NCAA-Bound Robert Morris Colonials Capture Eighth NEC Tournament Title - Northeast Conference Skip To Main Content
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NCAA-Bound Robert Morris Colonials Capture Eighth NEC Tournament Title

3/10/2015

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Robert Morris redeemed last year’s title game home loss by upending St. Francis Brooklyn on the road in the 2015 NEC Men’s Basketball Championship Game. The Colonials overcame a six-point halftime deficit to defeat the top-seeded Terriers, 66-63, and punch a ticket to the NCAA Tournament.  Robert Morris’ Rodney Pryor tallied a team-high 17 points and four steals en-route to capturing the NEC Tournament MVP Award. Pryor, a junior college transfer in his first season with RMU, averaged 14.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game during the Colonials’ tournament run. Senior Jalen Cannon, the #NECMBB Player of the Year, recorded a double-double for the Terriers while Tyreek Jewell scored a game-high 19 points. Pryor and Cannon joined RMU’s Lucky Jones, SFBK’s Brent Jones and Saint Francis U’s Earl Brown on the five-member NEC All-Tournament Team.



WEDNESDAY3.4.15QUARTERFINALSCAMPUS SITES@ HIGHER SEED
QF
#1 St. Francis Brooklyn 79
#8 LIU Brooklyn 70 FINAL Box Score | Recap | Highlights
SFBK Postgame Coach
SFBK Postgame Players
LIU Postgame
QF
#2 Robert Morris 91
#7 Wagner 68 FINAL Box Score | Recap | Highlights
QF
#3 Bryant 91
#6 Sacred Heart 85 FINAL (2OT) Box Score | Recap | Highlights
BRY Postgame
QF
#4 Mount St. Mary's 58
#5 Saint Francis U 73 FINAL Box Score | Recap | Highlights
SFU Postgame
MSM Postgame
SATURDAY  3.7.15  SEMIFINALS CAMPUS SITES@ HIGHER SEED
SF
#2 Robert Morris 66
#3 Bryant 53 FINAL Box Score | Recap |
RMU Coach Postgame
RMU Player Postgame
Bryant Coach Postgame
SF
#1 St. Francis Brooklyn 62
#5 Saint Francis U 48 FINAL Box Score | Recap | Highlights
SFBK Postgame
SFU Postgame
TUESDAY  3.10.15  CHAMPIONSHIP@ HIGHER SEED
CH
  #2 Robert Morris 66
#1 St. Francis Brooklyn 63 FINAL Box Score | Recap | Highlights
NEC Front Row Live
(includes post-game press conferences, interviews, awards ceremony)
         

#2 Robert Morris 66, #1 St. Francis Brooklyn 63
Click Here For Boxscore

NEW YORK (AP) - Three times in his previous four seasons coach Andy Toole took Robert Morris to the Northeastern Conference tournament finals, and three times the Colonials had to watch their opponents cut down the nets and celebrate an NCAA bid.
 
In front of a raucous crowd, packed tightly into the one of the smallest gyms in Division I, Toole and his team never wilted. No more waiting until next year for the Colonials.
 
Tournament MVP Rodney Pryor sparked a second-half surge and Robert Morris denied St. Francis, Brooklyn, its first NCAA Tournament bid, beating the Terriers 66-63 for Northeast Conference championship on Tuesday night.
 
''A lot of my friends have been calling me Marv Levy because we haven't won the big one,'' the 34-year-old Toole said, referring to the former Buffalo Bills' coach who lost four straight Super Bowls. ''It's nice that I can call them back and tell them we finally won one.''
 
The top-seeded Terriers (23-11) had a chance to tie with 2.4 seconds left when Tyreek Jewell, who scored 19 points and was their best player on this night, went to the line after being fouled shooting a desperation 3-pointer.
 
Jewell missed the first, back-ending the shot and then the second. He intentionally missed the last one, but Robert Morris got the ball back and was quickly fouled. Lucky Jones missed a free throw that would have sealed it and Lowell Ulmer's heave from beyond half-court hit the back of the rim, took a high bounce and then missed again.
 
It was Robert Morris and their fans celebrating as the SFC crowd lamented the Terriers' third NEC title game loss, but first since 2003. St. Francis is one of just five original Division I teams, dating back to 1948, that has never made the NCAA Tournament.
 
As NEC regular season champions the Terriers get an NIT bid, their first postseason appearance since they went to the NIT in 1963.
 
''They can look back at a regular-season title. A lot of personal accolades. And postseason in the NIT for the first time in 52 years,'' St. Francis coach Glenn Braica said. ''I think that's pretty good. I think a lot of guys in this country would like to have that.''
 
Second-seeded Robert Morris (19-15) is going back to the tournament for the first time since 2010.
 
''It breaks your heart sometimes as a coach that we've had teams that have been so close and not been able to get over the hump,'' Toole said. ''And that's why we push, and we push and we push, all the time. To be able to perform and play in this kind of atmosphere and this kind of stage.''
 
The Colonials and Terriers split two close games during the regular season, with each winning on the road.
 
''When we got the win in the regular season we knew that we can win coming into this building,'' Pryor, who capped a 16-3 second-half with a baseline jumper and a 3 to put Robert Morris up 57-47 with 6:53 left.
 
Pryor finished with 17 points and earned tournament MVP honors.
 
The Colonials, their enthusiastic fans and their band made themselves comfortable in the cramped quarters of Division I's fourth-smallest gym. The Pope PE Center, capacity is listed at 1,200 but who really knows, was crowded and loud. Robert Morris was unfazed.
 
Using a confounding zone, Robert Morris limited the touches for NEC Player of the Year Jalen Cannon and held him to 10 points. Point guard Brent Jones (seven points and four turnovers) also struggled before fouling out.
 
''I wasn't myself,'' Jones said. ''Just thinking about not turning the ball over.''
 
Glenn Sanabria of St. Francis made a long 3 from straight on with 16.2 seconds left to cut Robert Morris' lead to 64-63 and put the Pope Center on the brink of bursting with chants of'' S-F-C!!''
 
Jones went to the line and swished both free throws with 13.8 remaining to make it a three-point game for Robert Morris.
 
Yunus Hopkinson missed a corner 3 for St. Francis with time winding down, but Jewell tracked down the rebound and spun and fired from the wing. Elijah Minnie slammed into Jewell to put the junior at the line, but the 65-percent foul shooter couldn't make the shots.
 
Toole said he's not worried about seeding, but it's a good possibility the Colonials will end up in Daytona, Ohio, playing another potential 16 seed in the First Four. He's just looking forward to watching the selections on Sunday with his team.
 
''It's one of the best feelings in sports,'' Toole said. ''I'm glad they get to experience it."

NEC All-Tournament Team
Rodney Pryor (RMU) - MVP
Lucky Jones (RMU)
Jalen Cannon (SFBK)
Brent Jones (SFBK)
Earl Brown (SFU)







Post-game Quote Sheet

St. Francis Brooklyn head coach Glenn Braica

Opening Statement...
"Obviously it's very disappointing the result tonight. We're all down, we're all disappointed but I'm also real proud of my guys. We've had a great run. After going 0-5, they won 23 of 29 games and we got the first postseason bid in the school's history in 52 years. We'll be going to the NIT next week.

I'm really proud of them for that. Obviously we fell short of our ultimate goal, which is disappointing. But as I told these guys in the locker room, we give credit to Robert Morris. I thought they did a great game, they did a great job, and I'm happy for them.

It doesn't take away from what these guys did this year. These guys have fought and you saw even at the end, we were down 10 with two, three minutes to go and they just kept fighting and scratching, and we gave ourselves a chance to tie the game.

So that's what these guys are about. They're a great group. They're a really tough bunch of kids. Great character and I'm really proud of them.
Even with the disappointment of tonight. This atmosphere that we had tonight. No one thought that was possible at St. Francis College. And they created it.

It's really tough when you get so close and you don't get there, but it's really hard to do and I'm proud of these guys.
 
On the defense…
It's not a great matchup for us to be honest with you. They do a really go job in their zone. They've done a really job the last two games of adjusting and giving us trouble giving the ball inside to Jalen. The first game I thought we had a little better time doing it. They've done a great job of taking away our inside game. And that's our strength.

They keyed on Brent. I could see whenever Brent got the ball, they jumped to him and they did a good job on the ball screens that we run against the zone. I thought Glenn came in and gave us a lift offensively and I thought Tyreek had a good game offensively as well and it gave us a chance.
 
On the beginning of the second half
But they got separation. I thought a big part of the game was at the beginning of the second half. We had a six-point lead at halftime and [Rodney] Pryor came out and hit two threes, I think Lucky Jones hit one, and it just changed the momentum of the game. You know if we got a little more separation right there, it would've helped, cause we did have trouble scoring against the zone.
 
On the free throw shooting
We missed a bunch. I don't know what that's due to. We've done a good job lately in the other playoff games with that. And today we didn't hit them. If we hit them, we probably would've won that game. But that happens. It happens to every team in the country from time to time and tonight it was us unfortunately.
 
On the final shot…
Honestly, I thought it was going in. I figured after all these years it was going in. It was really on line, I had a great view and it really looked on line. I was hoping.
 
On the atmosphere…
It's awesome. We're real grateful to everybody. The school, the Brooklyn community, our friends and family. This became a hot ticket. People couldn't get tickets. I had guys texting me that they were trying to go to brokers and obviously the brokers didn't have them. Who would have ever thought you would have seen that on Remsen Street? I hope that didn't distract us with all the hoopla. And there's no excuses but it was a great environment. We're really happy.

St. Francis Brooklyn senior Jalen Cannon, the 2015 #NECMBB Player of the Year

On the loss...
It's a little disappointing, but you can't think really about it too much because we've got the NIT coming up. We've got to use it as motivation and put our feet forward and go on.


St. Francis Brooklyn senior Brent Jones

On how you're feeling...
I feel awful. Five assists, four turnovers. As a point guard, a senior, you're not supposed to do that.
I wasn't aggressive against the zone. I thought too much. I was in foul trouble. I was playing with emotion. When we were down ten, I was just being vocal for my team and that got them going, but sometimes it's too late.

On playing the zone…
Personally, I played them three times, I played many a years. This game had to have been the worst game where I was thinking too much. I wasn't myself. Just thinking about trying not to turn the ball over. Trying to win the game, trying to have fun. Seeing how could I get Jalen the ball. How could I get Chris the ball. How could I set Tyreek up. I was thinking too much instead of looking for myself.

Robert Morris Head Coach Andrew Toole

Opening Statement
I can't tell you how much we respect Glenn [Braica], his staff, and their team and program and all they do. Every time that we've played them since Glenn has been the head coach, the games have been absolute wars. And they way they go about their business, and the way he gets guys to buy into and play their roles. And the way he gets guys who are sometime unheralded and turns them into great players is a tribute to him and his staff. I can't tell you how much we respect St. Francis and how they play basketball.

That being said, I can't be more excited for our guys, our team. To be down six at the half. To be getting beat up for the first half. In terms of offensive rebounds, not being able to execute our offense. And our guys being able to come out and take over the game in the second half and execute offensively as well as defensively in a great tribute to them and their toughness they way they responded to some adversity in the first half.

On defending Jalen Cannon
Obviously Jalen was the Player of the Year and what we tried to do with Jalen was make sure we kept a body on him. When he would catch it in the post, just wall up and be strong. A lot of his points come when people go for shot fakes. So we wanted to make sure that when he caught it in the post that we were squared up with him and he would have to make a shot over the top of us.

On defending Brent Jones
We just wanted to make sure that we stayed in front of him and we didn’t want to give him anything in transition. In the game at Robert Morris he had about 13 points in about a minute and 50 seconds and a lot of those were in transition. We didn't give him many opportunities to get out in transition where he was able to create for himself or shoot some pull up threes.

On playing your best basketball in March
When Lucky played in the Bryant game out in Bryant, that was a real turning point for us. Winning a real tough road game. Guys stayed together and made big plays and executed down the stretch and since then we won six straight. It's been a matter of guys playing within themselves, guys following our formula.

Elijah [Minnie] has stepped up and been tremendous for us. Rodney [Pryor] has played his best basketball the last three weeks. And I think Lucky [Jones] has been his usual self. We've always knew we had the talent to get to this point, but we need to form that team. In the last three weeks, that team has developed the way we've wanted to.

On getting over the hump
It was great. A lot of my friends have called me Marv Levy (laughs) not being able to win the big game. So it's nice that I can finally call them back and finally tell them we've won one.

It breaks your heart to have some teams that have got so close and not be able to get over the hump and that's why be push and push to be able to play in this type of atmosphere and this kind of stage.

The way we executed shooting 55 percent in the second half against a defensive team like St. Francis is something that I think is really a tribute to these guys played the entire game.

On looking forward to the NCAA Tournament
We'll go to the hotel and enjoy this. Give a few pats on the back. Great to be able to extend our season and continue to play in the NCAA Tournament. I know these guys will be excited on Sunday when they hear their names called. It's one of the most exciting feelings in sports and I'm glad they're able to experience it.

Robert Morris senior Lucky Jones

On the final shot at the buzzer
I was just praying that it didn't go in. It was a desperation shot. But I should've made two free throws to not be in that predicament. I'm just thankful it didn't go in.

On the team finally breaking through
We worked so hard this summer. Through ups and downs, we've been through so much. It's been a struggle to get over this hump, but we finally did it. I'm grateful to God for the guys we have. We put aside our differences and we just did it for each other. That's what it took tonight.

On winning in Brooklyn
It's a great feeling. We've been playing a long time for moments like this. We practice hard each and every day. We had our ups and downs, we fought like crazy and just to be in this predicament. The game wasn't over at half time. We stuck with it, we stuck to our plan, we knew we had a fresh 20 minutes to come back. We played our brand of basketball. That's just playing together and going out there and having fun. 

Robert Morris freshman Elijah Minnie

On the final foul to give SFBK three free throws
Good thing it was loud so I couldn't hear [Andy Toole] screaming. But I was just trying to make a hustle play. I didn't really try to foul him, I was trying to get another blocked shot when that happened. It was a good thing he wasn't good under pressure and missed the free throws.

On playing well down the stretch
I just wanna thank the coaches for playing me especially these past couple weeks, I've just been playing within myself. I've just been playing Robert Morris basketball. Tough basketball. My teammates picked me up.

Robert Morris junior Rodney Pryor, the NEC Tournament MVP

On winning already in Brooklyn
That added to our confidence just coming into a hostile environment. We knew it would be a dogfight so we had to keep our composure and coach talked about enjoying the moment and staying together as a team no matter what. When we got the win in the regular season, we knew we can win coming into this building.

On the start of the second half
I just wanted to stay aggressive. I knew my shots weren't falling in the first half and my team relied on me to score the ball so I came out aggressive.