Men’s basketball adds non-conference games against Kentucky and Florida Gulf Coast

Mens+basketball+has+added+two+new+non-conference+games+for+the+upcoming+season.+Photo+Credit%3A+Ethan+Morrison%2FColonial+Sports+Network

Men’s basketball has added two new non-conference games for the upcoming season. Photo Credit: Ethan Morrison/Colonial Sports Network

Tyler Gallo

Just under a month after they announced their first non-conference game against Central Florida, men’s basketball has added two more non-conference dates for the upcoming season. They will travel to Kentucky in November and have now confirmed the 2020 rescheduled non-conference affair with Florida Gulf Coast as well per the D1 Docket.

The Colonials will do battle with a familiar foe in Kentucky a day after they travel to Central Florida on November 12 to face off against Moon Township native John Calipari’s Wildcats. Robert Morris is best known for shocking Kentucky in the opening round of the 2013 NIT, beating them 59-57 at the Charles L. Sewall Center, however, the lesser-known matchup came the year after in Kentucky where the Wildcats dispensed the Colonials in a rematch, routing them 87-49 on November 17, 2013.

Two seasons ago, Robert Morris met Florida Gulf Coast in Fort Myers and toppled the Eagles 64-59 on the strength of 16 points by Josh Williams. The Eagles will visit Moon Township for the first time in program history on December 11. The teams were set to meet in a non-conference battle on December 2 of last season, but that game was pushed to this season due to COVID protocols.

Kentucky had a surprising down year in 2020-21, going just 9-16 and missing out on the NCAA Tournament entirely for the first time since that fateful 2013 season. Florida Gulf Coast went 10-8 overall and 4-5 in-conference, falling in the second round of the ASUN Tournament to North Alabama.