By Paul Meyer
www.rmucolonials.com
Feb. 12, 2011
Meyer on Morris Link
Moon Township, Pa. - About a month ago, Robert Morris University head coach Andrew Toole sat in his office mulling the promising prospect of his then-road-weary team playing seven of its next nine Northeast Conference games at home.
At the time, the Colonials stood 2-2 in the NEC, having played their first four games on the road.
Not a bad start, all things considered.
But here was a chance to really improve that record, and someone asked Toole about the importance of the upcoming stretch.
"After these nine games, we'll have five left,'' Toole said. "And those five, hopefully they're not games that we need (to win) to get into the NEC Tournament. Hopefully they're five games we're playing where we're fighting for an NEC (regular-season) championship or some home games in the NEC playoffs.''
Now, a month later, those five games are upon the Colonials.
After going 5-4 in the nine-game stretch, including 5-2 in the Charles L. Sewall Center, the Colonials aren't fighting for a regular-season championship. At 7-6, they're four games behind first-place Long Island (11-2).
That 7-6 mark has them in sixth place in a league in which the top eight finishers qualify for the NEC Tournament. The top four finishers are guaranteed at least one home tournament game.
The Colonials are one game behind three teams tied for third place.
So what does Toole think of his team's situation now?
"We have five games left, so every game is crucial,'' Toole said. "I would have loved to have won all seven (of those home games). Again, I'm not sure where we are because we're so inconsistent. I don't know if we've had a stretch this year where we've really built off the previous game where we continue to do something we were successful with and now we improved in another area and now we're even stronger. And then we did that again and again and again. Now's as good a time as any to start doing that.''
Actually, now is THE time to start doing that.
The Colonials finished the nine-game stretch with a 78-68 victory over Saint Francis (Pa.) Wednesday night in the 1,000th game in their 35-year Division I history. They have the rematch with the Red Flash Saturday night in Loretto, Pa., in the NEC's "Rivalry Week'' promotion.
A victory in Loretto would put the Colonials on the cusp of clinching a spot in the NEC Tournament. Nine league wins always gets a team into the event.
Robert Morris finishes the regular season with road games at Fairleigh Dickinson (2-11) and Monmouth (3-10) next weekend and then home games against Mount St. Mary's (8-5) and Wagner (8-5) Feb. 24 and 26, respectively.
So making the NEC Tournament seems probable. Getting at least one home game? We'll see.
The Colonials, whom Toole thought did a "so-so job'' defensively against the Red Flash Wednesday, performed admirably offensively. They made a determined effort to get the ball inside, as evidenced by a season-low nine attempts from beyond the arc. They shot 52.2 percent from the field.
"I thought it was probably our best team effort offensively of the season in terms of making good decisions, sharing the basketball, stepping up and being ready to make shots and take shots,'' Toole said. "There were a lot of things we did that I liked. We're trying to get better every game. They needed to see some success for themselves so hopefully we can start to build some confidence.
"Hopefully we can keep those things going in the right direction and then figure out some of the things that I didn't like and that we made mistakes on, correct those and now have more things going in the right direction.''
Among the aspects of Wednesday's game that pleased Toole was his team's rebounding. The Colonials crushed Saint Francis (Pa.) on the glass, 39-19, a season-low rebounding total for the Red Flash. Senior guard Gary Wallace led the Windex whipping with a career-high eight rebounds.
"I have a goal of getting 10 rebounds a game,'' said Wallace, who's averaging 7.3 rebounds a game over the past three games.
"Gary Wallace again was terrific on the glass,'' Toole said. "He made some plays that seniors have to make. There's no talent to rebounding. It's just effort.''
"We were out-toughed in every aspect of the game,'' Red Flash coach Don Friday said. "They were the better team. They were on their toes. We got schooled. No sugar coating it. Our guys understand that.''
Toole also liked the 16 points and six rebounds forward Lijah Thompson contributed and the 16 points and four assists that guard Velton Jones produced.
Not to mention all the other stuff the energetic Jones does during a game.
"He does a ton of little things that go unseen,'' Toole said. "He's our emotional leader. He can get guys fired up. He can tell some guys when they're making mistakes and they listen to him. We need everything we can get out of him if we're going to kind of get on a roll here.''
Jones was especially impressive in a 58-second span midway through the second half in which he scored seven points to lift the Colonials from a 51-51 tie to a 58-51 lead.
"He's a freight train creating havoc,'' Wallace said.
"When he decides to take over, he's scary sometimes,'' Karon Abraham said.
"My mindset is just try to make any type of plays that I can for my team,'' Jones said. "Be aggressive. I'm going to try to do whatever I can. My mindset was to just take over the game. I said, 'We're not losing this game.'''
As they did for much of the game, the Red Flash did not go away after Jones' heroics. They rallied to take a 59-58 lead with 9:35 left.
However, the Colonials maintained their poise and quickly began a 13-0 run that finally gave them control with just under six minutes remaining.
Abraham capped that surge with a three-pointer and a free throw.
Abraham had a team-high 20 points after a sub-par, six-point performance against Central Connecticut State last Saturday.
The sophomore guard watched film of that game trying to figure out why he didn't get open more often.
"I'd get the ball way beyond scoring position,'' he said.
"He worked harder to get open, and he worked harder on defense,'' Toole said. "You could see the way he started the game. There was a lot more focus. He had a lot more ball-pressure on his man. He got to the free throw line five times. He got four rebounds. We know he can make threes and he can make shots. He's got to work for them. We're trying to figure out ways that we can continue to help him get more looks. But it has to be something where we're working together on it.
"If you're going to be a good scorer, you have to make sure that you're as prepared as anybody to be able to take advantage of a defensive breakdown or a weakness in the opponent. I don't know if he prepares himself every game understanding that people are trying to take him out. That comes from being a marked man every time he goes on the floor in the NEC or anywhere. People are trying to take him away. We try and talk to him about it.
"I hope that he's gotten the message now and that he can continue to be aggressive, continue to learn how to handle that stuff. He has five games to continue to improve his ability to get shots and to get open. He's vital to us because once he makes one or two shots, the defense says, 'Uh oh' and now they start to maybe help to him or focus on him even more and now you can get Lijah, you can get Velton, you can get Ant Myers driving into the lane and making plays.''
"All season, I feel like I've been letting these dudes down just by not being that gnat or that aggressive guy and doing every little thing, just flying around,'' Abraham said. "I know it's late, but I've got to do it some time. Might as well start now. I feel like sometimes my team looks for me, for energy. If I don't bring energy, it's kind of rough.''
And when he does provide energy?
"It means we're a really, really good team,'' Jones said. "When (he) can come out and have energy and play and make shots and play defense and do all the little things that we need him to do, we're a really good team. And, man, when he plays like that, it's hard to beat us.''
One disturbing aspect of the win against Saint Francis was the continued slump of sophomore forward Russell Johnson, who played only 18 minutes and contributed just two points and two rebounds.
Johnson over the past 10 games has scored in double figures twice and totaled 79 points - a 7.9 average per game that has dwindled significantly from the 14.6 average he had almost two months ago. In those 10 games, he's shot only 30.9 percent (25 of 81) from the field.
"I think Russell needs to just realize that we're not working against him,'' Toole said. "We're actually trying to help him be successful. His teammates are trying to invite him to join them, and he should R.S.V.P. that he's going to show up because it's really hard when you have 10 or 11 guys going in one direction and one guy going the opposite. Russell has to kind of figure that out. We'd love to have him. I think he'd be welcome with open arms, but he has to figure out that it's worth it.''
If - and that's a word that's been used a bunch in connection with the Colonials this season - Johnson can pick up his game and Abraham can continue to provide a spark and Thompson can offer a presence in the paint and Jones can just do what he does, these Colonials might yet make a strong run this season.
"If we follow our formula, we're going to be cool,'' Jones said. "We're going to be there at the end. As long as we do everything we can and improve every day from here on out and listen to the coaches and learn from our mistakes and trust each other, we're going to be right there at the end. Guaranteed.''
NEXT UP: Uh. Saint Francis (Pa.).
"Robert Morris is probably licking their chops,'' Friday said. "They wish every week was Rivalry Week with us.''
Recent history suggests that. The Colonials have won six straight and 11 of the last 12 games against the Red Flash.
But Robert Morris knows it hasn't been easy to win in Loretto. It's won six straight games there, but the average margin of victory in the past three has been just 10 points.
"They're a great team at home,'' Jones said.
And the Colonials don't need to be reminded that the Red Flash can stay in any game if they can shoot from beyond the arc as they did Wednesday. Saint Francis (Pa.) was 14-of-27 from international waters. That was a season-high number of three-point makes and three-point attempts in a game for St. Francis (Pa.) and a season-high number of three-point makes allowed by the Colonials.
Friday, however, seemed unimpressed by his team's accuracy from deep.
"Big deal,'' he said. "What's that, finesse? We were the jump-shooting (Flying) Wallendas. We have to get tougher, bottom line. That's a good team. That's a tough team. Heck, they have the best player in the league in Abraham. And they have Velton Jones, who can really, really play. And they have kids who play their roles.''
By the way, Friday doesn't seem enamored by Rivalry Week.
"My grandmother wouldn't say she didn't like somebody. She'd use the word 'peculiar,''' Friday said. "I think Rivalry Week is a little peculiar.''
NEC NUGGETS: Myers had four assists Wednesday, raising his season total to 95. He's within 11 of matching the RMU record for most assists by a freshman in a season (Samba Johnson, 106, 1992-93) … Thompson was 10-of-11 from the free throw line. He's 42-of-53 this season (79.2 percent). Last season, he was just 13-of-26 from the stripe … RMU forward Lawrence Bridges is 17-of-21 from the field over the past four games … Long Island won its fifth straight game by beating visiting St. Francis (N.Y.), 87-76, Wednesday. The Blackbirds were consistent - they shot 50-plus percent from the field (51.7), from beyond the arc (53.8) and the foul line (58.8) … Terrier standout Ricky Cadell was 4-of-16 from the field, including 0-for-6 from deep, and managed just eight points … Central Connecticut State (10-3) stayed a game behind LIU with a 71-55 win against visiting Bryant. The Blue Devils, who have won seven straight, got 23 points and 11 rebounds from Ken Horton and were 22-of-24 from the free throw line … In their past four games, the Blue Devils are 115-of-138 (88.1 percent) at the stripe … Quinnipiac (8-5) turned back visiting Sacred Heart, 59-54. Inside standout Justin Rutty made his return to the starting lineup but fouled out and played only 18 minutes. He had four points and six rebounds. Ike Azotam took up Rutty's slack with 16 points and 13 rebounds off the bench … Quinnipiac's James Johnson, who had 38 points against Robert Morris Jan. 27, was 1-of-13 from the field (0-of-7 from deep) and finished with only three points … Host Mount St. Mary's beat Wagner, 71-57. Mount senior Jean Cajou, still coming off the bench, had a season-high 13 points in 24 minutes, one reason Mount's bench outscored Wagner's reserves, 27-4 … Wagner guards Tyler Murray, Chris Martin and Latif Rivers were a combined 11-of-37 from the field, including 5 of 18 from beyond the arc … Host Monmouth, which trailed by 11 points with 17:40 left, beat Fairleigh Dickinson, 68-57. Marcus Ware carried Monmouth from a 50-50 tie to control of the game by scoring 14 consecutive points for the Hawks … Ware was the only Hawk to go to the free throw line, where he was 6-of-7 … Ware is averaging 18.5 points per game over the Hawks' past six games.
