Robert Morris men top Green Bay for 11th win in past 12 games

Everyone in the Robert Morris locker room was delighted with another victory. Nobody could’ve been thrilled with much else.

Not even Kam Woods, the Colonials senior guard who flirted with a triple-double.

This was Green Bay, after all.

“It’s your biggest fear as a coach,” Robert Morris’ Andy Toole said after his team held on to beat the last-place Phoenix, 94-85, on Friday night at UPMC Events Center, the Colonials’ fifth victory in a row and 11th in the past 12 games.

“You’re constantly trying to give examples and talk to them about the scenario. There’s a lot on the line that we’re trying to play for here.”

Woods, an N.C. State transfer in his first season at Robert Morris, recorded his second double-double of the season with 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Amarion Dickerson also scored 22 points to lead Robert Morris (21-8, 13-5).

Despite Green Bay’s dreadful record (3-25, 1-16), it marked the most points scored in a game this season against Robert Morris.

“Bellarmine was 0-14 (in the Atlantic Sun) and just beat the sixth- and second-place teams back-to-back,” Toole said. “It’s hard sometimes to get people to understand that, especially when things are going well.”

And things are going great these days for Robert Morris, which remained a half-game behind Horizon League-leading Cleveland State with just two regular-season games remaining.

The Colonials entertain Milwaukee on Sunday afternoon in their final home game before a trip to IU Indianapolis before the start of preparations for the Horizon Tournament, which begins March 4.

“It was a little bit sloppy at times tonight,” Toole said. “Our defensive intensity and urgency was not where it needed to be. We’re happy with the win, but hopefully we can learn a lot from this and perform better on the defensive side.”

Alvaro Folgueiras added 18 points, and Josh Omojafo chipped in 12 for Robert Morris.

Woods finished with nine assists and joked afterwards that he’s holding Omojafo accountable for missing out on a rare triple-double.

“I had Josh on a back-door cut, and he missed a layup, so I’ve been on him in the locker room about it,” Woods said before he turned to a serious side.

“We’ll want to play better defense on Sunday.”

Milwaukee, the Colonials’ next opponent, handed Youngstown State an 84-74 loss Friday night, giving Robert Morris sole possession of second place. The Colonials and Penguins entered the night tied just a half-game out of the lead.

“We’re not trying to give up 85 points,” Woods said. “That’s something we can’t have.”

Marcus Hall’s 29 points led Green Bay. Jeremiah Johnson added 17, and C.J. O’Hara finished with 12 for the Phoenix, who again were playing without star guard Anthony Roy, the nation’s leading scorer before injuring an ankle Dec. 14 against UC Santa Barbara.

Green Bay coach Doug Gottlieb has said that the 6-foot-5 Roy, who is averaging 25.7 points, would likely make a return to the lineup before the end of the season.

Time is running out, though.

“We didn’t know if he was going to play,” Toole said. “Obviously, he’s a tremendously talented player. You’ve just always got to be aware and ready because you never know.”

Robert Morris, which played without 6-8 Ishmael Plett (back spasms), who has been part of the Colonials’ strong bench play, led Green Bay at halftime 42-37. The Colonials built a 63-45 advantage in the second half before allowing a much closer outcome.

Other than another Robert Morris victory in an already splendid season, the biggest attraction was Gottlieb, the contentious sports talk show host who is in his first season with the Phoenix.

He continues to work at both jobs and has had the backing of Green Bay athletic director Josh Moon.

Gottlieb, who is signed to a five-year contract at Green Bay, juggles his coaching duties while hosting a daily sports talk show on Fox Sports Radio.

He previously spent time as a college basketball analyst and talk show host at ESPN, CBS Sports and the Pac 12 Network.

“The guy works as many hours as possible,” Moon recently told WBAY-TV in Green Bay. “At the end of the day, he’s focused on how do we make our players better, how do we pour into them, make them have a wonderful experience here?”

As a college player, Gottlieb twice led the nation in assists while playing point guard at Oklahoma State from 1997 to 2000.

Gottlieb’s first season at Green Bay has been a disaster. The Phoenix began the week by ending a 21-game losing streak with a 79-68 victory over Wright State on Sunday.

The skid spanned nearly three months and also included a two-point loss to Division II Michigan Tech and an 89-67 decision to Robert Morris on Jan. 17 in a game that saw the Colonials erase a five-point halftime deficit by scoring the first 28 points of the second half to build a 23-point lead.

Gottlieb’s frustration level Friday night boiled over when he earned a technical foul in the second half after continually berating the officials.

But Toole praised Gottlieb’s staff for keeping the team composed.

“Green Bay has some young kids who’ve gotten better as the season’s gone on,” he said. “They haven’t been defeated. They’re making more and more plays. It’s a credit to their staff how they’re continuing to rally their guys. You try to remind your guys that every win is hard. It doesn’t matter who you play. Every win is hard.”