Robert Morris falls to Oakland in final home game of season
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Robert Morris’ first men’s basketball season in the Horizon League has been a challenge. After winning the Northeast Conference Tournament championship a year ago, the Colonials find themselves in the cellar of the Horizon’s standings with just two regular-season games remaining.
They just lost their leading scorer and rebounder, too, but you’d never know it by talking to coach Andy Toole and the remainder of the team.
“The chemistry won’t be an issue at all,” Toole said following the Colonials’ 86-81 loss to Oakland on Saturday at UPMC Events Center.
“We respond well to coach Toole,” said senior guard Jon Williams, who led Robert Morris with career highs of 22 points and seven 3-point shots. “He’s an intense guy, and that is our identity.”
So much for pity.
Rashad Williams scored 23 points, and Oakland held off a late Robert Morris charge to come away with a split of their two-game Horizon League series and send the Colonials to their ninth loss in 10 games.
It was the final home game for Robert Morris, which is scheduled to travel to Detroit Mercy for a two-game series on Friday and Saturday to close out its first Horizon League regular season.
Daniel Oladapo added 19 points and Micah Parrish chipped in 18 for Oakland (9-16, 9-9), which led by as many as 19 points in the first half and 11 at halftime.
Dante Treacy added 16 and Charles Bain 12 for Robert Morris (4-12, 3-10), which ended an eight-game losing streak Friday with an 88-82 victory in double overtime over Oakland.
It marked the third consecutive overtime game for Robert Morris and fifth overall, tying a single-season school record.
Playing its second series without senior forward AJ Bramah, Robert Morris continued to show fight in a challenging year that also has included multiple covid-related pauses to its schedule and four of five overtime games ending in losses.
“One thing about this group that I’ve said a lot is we’re resilient,” said Williams, who along with Bain were honored on senior night despite no fans in attendance. “We always have that fight in us, and we’re always going to play hard. Just how we responded early and put life back into the game and into our team was a great way to respond.”
Without the 6-foot-7 Bramah, Robert Morris nearly came all the way back after winning a night earlier.
Bramah, another senior, left the team for the second time in three weeks and has entered the NCAA transfer portal, ending his time with the Colonials.
Bramah was leading the team in scoring (21.0 ppg) and rebounding (10.3 rpg) and ranked second in both categories in the Horizon League entering the weekend’s play.
He also had sat out a weekend series at Wright State on Jan. 29 and 30 before returning to play in a pair of overtime losses to Youngstown State on Feb. 5 and 6, posting double-doubles in both games.
“The fight is there and our guys are trying to work. … I think our chemistry has been great the last two nights,” Toole said. “(Bramah’s departure) could help our chemistry. The ball movement the last couple of nights has been terrific. When we played at Wright State, we had great ball movement there, as well.”
Oakland never trailed, but the Golden Grizzlies repeatedly were challenged in the second half when Robert Morris three times pulled within five points, including the final score.
The Colonials were behind twice previously by five on baskets by Trayden Williams only to allow Oakland to regain double-digit leads.
After Oladapo made 1 of 2 free throws to stretch Oakland’s lead to 82-69, Robert Morris outscored the Golden Grizzlies 12-4 during the final two minutes but couldn’t complete the comeback.
Oakland shot 49.1% (27 for 55) and made 11 of 23 attempts from 3-point range, led by Rashad Williams, who was 7 for 13.
Jon Williams shot 7 of 10 — all from behind the arc — as Robert Morris finished 29 for 58 (50.0%) overall.
“I loved it, actually,” Williams said of the Colonials’ resilient ways. “To be down that much and see the looks on guys’ faces knowing we’ll be OK if we keep fighting, I was actually happy to see that today.”