Team #87 - Robert Morris

On Saturday December 4th, 2021, I saw my 87th Division One College Basketball team. On this occasion, I saw the Robert Morris Colonials take on the Milwaukee Panthers. Robert Morris is the 8th different team that I have seen out of the Horizon League. The Colonials come off a 70-58 loss on Thursday to the Green Bay Phoenix. Coming into the matchup with Milwaukee, the Colonials are 0-6 on the season. Kahliel Spear has been the leading scorer for Robert Morris,averaging 14.2 PPG. Milwaukee has also struggled this season and find themselves 1-6. Future NBA Lottery pick, Patrick Baldwin Jr has missed the last couple of contests with an ankle injury. He is said to be day to day at this point. Milwaukee comes off a heartbreaking 70-68 loss to Youngstown State. A game in which they lead by 11 in the 2nd half but could not hold the lead. DeAndre Gholston had been the most productive Panther this season, averaging 16.3 PPG. As fate would have it, Gholston would sit out this contest with an ankle injury. However, Patrick Baldwin Jr would return to the lineup.  

With an 11AM Central tip off, you never know what you are going to get. Sometimes teams are still sleeping and you have low scoring games. Other times, teams come out on fire. This game was a certainly a mixture of that to start. The first five minutes of the game were very sloppy. The teams combined to have six turnovers in the first five minutes of the game as Robert Morris held an early 13-5 lead. Milwaukee struggled with the 3-2 zone that Robert Morris featured. They kept putting Patrick Baldwin Jr in the corner of the zone offense. That is never going to work. Finally, at about the ten minute mark in the first half they put Baldwin in the middle of the zone. At this point, he caught fire. Baldwin would hit a couple of turnaround jumpers to get his night jump started. Robert Morris made an adjustment cutting off the free throw line area at the top of the zone. Then Milwaukee countered by putting Baldwin out on the wing. Where he would hit four straight three pointers, looking like the NBA lottery prospect he is. This stretch gave the Panthers a 28-26 lead. After one of the three pointers, Baldwin was accessed a technical foul for putting three fingers in the face of Robert Morris Head Coach Andy Toole. However this did not phase the confident of the Panthers at all. After a couple of more made three pointers, the score jumped to 36-29. It certainly looked like Milwaukee would head into the half with a lead. However, Robert Morris ended the half on an 8-0 run. The run was capped off by a Kam Ferris three pointer in the final seconds of the first half. This gave the Colonials a 37-36 lead heading into halftime. Ferris would finish the first half with 14 points including four three pointers. Baldwin would be the leading scorer for the Panthers with 19 points including a perfect five for five from the three point line. Both teams shot the ball very well in the first half. Robert Morris tied it's season high on three pointers with seven made in the first half. 

The second half was very back and forth for the first 15 minutes. Neither team could pull away. The biggest lead either team held was five. The real changing point in the game actually happened very early in the 2nd half. Robert Morris Guard, Kam Ferris was hit in the face and was in a sizeable amount of pain. As it turned out, he would not return to the game. The Colonials only dressed nine players, only playing eight. The lack of depth certainly showed down the stretch. Kahleil Spears and Rasheem Dunn lead the charge for the Colonials in the 2nd half. Spears had a very nice putback dunk in the 2nd half that got his bench roaring. Dunn, a transfer from St Johns scored 12 2nd half points to keep the Colonials in the game. The score remained almost dead locked until about five minutes remaining. Jordan Lathon and Josh Thomas hit back to back three for Milwaukee. From this point on they would never trail again. However, Milwaukee tried to lose the game late. Robert Morris had a very aggressive press in the last three minutes as they trailed by ten. On back to back possessions, Milwaukee turned the ball over. The turnovers led to easy baskets for Robert Morris. Finally, the team got under control and made big free throws. Milwaukee would go onto win 77-69 and win it's second game of the season. Poor Robert Morris remains winless. I was very impressed with the play of Jordan Lathon in this game. He finished with 6 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds. If he can stay healthy he seems like a glue guy who can help the team win games. Patrick Baldwin Jr had his best game of the season scoring 26 points on 9-14 shooting. This also included going a perfect six of six from three. He was also very good on the defense end and certainly a big reason the Panthers pulled out the win. Milwaukee and Robert Morris both set season high's on three pointers made. Milwaukee made 14 three's, while Robert Morris hit 10 three's. Rasheem Dunn was the leading scorer for Robert Morris with 21 points. 

My next game is next Saturday December 11th as the UCLA Bruins take on the Marquette Golden Eagles.