The UPMC Events Center has been almost kind to the Robert Morris men’s basketball team since the Colonials switched conference allegiances before the start of last season.

A bounce here, a bucket there could have been the difference between the team’s 2-9 record so far in its 11 Horizon League home games — seven last season and four now this season — and something better.

Each of those games, including Thursday night’s 75-73 loss to short-handed Wright State that extended Robert Morris’ losing streak to five, have been decided by less than seven points.

“We’re going to keep battling, keep working, keep fighting, keep trying to get one point better,” Robert Morris coach Andy Toole said. “It’s certainly a challenge to your fortitude.”

Grant Basile scored 23 points to go with eight rebounds and three blocks to lead Wright State (9-7, 6-1) to its seventh consecutive victory. It was without several key players, among them junior guard Trey Calvin, the Raiders’ third-leading scorer (13.9 ppg) and a starter in every previous game.

“They were without some players, but they are such a well-coached and talented team,” Toole said.

Calvin was among several Wright State players who remained behind under covid-19 protocols. Another absentee, 6-foot-9, 225-pound freshman center AJ Bruan, did not make the trip following the death of his father this week. He is averaging 7.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 10 games, seven as a starter.

Tim Finke added 19 points, and Tanner Holden had 18 points and nine rebounds for Wright State, which owns a 14-point road victory this season against North Carolina State, part of the Raiders’ current winning streak.

Wright State began the year 1-7, including an 0-5 start, but since has been the hottest team in the league.

“Any time you have a Grant Basile and Tanner Holden in your lineup, you’re going to have a chance to win games, Toole said. “Just the attention they draw from opposing teams, their talent and experience, it makes it so hard. And Finke is terrific and makes the game easy for others.”

Holden entered the game averaging a team-leading 20.0 points. Basile was second at 17.5 and was the leading rebounder (8.9 rpg).

It was another one of those “frustrating” nights for Robert Morris (2-14, 0-7).

“Should I just rewind the comments from the last three games?” Toole quipped, referring to other January home losses of four points to Youngstown State, one point to Cleveland State and six points to Purdue Fort Wayne.

“Very frustrating,” he said. “I want our guys to feel some of the success because I think they’re giving an effort. But it’s just four plays, five plays where we just … we make the game so much harder for ourselves. We’re going to keep fighting to rectify those four or five plays, but it’s so hard.”

The Colonials’ four Horizon League home losses this season have been by an average of 3.3 points.

“It kills you inside because these guys are fighting and working hard and doing 85 percent of what we’re asking them to do on the floor,” Toole said. “But there’s that little bit. We’ve got to get to 90 percent. There’s never perfection. There’s going to be mistakes in the game. But we made four or five mistakes that allowed for easy baskets, and that makes it really hard when you’re playing against a good offensive team to begin with.”

Robert Morris committed just eight turnovers, but Toole acknowledged the concept of unwritten turnovers.

“Sometimes,” he said, “we make the game harder for ourselves.”

Despite clinging to a four-point lead late, Robert Morris discovered Wright State, like nearly every other Horizon League opponent has been, was too much to handle.

After the first half featured nine ties, including 37-37 at halftime, and leads of no more than five points by either team, Wright State built a seven-point advantage on several occasions in the second half, the last on a Finke jumper with 8 minutes, 8 seconds left that made it 65-58.

But Robert Morris didn’t go quietly, rallying with a 13-2 run to take a 71-67 lead, capped by a dunk and jumper in a 30-second span by Kahliel Spear.

It wasn’t be enough, though.

Basile brought Wright State back within one with a 3-pointer, and Holden made two free throws with 51 seconds left to put the Raiders ahead for good 72-71.

After a Keaton Norris free throw for Wright State, Basile connected twice more from the foul line in the closing seconds to push the lead to four and ice the outcome.

Kam Farris paced Robert Morris with 20 points, Spear and Michael Green III added 15 apiece and Enoch Cheeks scored 11.

The Colonials will try again for their first Horizon League victory this season and just their fourth overall when they wrap up a five-game home stand Saturday night against Northern Kentucky.

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