It was a dogfight the whole way. The Red Flash, winners of four of their last five going into this game, hit some early three balls and found themselves down seven only briefly in the first half. RMU led 33-29 at half.
 |
| It was that type of night for Kavel. (NBC) |
RMU played well to start the second half but could not make a free throw. At all.
While the Colonials ultimately put away St. Francis due to their free throw shooting in the last few minutes, it was a large reason why this game was as close as it was. A 12-4 run by the Red Flash knotted the game up at 51 with 4:50 remaining.
From there, RMU got tough. They got to the rim, drew fouls, and hit 11 of their last 12 free throws. Also, Karvel Anderson happened. He hit two key jumpers, including a filthy baseline fadeaway that you couldn't help but laugh at.
Analysis
-Karvel Anderson: 28 points (11-17, 2-4), four rebounds, four steals, and two assists. I can understand Alex Francis getting votes for NEC player of the year, but there is not a chance he should win it over Karvel. I don't want to say 28 points is expected or I don't appreciate his scoring, but he makes it looks so easy. Without Karvel, RMU losses this one easy.
-I wasn't all too impressed with how the defense played. I've got to give credit to St. Francis, who had 14 assists on 25 made field goals (compared to RMU's six on 23) and did a phenomenal job getting easy looks. Unfortunately from them, they didn't hit the three ball at the mark they needed to to win.
-Lucky Jones hit his first two shots (both three pointers) but missed his remaining two field goal attempts. He did go 6-8 from the line and finished with 12 points and nine boards, but I'd like to see Lucky do a little more damage with his jump shot.
-Not a whole lot more to write home about. I must admit this: St. Francis is annoying. They hit some really deep three's, always make the extra pass, and never go away. They had a really nice turnout from their student section despite the snowstorm that hit them. Also, their broadcasters were awful. All and all, good for the Colonials for winning a road conference game, which is never easy.
I'll let Lee take it from here.
--Chris Cappella
--@C_Cappella
Awesome win. Karvel did his thing....again. He is so damn good. 28 points on 11-17 shooting and it feels "just another day at the office."
That's 13 (!!!!) Straight wins for RMU over their Western PA rivals, but the last two have had to be EARNED. They move the ball really well, and make it difficult on the RMU zone. They also have a a ton of good shooters, and Earl Brown is a beast inside. He gives the Colonials fits. I think he had at least five dunks tonight. With all that said, I would like to avoid these guys in the NEC tournament. If we have an off night, they seem like the team that can pull an upset.
Kavon Stewart produced a few easy buckets with his blazing speed. He's going to be so good once he develops a jumper and gets some experience.
Lucky Jones once again did it all. 12 points, nine boards, good defense, and some clutch free throws after a rocky start from the line. Luck is a complete player, and is getting stronger as the season wears on.
Hawk provided some great rim protection and did a solid job in the second half. He stayed out of foul trouble, and that is important moving forward. David Appolon also played really well. He brings so much energy to the table. His hustle And-1 in the second half was huge. It was all will. He's also a perfect fit for the wing in that 2-3 zone. He can cover so much ground and his athleticism is really shown off on that wing.
All-in-all, great win on the road. 10-1 is damn good. The Colonials just need a few more wins to get that one seed. Huge game vs Mount at the Chuck Saturday. Preview up tomorrow, #PackTheChuck.
--Lee Kunkel
--@Kunkel5
No comments:
Post a Comment