RMU men’s basketball delivered former player and reigning Horizon League player of the year his championship ring this evening as the team made the trip to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to take on Iowa in their season opener.
Unfourtanately for the Colonials, when they leave the Hawkeye State after their game against Drake on Thursday, they won’t leaving undefeated as the Colonials fell to the black and gold by a score of 101-69.
Like last season, the team opened up on the road, this time against a Big 10 powerhouse instead of a storied Big 12 team in West Virginia.
The Colonials began slow, similar to last season, this time allowing the Hawkeyes to jump to a 14-0 lead with five team fouls early in the proceedings. RMU would get a bucket, but ultimately sat at a score of 17-12 in the first five minutes.
RMU would find some bright moments from North Carolina A&T transfer Nikolaos Chitikoudis and IU Indy transfer DeSean Goode, both of which registered points for the Colonials. Cal State Fullerton transfer Kaleb Brown also made an impact off the bench, but it wasn’t enough as the reigning Horizon League champions entered the half down 49-26.
Besides the fouls, the speed and quick coverage from Iowa on defense made it hard for Robert Morris to set plays, and it cost the team a lot in transition. The Hawkeyes scored a total of 33 points off turnovers on the night, while the Colonials only mustered up seven of their own.
In the second half, the Hawkeye’s spread the wealth, with points from Cooper Koch, Bennett Stirtz, Tavion Banks, and former RMU fan-favorite Alvaro Folgueiras pushed Iowa out to a 32 point lead over the Colonials.
Folgueiras would end with 11 points against his former team, shooting 75% from three in his debut. The Spaniard also put up three rebounds.
After the game, new Hawkeye head coach Ben McCollum praised his Folgueiras’ mindset, saying “He didn’t get too wild today. He was great. He was awesome.”
A positive note to takeaway was RMU’s scoring, with the team shooting 46% from three and 48% from the field.
Chitikoudis would end the night leading the Colonials in points with 14 and in rebounds with nine . Sole returner Ryan Prather would follow with 12 points on the night, shooting 3-9 from the field and 50% from the arch.
Arkansas State transfer Josh Hill also contributed putting up five rebounds, one block, and six points on his debut.
The Colonials will look to find more positives after a matchup against the Drake Bulldogs on Thursday night. The team will then return to Moon Township, when they play Geneva in their home opener next Monday night.
RMU’s game against Drake is scheduled to tip-off in Des Moines, Thursday, November 6 at 7:30. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
