Robert Morris gets back in win column with furious comeback vs. Towson

There were many heroes Tuesday night in Robert Morris’ epic, come-from-behind victory over Towson in men’s basketball at UPMC Events Center, a 68-67 decision that saw the Colonials enjoy the lead for a grand total of 73 seconds.

What mattered was they led when the game was over after trailing by as many as 19 points in the first half and by 16 at halftime.

“We challenged them at halftime, and they responded incredibly well and were able to pull out the victory,” Robert Morris coach Andy Toole said, drenched from a locker room celebration.

Whether is was Josh Omojafo blocking a potential game-winning 3-point shot, Amarion Dickerson reeling off six consecutive points during a late game-deciding run, or Kam Woods hitting an off-balance jumper in the lane with 16 seconds left that proved to be the game-winner, there was no shortage of stars on a night when it looked as though the Colonials would be headed for their fourth consecutive loss.

“Towson took it to us in every way in the first half. There was no ownership,” Toole said, inferring that his players were pointing at one another. “The defensive intensity in the second half, the urgency, the ability to kind of attack and get the ball to the paint, make some of the right plays, step up and make shots was critical.

“We got contributions from a lot of guys.”

Dickerson scored 18 points to lead Robert Morris (7-5). Omojafo, who blocked Christian May’s 3-point shot in the final second to preserve the victory, added 15, and Woods finished with 12 for the Colonials, who entertain St. Francis (Pa.) on Saturday afternoon as part of a three-game homestand.

RMU welcomes Northern Kentucky on Dec. 29 for a Horizon League game.

“We’re 0-2 in the conference and we’re just trying to build and get back on the right track in the conference, so we can get into March Madness,” said Woods, who played in 13 games last season for North Carolina State’s Final Four team.

The game winner by @KamGlizzzy3 #GRIT

????️: https://t.co/HTbxRRENUr pic.twitter.com/HI6BacB7Ap

— RMU Basketball (@RMUMBasketball) December 18, 2024

Tyler Tejada scored 30 points to lead Towson (4-8), the Coastal Athletic Association preseason favorite.

The Tigers extended their losing streak to six and were coming off a 65-47 setback to Duquesne on Saturday in Akron, Ohio, in a game that saw Tejada score a season-low eight points on 2-of-11 shooting.

The 6-foot-9 sophomore, a preseason all-CAA first-team selection after winning CAA Rookie of the Year honors last season, shot 12 for 21, including 3 for 3 from 3-point range, against Robert Morris.

Robert Morris, which trailed 40-24 at halftime, opened the second half on a 22-5 run, capped by a 12-0 spurt that briefly pushed RMU into the lead.

A Woods jumper put the Colonials back in front at 48-47, but the Colonials again lost the lead as Towson scored 11 unanswered points, part of a 12-3 run.

“When we were down, 60-50 (with 7:42 left), I told them that (Towson) can’t score very many more points if we’re going to win this,” Toole said. “They scored seven more the rest of the game. Our defense certainly stepped up, and we were able to attack and execute on offense.”

Robert Morris shot 66.7% (14 for 21) in the second half, when the Colonials connected on 5 of 8 shots from 3-point range and 11 of 15 free throws.

Woods, who earlier missed five games with a sprained ankle, has slowly been working his way back into game shape. Not long after his game-deciding shot, the 6-2 senior guard thanked Toole for some tough love.

“He trusts me to make the right plays, and when I’m not making the right plays, I hear his feedback,” Woods said. “For him to come to me and give that feedback … when your coach stands up to you, it means he cares about you. You don’t want to play for a coach who doesn’t give you negative feedback.”

Woods momentarily put his head down and paused. Was that clutch shot still on his mind?

“Just being there for my teammates,” he said. “I haven’t been that guy, coming from N.C. State, being in those big arenas, then coming here, it’s like everyone expected me to lead the way and I ain’t been leading. So, for me to make that shot, it got me out of that slow mojo that I’ve been in.

“I feel like we’re back. I’m going to sleep good tonight.”