The Rivalry: Robert Morris, Mount Provide Marquee Matchup in NEC
By Paul Meyer
www.rmucolonials.com
Feb. 27, 2009
Meyer On Morris Link
Moon Township, Pa. - Feb. 27, 2009 - Mount St. Mary's seems a fitting foe for Jeremy Chappell and his Robert Morris teammates Saturday on Senior Day at the Sewall Center.
For one thing, these teams have developed quite the rivalry over the past few years.
For another, Chappell is a big reason this has become such a rivalry.
We take you back ...
March 2, 2006.
After losing twice to Mount St. Mary's during the regular season - by a total of three points - the Colonials played the Mountaineers again less than a week following their meeting in the regular-season finale.
It was the quarterfinals of the Northeast Conference tournament at Mount St. Mary's, which grabbed the fourth seed with its 64-62 win at RMU Feb. 25.
The game was close much of the way before the Mountaineers pulled out to a 48-40 lead with 12:07 left.
Quickly, though, Robert Morris tied the game at 48, Chappell scoring five points in that burst.
The game remained close from there on.
Mount St. Mary's held a 66-64 in the final minute before Chappell eliminated the Mountaineers with a "nothing but net'' three-pointer from the left baseline with 12.3 seconds remaining.
"A fadeaway three on the opposing team's court,'' Milan Brown said over the telephone the other day, his listener almost able to see the Mountaineer coach shaking his head. "That shot still keeps me up at night sometimes.''
That shot capped a brilliant evening for Chappell, who just a day or so earlier was named the NEC Rookie of the Year.
"Coach (Mark Schmidt) had enough confidence in me to put the ball in my hands,'' said Chappell, who had 25 points and eight rebounds that night. "I think that says something, and I came through with the shot. It helped my confidence.''
Confidence that grew throughout his next three seasons at Robert Morris.
Chappell, who had 16 points in RMU's 74-62 win at Saint Francis (Pa.) Thursday night, recently moved into the Top 10 on the NEC career scoring list, joining Myron Walker as the only Colonials on that elite list.
That's impressive enough, but there's this, too. Chappell is the only player in NEC history to amass at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists, 250 steals and 200 three-pointers in a career. He currently has 1,797 points, 652 rebounds, 324 assists, 255 steals and a school-record 232 three-pointers.
"It's impressive,'' junior guard Jimmy Langhurst said. "He's a freak. He's an athlete. That's a great accomplishment for him. But he's a team player. He just cares about winning.''
"His will and his effort certainly are keys every night,'' RMU coach Mike Rice said. "He (shows) night in and night out that he's one of the best players - if not the best player - in the NEC.''
"He's a special player who's had a special career,'' Long Island coach Jim Ferry said.
"If he's not the (NEC) Player of the Year, somebody else is probably going to have to have (had) a really special year to beat him out,'' Brown said. "He is very, very good. There's really not anything he can't do.''
Or hasn't done - except for one thing.
Chappell has yet to play in an NCAA tournament game.
He can "thank'' Brown and his team for that - to a point.
The Mountaineers eliminated Robert Morris from the NEC tournament in each of the previous two seasons, including last season when the Colonials were the top seed but Mount St. Mary's advanced to the NCAA tournament. Both games were played at the Sewall Center, making the losses sting even more for RMU.
Factor in that Robert Morris has won each of the past five regular-season games between these two teams and you have what you have - an intense rivalry.
"It's good for us,'' Brown said. "With our location (the southernmost NEC school), it's really hard for us to have a neighboring school - because there is no neighboring school. I think one of the keys to this rivalry is that both teams play basketball the right way.''
Another key is that the home team doesn't always win. Far from it, in fact.
Beginning with Chappell's freshman season, Robert Morris is 4-1 at Mount St. Mary's, while the Mountaineers are 3-2 at the Sewall Center.
"You'd think home would be the comfort zone, but it hasn't been that way,'' Brown said. "That's the intriguing part of the rivalry.''
Tonight's game is the 11th between these teams since Chappell's arrival at Robert Morris. And there could be a 12th - in the NEC championship game - before Chappell ends his illustrious career.
"We think it's fun,'' Brown said of playing the Colonials. "If you're really a competitor, you need to be tested and challenged, so it's great you have these games.''
IFFY, 'TEKO JOIN JEREMY
Fellow seniors Ifeanyi "Iffy" Ehirim and Bateko Francisco will be honored along with Chappell Saturday.
Ehirim, a 6'7" forward, came to RMU the same year Chappell became a Colonial. He hasn't put up nearly the numbers as his classmate has, but this season he improved offensively - especially as a free throw shooter - and became a valuable role player in Rice's inside defensive package.
"Iffy always had the potential,'' Chappell said. "I always knew Iffy could play the way he's played. Since the first day he got here, I always knew he could play like that. He's getting a chance to show it now and he's stepping up to the challenge. We need him.''
Francisco, a 6'1" guard who was born in Paris, France, came to Robert Morris from Fort Scott Junior College in Kansas. He was a fine scorer in junior college and has contributed offensively for the Colonials, but his real value is on defense. He's the Colonials' best on-the-ball defender.
"Bateko's a lock-down defender,'' sophomore guard Gary Wallace said.
SLOW OUT OF THE BLOCKS
The NEC coaches picked Mount St. Mary's to win the championship this season, but the Mountaineers faltered early. They lost their NEC opener at Sacred Heart, 80-75, then lost at Central Connecticut State, 66-65, in overtime. A month later, they lost their NEC home opener to Robert Morris, 77-70.
The day after the RMU game, Brown decided his team needed to discuss that 0-3 start in league play.
"It was a jolt,'' Brown said of the poor league start. "There were high expectations put on us early. I think it hurt us trying to live up to those expectations. We needed to take a step back and re-evaluate. After an 0-3 start, it might be time to start throwing chairs, but we didn't do that.''
Instead, Brown and his staff and the team had a three-hour meeting in the locker room.
"It was a nice long pow-wow,'' Brown said.
Brown had only one rule concerning the confab.
"Everybody in there had to talk, had to say something,'' he said. "People were totally honest.''
Must have been some kind of meeting.
The Mountaineers won 11 of their next 12 games - including the first eight immediately following that meeting - and enter Saturday's game 17-11 overall and 12-5 in the NEC.
ALMOST DONE
All five road teams won in the NEC Thursday night, including Monmouth, which ended a 17-game road losing streak with its 75-67 victory at Central Connecticut State. Thursday night's results left just one NEC tournament spot still open.
Monmouth can claim that berth with a win against visiting Wagner Saturday in the final game at 44-year-old Boylan Gym and a Fairleigh Dickinson loss at Saint Francis (Pa.). If Wagner wins at Monmouth Saturday, the Seahawks are in.
St. Francis (N.Y.), which holds tie-breakers over Monmouth and FDU, has clinched a tournament slot.
Monmouth trailed at CCSU, 47-36, with 14:43 remaining but rallied behind Alex Nunner, who scored 18 of his 19 points in the second half. Freshmen Travis Taylor and Will Campbell each had 20 points for the Hawks. Monmouth sealed the deal by making seven of eight free throw attempts in the final 1:26.
Wagner, which won at Quinnipiac, 75-66, Thursday night, has won five of its past six games to charge into tourney contention.
"There's been an undeniable sense of urgency,'' coach Mike Deane told the Staten Island Advance.
Sacred Heart continued to roll, rallying to win, 76-73, at St. Francis (N.Y.) after trailing, 60-48, with 13:06 left. The Pioneers have won nine of their past 11 games and finished the NEC regular season 12-6. They entertain Bryant, a future NEC member, Saturday.
"We're riding in the train right now,'' Sacred Heart senior Joey Henley told the Connecticut Post. "Everyone's buying into the system, finding the open man, hitting the open shots. Everyone's playing hard. The bench is into it. No one's being selfish. No one's looking for their own stuff. Everyone's playing in the moment.''
Henley's consecutive made field goals streak ended at 20 when he missed his first shot of the second half Thursday night.
Robert Morris had lost its two previous games, shooting below 40 percent from the field in losses at Monmouth and Wagner last week. So RMU's 53.8 percent shooting at Saint Francis (Pa.) was encouraging.
Langhurst led the Colonials with 19 points, hitting four of seven from beyond the arc.
The win raised RMU's NEC record to 14-3 and made the Colonials the first team to win back-to-back outright NEC championships since Long Island in 1996-97 and 1997-98.
"It's a relief to win the regular season,'' Rice said. "Now we can focus on not only Senior Day but the NEC tournament."
The Colonials will play at home throughout their stay in the NEC tournament. If they don't advance to the NCAA tournament, they will play in the National Invitation Tournament.
NEC NUGGETS
Chappell in his career against Mount St. Mary's has averaged 13.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game ... In the game at Mount St. Mary's in January, Robert Morris shot only 39.7 percent from the field but outrebounded the Mountaineers, 46-30, and made 24-of-32 free throw attempts ... Chappell and Rob Robinson each scored 17 points as RMU rallied from a five-point halftime deficit ... FDU's Sean Baptiste, the top scorer in NEC games with an 18.6 average, missed his second straight game Thursday night because of illness ... Robert Morris leads the league in scoring defense, limiting NEC foes to an average of 62.8 points a game. Mount St. Mary's is second (63.0) ... The Colonials allowed no more than 70 points in any NEC road game this season and didn't allow more than 62 points in any of their final six road NEC games ... Devin Sweetney of Saint Francis (Pa.) had 22 points and 11 rebounds Thursday night, his NEC best career 14th double-double ... Red Flash guard Cale Nelson had 10 points and 10 assists ... Central Connecticut State was 5-of-16 from three-point range against Monmouth ... The Blue Devils are just 17-of-77 (22.1 percent) from deep in their past six home games ... St. Francis (N.Y.) guard Ricky Cadell scored 33 points - and was seven of 11 from downtown -- Thursday night. Teammate Stefan Perunicic finished 4-for-12 from beyond the arc and finished with 16 points.
