A three-game homestand inside the UPMC Events Center began for the Robert Morris men’s basketball team as it hosted both of the Horizon League’s Wisconsin opponents and a rematch with Indiana University Indianapolis.
Ryan Prather Jr. put together his fourth straight 20-point game in a win over the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee on Jan. 22. The redshirt junior led all players with 23 points and went 5-for-6 at the free-throw line.
Multiple first-half scoring runs and a double-digit lead late in the contest helped the Colonials secure an 88-76 victory over the Panthers and improved their Horizon League record to 5-5.
Down by one point three minutes into the first half, control at both ends of the floor sparked an 11-2 run for the Colonials.
Prather Jr. collected his first defensive rebound of the game as RMU took possession into the forecourt. Josh Hill was able to drain a three-pointer off an assist by Kaleb Brown.
On the next possession, Brown collected another defensive rebound for the Colonials, which led to Brown knocking down a three-pointer of his own.
The Panthers got on the board with a jumper, but in response RMU knocked down their third straight make from beyond the arc. This time, the three was good from Albert Vargas on a pass from Brown.
Desean Goode recorded a career-high four assists on the day and tallied his first on a Nikolaos Chitikoudis jumper that grew the Colonials’ lead to nine points.
RMU maintained the lead until under 10 minutes remained in the half, when the Panthers took a two-point lead, and on their next possession, a four-point advantage.
The Colonials responded and began a 12-0 run with 2:55 before halftime and gained their first double-digit lead at 43-33. Milwaukee ended the stanza with a layup that cut the lead down to eight points.
The Panthers never got within one possession of the Colonials in the second half. RMU led by 15 on two separate occasions.
Two days later, RMU welcomed the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay at home. The Colonials outscored the Phoenix in the second half but still fell in the contest, 71-67.
Goode recorded his eighth double-double of the season with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
The Colonials went on a 5-0 run to open the first half, but Green Bay cut the deficit and took the lead with a 14-0 run. Chitikoudis put an end to the run with a layup at the 13:09 mark.
RMU was down by as much as 11 points in the half and entered halftime down by seven points.
An 8-0 run by the Colonials to open the second half put them in the lead momentarily before Green Bay regained the advantage with a 12-0 run.
The run was capped off with a three-pointer that stretched Green Bay’s lead back to 11 points. Goode’s three-pointer with nine seconds left put the Colonials within one possession for the final time, but a turnover and fouls put Green Bay at the charity stripe to close out the game.
After the overtime loss to IU Indy earlier in the season, RMU evened the series with a 74-58 win on Jan. 28.
Prather Jr. led the game with 20 points and went 4-for-5 from three-point range and 4-for-4 from the foul line.
The first half featured 10 lead changes, and neither side’s lead grew to more than four points. RMU entered halftime with a 36-33 advantage.
Brown’s layup and another Goode three-pointer to start the second half gave RMU an eight-point lead. The Jaguars responded and cut the margin to within one possession.
With 8:11 remaining, RMU put together 18 points and allowed IU Indy to score just seven until the final whistle. Three of Prather Jr.’s five three-pointers came over that stretch.
Prather Jr. knocked down back-to-back threes to end the game and fed off of his teammate’s ball movement to have production on the offensive end.
“When I saw a few go in, I had a good rhythm going. So once I had a good rhythm going, my teammates found me and they helped me hit some shots with the passes they gave me,” Prather Jr. said.
Now with a 6-6 record in conference play, the Colonials will close out the month on Jan. 31 with a game at Purdue University Fort Wayne. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m., and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
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