Men's Basketball 11/4/2014 9:07:00 PM

Colonials Shoot Down Mansfield, 75-49, in Exhibition

Junior guard Rodney Pryor contributes 20 points, eight rebounds and five steals in victory

Moon Township, Pa. – The Robert Morris University men's basketball team used a 17-3 run in the second half to open up a 61-41 lead en route to a 75-49 victory over Division II Mansfield in an exhibition contest Tuesday at the Charles L. Sewall Center.

The win over the Mountaineers marked RMU's only exhibition game of the 2014-15 preseason as senior forward Lucky Jones and junior guard Rodney Pryor combined for 40 points, 13 rebounds and six steals in the victory.

Joe Bell opened the scoring with a layup for Mansfield, but the Colonials answered with a three-pointer from senior guard David Appolon, and Robert Morris never trailed again. RMU connected from beyond the arc early and often, as in addition to Appolon's three-pointer, Jones hit a pair in the first two and-a-half minutes of action.

Thomas Moore would help the Mounties trim their deficit to 14-12 with 14:05 to go in the first half thanks to a three-pointer, but the Colonials used a 10-0 run that featured a dunk from freshman guard Marcquise Reed and a pair of three-pointers from Pryor to grab their first double-digit lead of the game, 24-12.

Robert Morris shot 48.3 percent (14-for-29) from the field before the break, including 7-of-15 (46.7%) from beyond the arc. Pryor supplied 11 points, three rebounds and a pair of steals in the first half on 4-of-5 shooting, including 3-for-4 from deep, while Jones chipped in 10 points and a steal.

Trailing, 39-24, at halftime, Mansfield opened the second half on a 14-5 spurt to close to within 44-38. Charles Pemberton supplied six points for the Mountaineers, while Moore connected for a three-pointer.

Jones helped RMU weather the surge by draining a three-pointer, which started the Colonials on their deciding run. Pryor was again an offensive factor during the surge, hitting a pair of three-pointers.

"I didn't think we came out with the intensity we needed defensively in the second half," head coach Andrew Toole said. "When we finally tightened up on defense, it opened things up for us offensively. We're trying to remind and stress to our guys it's important to defend with energy on every possession."

Jones and Pryor tied for game-high honors in scoring with 20 points each, as Jones finished 7-for-14 from the floor, including 3-of-8 from deep. Pryor connected on seven of his nine shots from the field, shooting 6-for-8 from beyond the arc, while also tying for game-high honors in rebounds (8) and registering a game-high five steals.

Appolon, Reed and sophomore guard Kavon Stewart each contributed eight points for Robert Morris, with Stewart tying for game-high honors in assists with six.

Mansfield was led by Pemberton, who finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and a block. He shot 6-for-9 from the field and of his seven caroms, three came on the offensive end. Moore added 10 points and six dimes for the Mounties.

RMU opens the 2014-15 regular season by hosting Lafayette at the Sewall Center in a 7:00 p.m. tip Friday, Nov. 14.

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Players Mentioned

#22 Lucky Jones: G/F; 6' 6"; Senior; Sr.

#4 David Appolon: G; 6' 4"; Senior; Sr.

#3 Kavon Stewart: G; 6' 0"; Sophomore; So.

#2 Marcquise Reed: G; 6' 3"; Freshman; Fr.

#11 Rodney Pryor: G; 6' 5"; Junior; Jr.

Players Mentioned

#22 Lucky Jones
: 6' 6"; Senior; Sr.
: G/F

#4 David Appolon
: 6' 4"; Senior; Sr.
: G

#3 Kavon Stewart
: 6' 0"; Sophomore; So.
: G

#2 Marcquise Reed
: 6' 3"; Freshman; Fr.
: G

#11 Rodney Pryor
: 6' 5"; Junior; Jr.
: G