Milwaukee tops Robert Morris as Colonials fall to 3-6 in Horizon League play

BJ Freeman had 26 points in Milwaukee’s 77-69 win over Robert Morris on Thursday night.

Freeman added seven rebounds for the Panthers (13-6, 7-2 Horizon League). Markeith Browning II scored 13 points and added six rebounds. Kentrell Pullian shot 4 for 8, including 3 for 7 from beyond the arc to finish with 13 points.

Kahliel Spear led the way for the Colonials (8-12, 3-6) with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Robert Morris also got 14 points, eight rebounds and two steals from Jackson Last.

“We keep talking about the same stuff,” RMU coach Andrew Toole said in a news release. “We just seem to inhibit our ability to win the game, and it’s more mental than anything. Until we make the mental adjustment to be overly engaged, we’re going to continue to get this frustration. The effort we put out there for the majority of the game is where it needs to be. We always fight back, and that’s something I like, but at some point in time you have to get over the top. We had a lot of really good looks late in the game that we need to step up and make.”

Spear recorded his seventh double-double of the 2022-23 season and 16th of his career with the Colonials. He is now just one rebound shy of 500 for his career at RMU. In five seasons at the NCAA Division I level, including two at Bucknell before transferring, Spear has 611 rebounds.

Junior guard Enoch Cheeks had his streak of games reaching double figures in scoring snapped at 19, as he battled foul trouble. He scored seven points in 3-for-11 shooting.

“We need Enoch out there on the floor,” Toole said. “He needs to help us make plays. He’s our leading scorer. He handles the ball a lot in the flow of our offense. When he’s on the bench that just puts more pressure on the rest of the lineup. I know he’s trying to make plays, but he needs to be cognizant of every situation in the game. The foul at midcourt was one that I know he wishes he had back.”

Robert Morris visits Green Bay on Saturday.