NKU men’s basketball hosted the Robert Morris Colonials on Saturday looking for a series split after a close overtime loss earlier in the season. The seats filled quickly with family and friends as a homecoming week victory was up for grabs.
With a win today, the Norse would have their second-longest winning streak of the season.
After NKU won the tip and came up empty with their first possession, Alvaro Folgueiras made one of two from the free throw line to get the scoring started for Robert Morris.
The Colonials then responded with back-to-back layups by Josh Omojafo and Kam Woods to cap off a 5-0 run, extending Robert Morris’ early lead.
Trey Robinson ended the run with a jump shot, but the Colonials responded right back with a jump shot of their own by Amarion Dickerson, who drove down and got fouled shooting a three the next possession, making all three free throws to extend their lead 10-2.
The Norse traded buckets with Robert Morris, each scoring six over the stretch. Trey Robinson continued to be a bright spot in the stagnant NKU offense, lacing in two layups. If NKU wanted to get back in this game, they could ill afford to trade baskets with the Colonials.
The Norse started to find their rhythm with Keeyan Itejere ripping the rim down after an alley-oop, assisted by Josh Dilling, followed by a Sam Vinson jump shot to cut the lead down to 16-12.
NKU and Robert Morris continued exchanging buckets until the Norse got two offensive rebounds, one by Dan Gherezgher and another by LJ Wells, that resulted in a Robinson jump shot that cut the Colonials’ lead to a mere one point.
A few possessions later, Josh Dilling would find himself wide open on the wing and splash in a shot from beyond the arc to give NKU its first lead of the game. It was short-lived, as Ryan Prather Jr. knocked down a three himself to take back the lead.
The Norse would finish the half strong, with Gherezgher and Dilling hitting a pair of threes before RMU banked one in off the backboard, sending NKU into halftime up 41-39.
At halftime, the homecoming festivities kicked off with the homecoming King, Isaiah Phillips, and Queen, Mikki Rodgers being recognized at half-court. NKU went into halftime shooting 50% from beyond the arc, but they only had a two-point lead to show for it.
During the break, a fan that was chosen for a halftime entertainment event drained a shot from half-court, which showed Robert Morris that even the Norse faithful were shooting lights out.
To start the second half, Gherezgher got a steal and an easy fast-break bucket to set the tone early for NKU. This sparked a 10-4 run for the Norse that forced an early timeout for Robert Morris.
Out of the timeout, the Colonials responded with a good play, resulting in Folgueiras scoring a layup to push his point total up to 16. The Norse responded with an even better string of possessions, with Trey Robinson knocking down back-to-back jump shots followed by Josh Dilling’s fifth three to cap off a 17-6 run out of halftime.
As NKU attempted to maintain their lead, Folgueiras was single-handedly pulling Robert Morris out of their deficit by outscoring NKU 12-9, cutting their lead down to seven points.
NKU responded with a dunk by LJ Wells and assisted by Dilling, but the Colonials were not done as Kam Woods laced in a three and Folgueiras banked in yet another layup off the glass to cut the lead down to four.
NKU attempted to regain momentum with an Itejere putback but was again met with a response by the Colonials, with Woods taking a trip to the charity stripe where he made one of two from the free throw line. NKU, at one point up by 13, now found themselves up five with under four minutes to play.
After a dry spell for both teams, Prather quickly swished in a three. Trey Robinson was fouled, but it played to Robert Morris’ advantage, as he made one of two from the line to maintain a one-score lead. NKU led 74-71, as the game was shaping up to be a photo finish.
With just over one minute to play, Prather found himself open again, this time at the top of the key. With possibly the most important shot of the game, Prather missed. However, a second chance opportunity allowed Woods to drain a three that tied the game at 74 a piece.
NKU, with the game on the line, folded under the pressure and gave up two crucial turnovers down the stretch. The Colonials took advantage, with a jump shot from Woods to give Robert Morris its first lead of the second half.
After a Vinson charge, Folgueiras slammed in a dunk that gave him a total of 35 points on the night and iced the game. NKU fell to Robert Morris 81-76, giving them an overall record of 11-14 and 6-8 in conference play.
NKU will play Green Bay on the road next Friday, February 14th. Tip-off will be at 7:00 p.m. with streaming available on ESPN+.