Robert Morris Uses Late Rally to Stun Green Bay in Horizon League Opener

What a way for Robert Morris (7-3, 1-0) to start its Horizon League title defense as it used a miraculous late rally to pull off a comeback win over Green Bay (4-6, 0-1).

The Colonials found themselves down by 11 points with 2:35 left in the game but used a 15-2 run to close the game out and stun the Phoenix in the final seconds, 80-78.

While DeSean Goode led the Colonials with 18 points and nine rebounds, and Nikolaos Chitikoudis sunk the game-winning shot with two seconds left, it was the late play of freshman guard Darius Livingston Jr. that vaulted Robert Morris ahead of Green Bay in the closing moments.

Livingston made two clutch threes in the final 1:19 of the game, including a go-ahead three with 22 seconds left, and dished out a clean assist to Chitikoudis on the game-winner. He finished with 10 points, two assists and two rebounds in the win.

𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬. 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧. #GRIT #HLMBB pic.twitter.com/1CPkj9ncJP

— RMU Basketball (@RMUMBasketball) December 5, 2025

The Colonials started the game off on the right foot and grabbed an early 10-5 lead after Ryan Prather Jr. sunk the first three of the game by either team. Those would come very few-and-far between for either team over the ensuing 18 minutes.

The Phoenix answered the Colonials fast start with an 8-0 run claim their first lead of the game after two-straight close-range makes by C.J. O’Hara. The Colonials re-gained the lead before the under-12 timeout before the two squads went onto match each other shot-for-shot over the remainder of the first half.

The Colonials managed to keep the Phoenix one step behind them and carried a 36-33 lead into halftime after Cam Wilds snagged an offensive rebound and laid it back up and in at the first half buzzer.

Wilds played his best game of his Robert Morris career in Thursday’s Horizon League opener as he scored 10 points which mainly came from the free throw line as he went 6-of-7 from the stripe.

Count it! #GRIT #HLMBB pic.twitter.com/CtUN0nT2c1

— RMU Basketball (@RMUMBasketball) December 5, 2025

Green Bay went 0-of-6 from three-point range in the first half but after Preston Ruedinger sunk the team’s first triple early in the second half which made the score 41-40, the Phoenix took the lead just seconds later on a three by Marcus Hall.

The Phoenix made three triples in just over one minute and led 48-43 because of the outburst. The Colonials did not respond well to the barrage and started to revert back to old habits of unnecessary turnovers, poor three-point shooting and just overall bad decision making.

By the time that the Colonials managed to get out of their own heads, the Phoenix went on an 18-5 run and led by the score of 55-46. The Colonials answered with a smaller 8-2 run which was fueled by efficient free-throw shooting from Wilds and cut the deficit to just five.

Every time that Robert Morris looked poised to tie the game or storm back in front of Green Bay, it seemed like the Phoenix just muscled in tough shot after tough shot.

A layup by Josh Hill cut the score 64-60 just after the under-eight timeout but then the Phoenix re-claimed the momentum after a last second step-back three by Caden Wilkins. The Phoenix used the newfound momentum to jump out to a double-digit lead, 71-61, just before the final media stoppage of the game.

After Ruedinger sunk a pair of free throws to give the Phoenix their biggest lead of the game at 11 points, the game looked all but over. What happened next was maybe the shift that the Colonials needed though as Goode mustered in an and-one to cut it back to an eight-point game.

While the Phoenix added three free throws from Hall to re-extend the lead back out to 11 points, the Colonials went on a 15-2 run to close the game and the win out.

Albert Vargas, who played sparingly in the second half for whatever reason, started the run with a three and Prather followed it up with a tough turnaround jumper from the free throw line.

The Phoenix answered with a 1-for-2 trip to the free throw line but then Livingston nailed the first of his two clutch three-pointers which made the score 77-73 with 1:19 left. Wilds followed the three with another successful trip to the line and then Livingston put the Colonials ahead with a go-ahead three with just 22 seconds left.

Green Bay really had the chance to ice the game following Wilds’ free throws but they were called for a 10-second violation due to the Colonials’ intense press defense which gave Robert Morris, and Livingston the ball back for his go-ahead basket.

The Phoenix got the ball back and looked to re-take the lead but Justin Allen was fouled which sent him to the line with 14.7 seconds left. Allen missed the first free throw and made the second which tied the game up at 78-78.

The missed free throw allowed the Colonials to hold the ball for the last shot in which Livingston found a cutting Chitikoudis for the game-winning layup with 2.8 seconds left. The Phoenix attempted a near half-court shot for the win but it came nowhere close of going in.

Following the dramatic win, Robert Morris stays in the state of Wisconsin and will take on Milwaukee, the league’s preseason favorite, in another tough road test on Saturday.