Robert Morris used some late-game heroics to upend the Horizon League’s top team, the Wright State Raiders, 72-66, Wednesday night at the UPMC Events Center in Moon Township.
DeSean Goode and Ryan Prather led the Colonials. Goode delivered 16 points and seven rebounds and Prather tallied 17 points and six boards.
The Colonials trailed 61-57 but closed the game on a 15-5 run over the final four minutes to improve to 15-10 overall and 7-7 in league play.
Goode buried a clutch 3-pointer that put the Colonials up 68-63 and Prather followed with a strong layup through contact to put the game out of reach at 70-65 with under a minute remaining.
With a packed student section behind them, the Colonials fed off the energy inside their home arena.
“The students don’t have to come out, so having that kind of support means a lot,” Goode said. “I appreciate every single person who was here — students, parents, kids, everyone. Even the people working the game. I really appreciate all of them.”
As far as the effort on the floor, Goode said the entire team brought its “A” game.
“Honestly, everyone played a great game—whether you scored or didn’t score, whether you were on the floor or on the bench supporting,” he said. “Everybody did their part, and that’s all that matters.”
After Wright State’s Michael Imariagbe drilled a fadeaway to put the Raiders up 61-57, RMU quickly tied it at 61-61 after a Nikolaos Chutkoudis layup assisted by Albert Vargas, and Prather’s layup.
A Dominic Pagonis dunk briefly put Wright State in front before RMU’s Darius Livingston responded with a bucket of his own.
On the ensuing possession, RMU’s Nikolaos Chitikoudis drew a foul and made both free throws to give the Colonials a 65-63 lead, and that set the stage for Goode’s decisive corner-three.
After a Kellen Pickett layup, Prather drained the shot clock and powered through defenders for a layup that sealed the game.
Livingston provided a spark off the bench with 16 points and four 3-pointers. Chitikoudis racked up a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
“He gave us a huge spark,” Prather said of Livingston. “He came in with great energy, hit shots, played defense and really helped us get this win.”
RMU set the tone defensively early. The Colonials held Wright State to just 30% shooting in the first half and outscored the Raiders 21-7 over the final 11 minutes before halftime.
Timely shooting fueled the run, as Prather knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 27-18 before Livingston buried back-to-back triples on RMU’s final two possessions of the half, extending the lead to 40–25.
“Honestly, everyone played a great game—whether you scored or didn’t score, whether you were on the floor or on the bench supporting. Everybody did their part, and that’s all that matters.”
Wright State opened the second half with renewed energy, taking its first lead in nearly 25 minutes on a Pickett two-handed slam. TJ Burch helped spark a 14–5 Raiders run that cut RMU’s lead to 45–41.
Livingston answered with another 3-pointer, and Goode added two free throws to keep the Colonials in front. Wright State continued to battle, eventually reclaiming the lead during a 15–5 run, but RMU hunkered down defensively and closed strong.
“We showed tonight that we can play defense,” Goode said. “That’s been a big emphasis for us. When we defend, good things usually happen. When we don’t, games stay tight. We just have to lock in defensively and let everything else come to us.”
The Colonials finished with 18 team assists and shot 45% from beyond the arc. Prather said he believes the win could be a turning point in conference play.
“This win can help us,” he said. “We just have to stay consistent. We can’t take any days or games off. Hopefully this is another step in the right direction.”
Photos by Antonio Rossetti
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