Kahliel Spear's 27 points lead Robert Morris over Wright State in Horizon League opener
FAIRBORN, Ohio — Kahliel Spear’s 27 points helped Robert Morris defeat Wright State, 80-59, on Thursday night.
Spear added five rebounds, three steals and three blocks for the Colonials (3-5), who snapped a four-game losing streak and opened Horizon League play with a win.
“It was a great team effort,” RMU coach Andrew Toole said. “Wright State is such a talented offensive team, and they showed that early tonight, but I thought once we got into the flow of the game every time they tried to attack us, we slowed the pace down. We were really locked in defensively against a really good offensive team and responded properly because we did it together.
“The communication was great, the execution was great and that’s what it takes. We know we have some of the pieces. It’s just a matter of valuing the details. Whether the ball goes in the basket like it did tonight or doesn’t go in the basket we have to continue to pay attention to the details. If we have that urgency on the defensive side, that’s only going to help us.”
Josh Corbin scored 15 points while going 5 of 11 (5 for 8 from distance) and added eight rebounds and three steals. Enoch Cheeks shot 5 for 14, including 0 for 3 from beyond the arc, to finish with 12 points and five rebounds and six assists.
The Raiders (5-3) were led in scoring by Tim Finke, who finished with 18 points and two steals. Trey Calvin added 10 points.
“I think every win is meaningful,” Toole said. “Every possession is meaningful. We’re still trying to get everyone locked in and learning how to win. There were some challenges tonight, but we stepped up and made the plays that we needed to in order to get that win. It’s something that we can show the guys that I think they can feel good about and will help them as we move forward in a league that is challenging. Every night is going to be a tough game. We know that as coaches. It’s our job to get the guys ready for the next one.”
Robert Morris will return to Horizon League play at 6 p.m. Saturday at Northern Kentucky.
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