Robert Morris (3-6, 2-4 Horizon League) paid the price for having seven of their 15 games canceled entering Friday’s 81-76 defeat to Northern Kentucky (6-8, 4-5) Friday at UPMC Events Center.
AJ Bramah scored a team-leading 27 points in the Colonials’ first home game since they beat Milwaukee, 67-64, on New Year’s Day. The following day, the game against Milwaukee was canceled because of a positive COVID-19 test within the Colonials program. The following two-game series against IUPUI that would’ve happened Jan, 8-9 on the road also got canceled.
Lack of energy manifested with the Colonials defense in the second half. The Norse shot 18 of 25, including 8 of 14 from the 3-point line in the penultimate 20 minutes.
“We couldn’t guard enough tonight,” Colonials head coach Andy Toole said. “It’s a challenge to figure out who’s going to be engaged right now. It’s a day-to-day thing. We’re trying to evaluate everything we can.”
Bramah scored 18 points in a first half that saw Robert Morris take a 33-31 lead into the locker room. The Colonials shot 41.9% versus 46.7% for the Norse in the first half. Three-pointers from Kam Farris, Jon Williams and Dante Treacy made up the difference in shooting percentage in the first period.
Farris and Williams each scored 13 points. Treacy had nine. Bramah, Treacy, Farris and Williams combined to score 62 of the team’s 76 points. An area of concern was the lack of bench production.
The Colonials were outscored, 20-11, in bench points.
“We need to find more guys to contribute off the bench,” Toole said. “We need guys to step up from a scoring perspective. We can’t bring guys off the bench if they’re going to cause us to lose ground.”
Northern Kentucky also pummeled Robert Morris in the paint by a 38-28 scoring margin.
Northern Kentucky only hit one 3-pointer in the first-half out of nine attempts. It’s uncertain what Norse head coach Darrin Horn said to his players at the half, but they shot the ball infinitely better in the second half.
Trevon Faulkner capped a 13-4 run with a 3-pointer to give the Norse a 51-46 advantage with 13:45 left. Faulkner’s bucket helped reverse a 42-38 lead by the Colonials. Faulkner went 3 of 4 from 3 in the second half on his way to 18 points.
Once the Norse took the lead with 13:45 remaining, the game was effectively over.
David Bohm hit two free throws for two of his 16 points to push the Norse lead to 61-52 with 10:33 remaining. Toole’s team didn’t quit, though.
Farris scored three of his 13 points on a long-range shot to bring the Colonials’ within 61-57 at the 8:54 mark.
That’s as close as the Colonials would get to winning.
“We have to play better on defense,” Toole said. “We can’t let any team shoot that well against us. We have to play harder and smarter.”
Every time the Colonials would inch toward a win, there would be another score from Faulkner, Bohm or Marques Warrick, who paced the Norse with 20 points.
The Colonials won’t have long to figure out the Norse. They’ll play again at 5:30 p.m. Saturday on campus.
Nubyjas Wilborn: nwilborn@post-gazette.com and Twitter @nwilborn19.
First Published: January 23, 2021, 4:17 a.m.
