After blowing a double-digit lead in the second half and eventual loss to Detroit Mercy in overtime, RMU Basketball desperately needed a victory on the road at Oakland. Things looked dicey in the first half, down by seven. But a big run led by one particular player led the Colonials to come back and take a double-digit lead late.
In the end, Robert Morris was able to hold on for the 79-71 road win to move to 10-6 and 2-3 in Horizon League play. Here are some takeaways from the game for the Colonials.
1. Kam Woods star (and efficient performance)
The offense for the Colonials was struggling a lot by the break, but Woods had a huge individual scoring run, giving them 12 points in the first few minutes to erase the lead and take control in the final 10 minutes. He finished with a season-high 29 points on 9/15 FG, 3/4 from deep, and 8/10 from the FT line. It’s the efficiency that stands out because, coming into the game, the senior guard had shooting splits of 33/20/52. Woods may not put up 30-point games, but if he can be more efficient, then the Colonials can win just about any game in league play.
2. Rebounding struggles
Statistically, there weren’t many things Oakland did well in the game. They shot under 40% from the field and went 8/33 from deep. That included a 3/14 performance from Malcolm Christie from deep. But the thing they did do well was 20 offensive rebounds, which were converted into 20 second-chance points. That’s surprising, considering how well Alvaro Folguerias and Amarion Dickerson have been as rebounders, but that flaw was what kept Oakland in the game and nearly winning.
3. Passing big men
Kam Woods is the starting PG for RMU but finished with just zero assists. That’s fine because the offense still went through the bigs, with Folguerias and Dickerson finishing with four assists. They’re two of the better-passing bigs in the Horizon League, so their underrated passing has been an asset.
RMU’s offense will continue to have its ups and downs, but if Woods has figured things out, it’s a group that can make some noise in the Horizon League. But that’ll be tested against their next opponent, Cleveland State, one of the top defensive units in the league.