU’s lead to 12 on two occasions.
The teams exchanged 3-pointers to close out the half, with RMU leading 41-34.
The Norse responded with a 13-3 run to retake the lead 54-51. Multiple lead changes followed, but with under two minutes remaining, Smith converted a three-pointer to give the Colonials a five-point advantage.
NKU cut down the lead and tied the game 81-81 on a three-pointer with six seconds left. Prather’s final shot missed the mark, and the Colonials faced overtime for the second straight game.
Both teams exchanged points to open overtime, and it came down to a decisive final two minutes to separate the sides. Prather scored the go-ahead layup to make it 90-89, and Livingston added two insurance points from the free-throw line.
After the game, head coach Andy Toole credited his team for the collective play.
“That was the hardest we’ve played in about a month. Guys were excited on the bench. Guys were engaged on the bench, and it takes everybody in any way, shape or form to provide some kind of help and that’s what we’ve got to start to continue to sustain over these next 11 games,” Toole said.
The Colonials will open a three-game homestand on Jan. 22 against the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m inside the UPMC Events Center.
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