After the big comeback win over Green Bay, RMU Basketball looked for its first-ever back-to-back road wins in Horizon League play. They took on a healthy Milwaukee team that was 6-2 and near the top of the standings.
But the Colonials threw the first big punch to take a double-digit lead early in the second half. It became a close game at the very end after multiple runs to keep it within range. In the end, an Amarion Dickerson block at the end of the game helped give RMU its 700th win in program history and 5th in league play this season, 81-79.
Here are some takeaways from the victory.
1. Balanced scoring effort on the road
Usually, RMU Basketball wins are due to at least one person going for 20+ points as the clear star. That wasn’t the case this time, with the lead scorers being Josh Omojafo and Kam Woods with 15 points. All five starters were in double figures, with some players having good first halves and others picking up the slack in the final 20 minutes. That’s what’s needed to win on the road and beat a Milwaukee team who is just as balanced offensively.
2. Continued good play from Ismael Plet
Another key part of the win for RMU was Plet, who scored nine points in 14 minutes off the bench and registered a team-high +10. When Dickerson was limited to just four minutes played in the first half due to foul trouble, Plet was more than able to hold his own, and his own scoring was key to giving the Colonials the early lead. Although he’s been foul-prone, Plet has helped Folguerias and Dickerson get both rest and avoid foul trouble to stay on the court in crunch time.
3. Staying competitive on the boards
The one big concern going up against Milwaukee was its strength on the boards as a top-10 rebounding team in the nation. They did win the rebounding battle, 35-30 with 15 coming on the offensive end. Though Jamichael Stillwell, who did have 26 points, only had seven himself.
Not only did RMU have 14 offensive rebounds of its own but they took advantage of it with 23 second-chance points. And it was a group effort as well, with five players having 4-5 rebounds individually. This was a true group effort in this game, one that gave the Colonials its best win of the season.