Robert Morris postpones men's basketball opener, team on hold after positive covid test
The Robert Morris men’s basketball season won’t start on time.
The school has paused team activities after receiving positive covid-19 test results among team personnel, including players, coaches and staff.
In addition, the 2020-21 season opener against Point Park at the UPMC Events Center, scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed. Nonconference games against Central Michigan on Nov. 28 and Florida Gulf Coast on Dec. 2 have been canceled and will be rescheduled for the 2021-22 season.
A decision regarding additional nonconference home games, including the Point Park contest, will be made in the near future, the school announced.
“The health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches and staff is at the forefront of everything we do as a program,” coach Andy Toole said in a statement. “As we’ve witnessed throughout the country, covid-19 cases are on the rise. Despite our pause in team activities, we’ll get through this stronger as a team and will return when it is safe for everyone involved.”
Robert Morris also will not allow spectators at home games through Nov. 30. That includes men’s hockey games Saturday and Sunday against Alabama-Huntsville and the Atlantic Hockey opener Nov. 27 against Canisius.
Jerry DiPaola is a TribLive reporter covering Pitt athletics since 2011. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in 1993, first as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department and later as the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter from 1994-2004. He can be reached at jdipaola@triblive.com.
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