Robert Morris Unable to Sustain Scrappy Start, Loses Big to Nevada in Season Opener

The Horizon League had a relatively strong showing across the first day of college basketball. Robert Morris looked to continue that hot start when it tipped off the 2026-27 season against Nevada, but those plans went awry as the Colonials dropped the opener to the Wolf Pack, 86-49.

The Colonials entered the game as an undersized underdog and the size discrepancy showed very early on. The Wolf Pack scored a handful of their early points on free throws and the Colonials were in immediate foul trouble.

Despite that, the Colonials kept the score close throughout the first 14 minutes of the game as they trailed by just two with 5:59 left in the first half.

Then, everything came crashing down for Andy Toole and Robert Morris.

Nevada closed the first half out on a 17-2 run and the scoring run did not stop there as the Wolf Pack’s run grew to 29-2 within the first few of minutes of the second half which put the game out of reach early.

Robert Morris opened the scoring with a three from returning guard Darius Livingston, but that would be the only lead of the entire game for the Colonials.

In fact, Livingston’s opening three was one of just three triples that the team made in the loss despite attempting 18 shots from behind the arc.

Robert Morris would add two buckets from Jalik Dunkley over the next handful of minutes but Nevada used a 6-0 run to take an 11-7 lead into the first media stoppage of the game.

The Colonials managed to tie the game up at 17-17 minutes later after KJ Garris Jr. sunk three foul shots, knocked down a midrange shot and buried a three all in a four minute span.

Another pair of free throws a couple of possessions later by Garris, and a tough layup from Dunkley made the score 24-22 with 5:59 remaining in the half.

Dunkley’s layup would be the last made Robert Morris field goal, not only in the first half, but for a span of 10 minutes and 54 seconds of game time.

By the time that the Colonials made another field goal, the Wolf Pack opened up their 29-2 run and led by the score of 53-24.

A midrange bucket from Garris nearly five whole minutes into the second half broke the scoreless drought and the Colonials went on a small 9-4 run but the game was far out of reach by that point as the scoring surge only cut the deficit down to 57-33.

Garris finished as the Colonials’ leading scorer and rebounder in the loss as he totaled 16 points and seven boards. Ta’Zir Smith was the team’s second-leading scorer with 9 points while Dunkley added 8.

Aside from Garris’ strong debut, the one thing that the Colonials did excel at, which they struggled with all of last season, was their free throw shooting. Garris went a perfect 9-for-9 from the charity stripe and the team made 20 of their 23 total free throw attempts.

Other than at the line, the Colonials shot a lackluster 27% from the field and 17% from three. They did not do the little things that are important to winning college basketball games either.

Nevada won the rebounding battle 47-32 which included 21 offensive rebounds and 18 second-chance points. Robert Morris turned the ball over 19 times which the Wolf Pack tuned into 24 points.

After running into early foul troubles, the Wolf Pack were also getting to the rim with ease as they outscored the Colonials 46-16 in the paint.

Robert Morris will look to rebound against Illinois-Chicago on Friday evening before heading to Arkansas for a battle against John Calipari’s Razorbacks next week.

The Colonials will not play their first official home game until November 15th when they host Division-III Capitol.