Robert Morris gets double-doubles from 2 players in 3OT win over Northern Kentucky

Andy Toole was worn out just watching Sunday’s marathon Horizon League battle at UPMC Events Center.

You can bet he was feeling an assortment of other emotions, too.

“Your mind’s racing on every possession. It was exhausting,” the Robert Morris men’s basketball coach said moments after his Colonials came away with a 97-93, triple-overtime victory over Northern Kentucky for their first conference win of the season.

Amarion Dickerson scored a career-high 27 points, Alvaro Folguerias added 21 and both finished with double-doubles to lead the Colonials, who won despite shooting just 38.5% overall, 21.2% from 3-point range, 63.3% from the free-throw line and losing the rebounding battle by 13.

It helped that Robert Morris had 23 assists — including a career-high 10 by Kam Woods, giving him the team’s third double-double of the day — on 35 baskets. RMU also registered 11 steals (four by Woods) and committed just 13 turnovers, compared to 23 for Northern Kentucky, which saw a five-game winning streak end.

“Analytics are great and can certainly help you put together game plans and make decisions,” Toole said. “But sometimes the will and the effort that a team shows can overcome some of that. Just proud of the way those guys continued to battle. After that second overtime, some dudes were gassed and their heads were down, but they came back out swinging.”

D.J. Smith (13 points), Woods (12) and Josh Omojafo (11) also scored in double figures for Robert Morris (9-5, 1-2).

L.J. Wells led Northern Kentucky (7-7, 2-1) with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Trey Robinson and Sam Vinson added 17 points apiece, Josh Dilling chipped in 14 and Randal Pettus II finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds for the Norse.

It was Robert Morris’ first victory in the series with Northern Kentucky since February 2022, a string of six games.

Folgueiras grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds — one shy of tying the Robert Morris record — and added six assists, and Dickerson pulled down a career-high 15 boards for the Colonials, who were outrebounded 65-52.

“It’s so incredibly hard for however long we were out there, 55 minutes. It was a really physical game,” Toole said. “Both teams continued to battle and battle and battle. We were fortunate to make a play or two (more).”

A Dickerson dunk with 26 seconds left in the third overtime pushed Robert Morris ahead for good, 94-92.

After Wells made 1 of 2 free throws to pull Northern Kentucky within a point, Woods responded for Robert Morris with 1 of 2 from the line with 9 seconds left.

Dickerson plucked the rebound off Woods’ miss on the second attempt, forcing Northern Kentucky to foul with 3 seconds to go.

Freshman Dilen Miller’s two free throws gave the Colonials an insurmountable four-point cushion and a three-game winning streak heading into the new year.

They will begin 2025 with Horizon League road games on Friday at Detroit Mercy and on Sunday at Oakland.

“It was an amazing team game,” said Folgueiras, a 6-foot-9 sophomore from Malaga, Spain, who came away with his seventh double-double of the season. He entered the game ranked seventh in Division I in rebounding (10.8 rpg).

The 6-7 Dickerson, a junior college transfer from Mineral Area College (Mo.), recorded his third double-double of the season and also blocked five shots to give him 39 in his first year in Division I, where he ranks ninth in blocks (2.6 bpg).

Dickerson joked with a reporter afterwards that his 27 points did not represent a career high in the college ranks.

“I had 28 (at Mineral Area College) in a playoff game against Three Rivers,” he said. “28, 28, 28!”

According to the National Junior College Athletic Association website, Dickerson scored 26 points on March 7 in a 79-65 victory over Three Rivers Community College (Mo.) in the Region 16 semifinals.

Either way, Dickerson’s monster game, which also included 11-of-20 shooting and three steals, will go down as a memorable day for the Cleveland native.

“I’m not so much surprised. I always give all the glory to God,” he said. “I’m a firm believer in, ‘The work you put in is what you get, so stay ready so you don’t have to be ready.’ ”

Robert Morris trailed Northern Kentucky for much of the first half before taking a 20-18 lead on consecutive dunks by Omojafo, the first a thunderous slam that rattled the glass and sent him violently crashing to the floor.

.@Josh_Omo4 throws it down‼️#GRIT #SCtop10 #sportscentertop10 #HLMBB pic.twitter.com/inSYkHhHPO

— RMU Basketball (@RMUMBasketball) December 29, 2024

HE DID IT AGAIN‼️#GRIT #SCtop10 #sportscentertop10 #HLMBB@Josh_Omo4 pic.twitter.com/jdfpwflbIl

— RMU Basketball (@RMUMBasketball) December 29, 2024

From there, the energized Colonials, with the help of consecutive 3-pointers by Ryan Prather Jr., held the advantage into the second half before falling behind again.

Dickerson converted 1 of 2 free throws with 16:41 left in regulation to provide RMU with its biggest lead at 45-37.

Northern Kentucky, sparked by two 3-pointers by Dilling, responded with a 16-2 run to go back in front 53-47 with 11:34 left.

The Norse stayed in control for much of the time until finally relinquishing the lead again on Woods’ 3-pointer with 4:04 to go, giving Robert Morris a 67-66 advantage.

It was a rare basket on a dismal shooting day for the N.C. State transfer, who wound up 4 for 26 overall, 2 for 11 from behind the arc and 2 for 6 from the free-throw line.

But his 10 rebounds and four steals also stood out.

“We got a sense early on that this is a group of guys that care and are competitive,” Toole said. They were in (the huddle) yelling, ‘Keep fighting. Don’t quit.’ The more mentally tough team is going to make the plays and win. Credit Northern Kentucky. They’re one of the best teams in this league year in and year out. They never blinked. We never blinked. We were just a few shots better.”

Robinson’s jumper for Northern Kentucky with 18 seconds left in regulation tied the score at 73-73 and sent the game into the first overtime, where Dilling made the second of two free throws for the Norse with 8 seconds to go to force a second overtime with the teams tied 80-80.

Wells’ 3-pointer for Northern Kentucky with 2:05 left in the second extra period made it 86-86, and neither team scored again until the third overtime, where Robert Morris outscored Northern Kentucky, 11-7, to seal the victory.

“So many plays, so many situations as you came down to the end of regulation, the first overtime, second overtime, third overtime,” Toole said. “Some of them I liked, some of them I didn’t. But I know our team just continued to fight, and that’s what I liked the most and I’m most proud of.

“I think it can be another game we can build on.”