The Night the Colonials Almost Broke the Bracket
It felt like one of those moments where the air just gets sucked out of the room. You know the kind. A massive powerhouse, a number two seed, staring down the barrel of a historical embarrassment against a team most casual fans couldn't find on a map. When the robert morris vs alabama score finally settled at 90-81 in favor of the Crimson Tide, the box score didn't even begin to tell the story of how close Nate Oats' squad came to a season-ending disaster.
Honestly? Alabama got lucky.
For a good thirty minutes, Robert Morris wasn't just hanging around; they were the aggressors. They played like they didn't know they were 22-point underdogs. Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland—basically a home game for the Pittsburgh-based Colonials—was absolutely vibrating.
Why the Robert Morris vs Alabama Score Stayed Tight
People keep asking how a Horizon League team kept pace with one of the most explosive offenses in the country. It wasn't magic. It was rebounding. Specifically, offensive rebounding.
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Robert Morris absolutely bullied Alabama on the glass. The final count showed the Colonials outrebounding the Tide 39-37, but the real "wait, what?" stat was the 16 to 5 edge RMU held on the offensive boards. Every time Alabama forced a miss, Robert Morris seemed to snatch it back. Amerion Dickerson, a Cleveland native playing in front of his hometown, was a human highlight reel. He dropped 25 points and made several NBA-level defenders look like they were standing in wet cement.
- Halftime Score: Alabama 40, Robert Morris 36
- The Turning Point: A Josh Omojafo layup with about 12 minutes left gave RMU a 65-64 lead.
- The Hero: Mark Sears.
Sears is the reason Alabama fans didn't have to spend the summer hiding from social media. He finished with 22 points and 10 assists, but 19 of those points came in the second half. He basically decided he wasn't losing. He stepped into those deep, "bad shot" threes that Nate Oats loves, and for once, the math worked out in Bama's favor.
Breakdown of the Key Performers
If you're looking at the robert morris vs alabama score and wondering who actually showed up, it was a tale of two very different styles. Alabama wanted to run and gun. Robert Morris wanted to turn it into a street fight.
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Clifford Omoruyi was the unsung hero for the Tide early on. He was a perfect 8-of-8 from the floor. Without his efficiency in the paint during the first half, Alabama might have been down double digits. On the flip side, Grant Nelson—the guy everyone expected to dominate—struggled with foul trouble and only played about seven minutes in the second half.
Bench Production Saved the Day
Usually, a 15-seed has a short rotation. They get tired. That's exactly what happened here. Alabama’s bench outscored the Robert Morris reserves 41-11. Mouhamed Dioubate was a beast, putting up 18 points and grabbing 10 boards.
It’s kind of wild to think about. If Robert Morris had even two more capable bodies off the bench, we might be talking about the greatest upset since UMBC took down Virginia.
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What This Game Taught Us About the Crimson Tide
You can't just look at the score and assume Alabama is a juggernaut. This game exposed some serious defensive lapses. They were cold from three-point land (shooting under 30% as a team), and they looked shell-shocked by the physicality.
- The "Live by the Three" Curse: Alabama's offense is designed for high volume. When the shots don't fall, they don't have a Plan B that doesn't involve Mark Sears playing hero ball.
- Interior Vulnerability: If a mid-major can get 16 offensive rebounds against you, what happens when you face a team like Kentucky or Tennessee in the later rounds?
- The Resilience Factor: To be fair, they didn't fold. They took the lead back and closed the game on an 11-2 run. That matters in March.
Looking Ahead: What to Watch Next
The robert morris vs alabama score is now a piece of history, but the implications for the rest of the season are huge. Alabama survived, but they didn't exactly "advance with confidence."
If you're following the Tide, keep an eye on how Nate Oats adjusts the defensive rebounding drills. They can't afford to be that soft in the paint again. For Robert Morris, Andy Toole has clearly built a program that can compete with the giants. They’ll be the favorites in the Horizon League next year, and honestly, nobody is going to want to see them in their bracket.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors:
- Watch the Glass: In future Alabama games, check the early rebounding totals. If they aren't winning the boards by the first media timeout, the underdog has a live chance to cover.
- Sears' Usage: Mark Sears is the alpha and omega of this team. If he gets into foul trouble early, Alabama becomes a completely different (and much worse) team.
- Mid-Major Value: Don't sleep on the Horizon League champions in future tournaments. The gap between the P4 and the top mid-majors is getting smaller every year because of the portal.
Alabama moved on to face St. Mary’s, but the scars from this Robert Morris game definitely lingered. It was a classic "survive and advance" scenario that reminded us why we watch this sport in the first place.