Robert Morris takes care of business at home vs. Stonehill

In an era of rampant player movement through the NCAA transfer portal, these are the games that help to speed the process of getting to know your team.

How do the pieces fit together? What might you do well?

The early-season matchups and mismatches continue for Robert Morris coach Andy Toole and his retooled Colonials, with six new transfers — the latest encounter a 63-51 victory over Stonehill on Thursday night at UPMC Events Center in the second game of the Urban-Bennett Invitational.

New Orleans defeated Lindenwood, 82-74, in the first game.

Robert Morris (2-2) will face Lindenwood (1-2) at 7 p.m. Friday on the second day of the three-day, round-robin tournament, which winds up Sunday.

“These are the games that help you figure out your team,” Toole said. “It takes awhile to get to know your guys.”

Three of those RMU transfers — Josh Omojafo, from Gannon (15 points), Ismael Plet, from Arkansas-Pine Bluff (11 points) and Amarion Dickerson, from Mineral Area junior college (10 points, seven blocks) — led the Colonials, who pulled away from Stonehill (1-3) for their second straight victory and first this season against a Division I opponent.

Alvaro Folgueiras, one of a handful of returning players, contributed 13 rebounds to go with nine points for Robert Morris, which held a 45-29 edge on the boards.

The mix of old and new perhaps already are starting to mesh, and Toole has taken notice.

“We have guys that are competitive, guys that want to win,” he said. “They’re trying to figure out what they need to be doing, and as a coaching staff, we’re trying to figure out what we can do to help them. What are the positions we can put them in? What are the things that are non-negotiables that you have to do and try to do that when you’re playing games is sometimes hard to do?

“It’s not like football, where you play one day a week and then have 5-6 days to put your game plan together, practice and clean things up.”

And then, of course, for the six teams in this second year of the tournament, there’s two more games for each in the next 72 hours.

“With some tired bodies,” Toole said.

Stonehill and New Orleans (1-2) open play at 4 p.m. on Friday. Following a day off, Stonehill and Lindenwood will face off at 1 p.m. Sunday prior to Robert Morris taking on New Orleans at 4 p.m.

Robert Morris, without injured point guard Kam Woods, the North Carolina State transfer who sat out with a sprained ankle, gained its first double-digit lead against Stonehill with about 5 minutes gone in the second half at 44-34 on a basket by Plet.

The Colonials never allowed their margin to dip below six points the rest of the way.

They pushed it to 63-49 with 1:40 left following an 8-0 run as Omojafo and Folgueiras scored four points each.

Robert Morris held a 29-25 halftime advantage after leading by as many as eight points during a tightly contested first half that saw the Colonials start with two missed free throws before the clock had started.

Stonehill was assessed a technical foul for failing to provide its starting lineup in a timely manner.

Todd Brogna led the Seahawks, a Northeast Conference member, with 17 points. Josh Morgan added 12.