Dallas Green Jumper Sends Robert Morris Back To NCAA Tournament

I have watched bad basketball.  I play bad basketball.  But for two hours of my life last night, I found it hard to believe my alma mater was going to pull it off.  I always thought Robert Morris was dominant in tournament championship games?  We have hosted NEC championships four times (1983, ’89, ’90, ’92), winning all of those games. 

What was happening tonight?

This NEC Championship game gave ugly a bad name.

For most of the night, RMU played like they would rather stay in Moon Township and play Pops, Web, Ratt, Dawson, and another RMU student pickup player at Gus Krop for the Intramural shirts rather than be a 14, 15, or 16 seed in the NCAA tournament.

The game was tied at 19 at halftime.

We had cheerleaders with eye black, accounting geeks with their faces painted rushing the floor with nearly two seconds on the game clock causing the announcer Mark Adams to plead for a technical foul.

We had Mt St. Mary’s players with overgrown mohawks.  Their best player sported a Kid n Play high top fade.

The ESPN2 camera seemed to be on top of the rafters in Don Smith‘s office for most of the night.   The announcers described who Robert Morris was and even put up a picture with bullet points on screen for those taking in the game at the local watering hole. 

Mt St. Mary’s had six men on the court drawing a crucial technical and Jimmy Langhurst sunk both for  two “key points” (I’m serious).  ESPN called it a Key Play of the game. 

This game was not the highlight of ESPN’s Championship’s Week.  I got a good laugh when Mark Adams the announcer said, “I hope the next game, the Big Sky Championship, is as good as this one.”

We don’t have to worry about setting TIVO for a top 10 nominees on this game.  Go ahead and go to bed.

The NEC Player of the Year Jeremy Chappell had his first bucket with 17:51 remaining in the second half.  

Then it happened.  With about 11 minutes remaining in the game, Coach Rice grabbed his dry erase board and started calling some plays.  Heh it worked!  The worst basketball game I had watched since Kappa Delta Rho played Sleazy DZ’s, turned into a game!

Chappell tied the game at 31 with a great shot.  Yeh, 31 to 31.  I know, I know.  Well it was a game, but neither team could generate tempo as the refs had to blow the whistle every 25 seconds calling another well earned foul.

With two seconds until a tv timeout, RMU Coach Rice called a timeout.  Huh?  Five seconds later after the inbounds pass was mishandled, we cut to another tv commercial.  Mt. St. Marys was up 37-35.

We had a shot clock violation with no buzzer causing another three minute delay as Mt. St. Mary’s took a 40-37 lead.

Then with 4:40 left in the game Chappell took a bad three point attempt that clanked hard of the backboard.  Not to worry, Langhurst hit a wide open three after a beautiful head fake to cut the Mt. St. Mary’s lead to 42-40.

Jeremy Good answered for Mt. St. Mary’s and it was a four point Mt. St. Mary’s lead.  After Mezie Nwigwe went one of two at the line and we heard about the convenience store  ”incident” for the eighth time of the night, the Frenchman Bateko Francisco went coast to coast and RMU was down one with 2:35 to go. 

Then what I thought was the key play of the game happened when Francisco, NEC Defensive Player of the Year, struck again with a steal.  With the shot clock winding down his quick hands knocked the ball loose.

The referees had to have a meeting as RMU did get the ball with the possession arrow, but it was also very close to a shot clock violation.  The meeting was held at the scorers table.  After reviewing the play on the worlds smallest monitor, I mean, look at your cell phone display.  You see how big that is?  The refs reviewed the play on a monitor about the size of your cell phone display screen.  I believe the ref with the best eyes made the call, it was ruled a shot clock violation.

Seconds later The Chappell Show signs made their first tv appearance after he nailed a clutch three pointer to give RMU a 46-44 lead.  The Sewall Center was rocking.

Shawn Atupem, the Mt. St. Mary’s player of the game and also the guy with the Kid n Play hairdo, got to the foul line with about a minute to go in the game.  He was just 1 for 5 on the night and it looked like RMU would get to hold on to their lead.  Atupem hit both foul shots.  All square at 46. 

With four guards on the floor for RMU and the 6’8″ big man Rob Robinson, it appeared as if the Colonials would set up a good look for one of their guards.  No.  Not tonight.  Robinson took the pass and put up an ugly hook, a deep ugly hook shot.  Mt. St. Mary’s called time with 46 seconds. 

The ball got back to Atupem and guess what?  This time he had a shot to match his hairdo.

With the game tied and the shot clock off at 26.8 seconds.  RMU got  the ball to Chappell.  He nicely dribbled it to his right and it appeared he would create an open lane for a shot…  But he dribbled the rock off his knee or the knee of the guy that blanketed him most of the night, Jeremy Good and it went right to Dallas Green. 

And he buried it.  48-46RMU.

Dallas Green made the greatest shot in 17 years for RMU.  The one that got RMU a ticket back to the NCAA tournament.

When President Dell’O’Mo shows the DVD of this Championship Game at the alumni fundraisers, I hope he does some editing and all  that we see is that beautiful shot by Colonial Dallas Green.

It was all that mattered.