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Robert Morris Officials Play It Safe At Championship Basketball Game Amid Coronavirus Concerns

MOON TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- Officials at Robert Morris University played it safe at the Northeast Conference Championship men's basketball game amid coronavirus concerns.

On Tuesday night, fans packed the UPMC Events Center to watch the Colonials defeat league-rival Saint Francis to secure an NCAA Tournament spot.

"We've been tracking the spread of the coronavirus very closely," RMU VP of Public Relations Jonathan Potts said. "Our emergency management team has been talking every day to make sure we are doing everything we can to keep our campus safe and the public safe."

Signs posted at the front entrance of the center listed those precautionary steps, and 12 new hand sanitizers were installed on Tuesday in the facility.

But coronavirus concerns did not keep everyone away.

"Being overly afraid and to miss opportunities like this for a championship game would be unfortunate," one man said.

"Our daughter, who goes here, was supposed to go to Paris for a class over spring break and the college canceled it. So I think they're being very, very careful," Amy Pannett said.

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