The return trip home wasn’t very kind to Kentucky head coach John Calipari
The Robert Morris basketball may have missed the NCAA Tournament, but things worked out just fine for Andy Toole’s team.
The Colonials have come close a number of times in tournament play against the big dogs of the basketball world, but they finally kicked down the door, with an upset for the ages, taking down powerhouse Kentucky 59-57 in a thrilling game from start to finish.
“Absolutely incredible effort from our guys tonight,” said Robert Morris head coach Andy Toole. “We talked about playing to exhaustion and every one of our guys did that tonight. They were tired and they were cramping but we knew what type of effort it would take. I’m proud of the effort and proud of the execution from our guys.”
It may have only been the NIT, but don’t tell that to the Robert Morris crowd, who packed the Sewall Center hours before the game tipped off and remained vocal throughout. After Kentucky’s Kyle Wiltjer missed a three-point attempt at the buzzer, the Bobby Mo faithful stormed the court and the celebration that they had been waiting years to have finally began.
“Early in the game we certainly fed off them,” said Toole. “And they may have helped out when we were on the defensive end, but we still have to go out and make plays to keep the crowd in the game. Once the ball goes up you have to go out there and play. But we loved the turnout and the emotion in the building.”
The Colonials pretty much led throughout after storming out to a 10-0 lead right out of the gate.
That alone energized the crowd and made it a tough environment to play in.
“Give Robert Morris credit,” said Calipari. “They came right out and said this team can’t handle the physical play and we couldn’t. They were more physical from the start and they set the tone of the game right away.”
The Wildcats though wouldn’t go away and closed the gap to 28-27 at the half, partially due to getting to the free-throw line late in the half. Kentucky didn’t get to the stripe once during the first 12 minutes of the game, but thanks to attacking the basket often they got there 12 times over the final eight minutes.
However Robert Morris came out of the gate in the second half and took control by making eight of their first 12 shots of the half.
Velton Jones scored the first six points of the half, which got the Colonials going over the course of the first 10 minutes of the half. When Russell Johnson knocked down a corner three to give the Colonials a 13-point lead with under nine minutes to go, it looked like it would be Robert Morris’ night.
But Calipari’s team showed no quit and started chipping away at the lead, eventually closing to within four at 53-49, when the game took a sudden turn.
Lucky Jones was called for a flagrant foul and was ejected. Archie Goodwin knocked down the subsequent free-throws and then putback a missed layup to tie the game at 53 with under three minutes remaining.
On Jones’ way to the locker room he was consoled by every Colonial on the floor, but it gave Robert Morris a lift.
“I just told him we were going to win it for him’” said Velton Jones. “I told the guys that we had to win this one for Lucky and we weren’t going to stop playing until we did.”
But Velton Jones knocked down a pair of free-throws to give Bobby Mo the lead back at 55-53 and Mike McFadden threw down a dunk on a pretty pass from Velton to extend the lead to four with fewer than two minutes left.
Kentucky tied it up on jumpers from Willie Cauley-Stein and Goodwin before McFadden stepped to the line with eight seconds remaining and knocked down a pair of clutch free-throws, as Robert Morris went a perfect 14-for-14 from the charity stripe.
“I just stepped to the line and tried to control my emotions,” said McFadden. “Those were big free-throws and I had to make them. We didn’t fight that hard all game for me to miss free-throws.”
Robert Morris was led in scoring by Lucky Jones, who scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half. Johnson also added 14 for the Colonials.
More importantly though is the fact that the Colonials stayed competitive on the glass, only allowing the much bigger Wildcats a 25-19 edge on the glass. In addition, Robert Morris forced 14 Kentucky turnovers and turned them into 20 big points.
“A lot of people just notice the guy who scores the points,” said Toole. “But this team doesn’t celebrate made baskets. Instead we clap for guys who take charges and make plays on the defensive end. The effort we gave was phenomenal.”
Goodwin finished with a game-high 18 points and Jarrod Polson chipped in 10, but the job the Colonials did on Willie Cauley-Stein made the difference in the game as the seven-footer finished with only nine points, four rebounds and one block even though Kentucky had an enormous size advantage over Bobby Mo.
It was a return home for Calipari, who grew up in Moon Township.
“I’m happy for Robert Morris and what this means to their program, said Calipari. “I’ve spent more time on this campus then most students that spend four years here. I said if we had to go on the road and help one program, let’s go help Robert Morris. This is a shot in the arm for them and make no mistake about it; they deserved to win the game.”
But as Kentucky’s effort came up short and the realization of the fact that Robert Morris took down the defending National Champions, a team with three potential first-round picks, and the Colonials did the unthinkable- just a couple years after falling short in overtime in the NCAA Tournament to Villanova- the celebration could begin.
“Just seeing that atmosphere in our gym was special,” said the senior Johnson. “I can’t even say enough about our crowd. Even if we would have lost it would have been memorable, but being the fact that we won it will be something we will always remember.”
Photo Credit: Associated Press
