Brooklyn, N.Y. – Kavon Stewart's jumper with 3.0 seconds to play helped lift the
Robert Morris University men's basketball team to a 69-68 win over LIU Brooklyn Wednesday at the Steinberg Wellness Center in the quarterfinals of the 2017 Northeast Conference Tournament.
The Blackbirds had one last chance, but Jerome Frink couldn't get a shot off as he stepped inside half court, giving RMU the victory.
"Certainly a great basketball game, and a great way to start off the month of March," head coach
Andrew Toole said. "I'm proud of our team and the toughness they played with. They stayed together and trusted each other. Kavon rose up and hit a big shot, and I couldn't be happier for him."
The Colonials became the first No. 7 seed to knock off a No. 2 in the NEC Tournament since 2004 as well as the sixth overall in tournament history.
Freshman guard
Dachon Burke had given Robert Morris (14-18) a 67-66 lead with 37 seconds left with a fastbreak layup on a feed from sophomore guard
Matty McConnell.
LIU Brooklyn immediately called timeout, and out of the break Jerome Frink, the 2017 NEC Player of the Year, was fouled by sophomore guard
Isaiah Still. Frink missed the front end of the one-and-one, and a mad scramble ensued for the loose ball.
Raiquan Clark eventually corralled the ball for the Blackbirds and drove to the basket, but he was fouled by Still with 17.6 second remaining. He knocked down both of his attempts down to push LIU Brooklyn back in front, 68-67.
Robert Morris got the ball over midcourt before calling timeout with 12.3 seconds to play. Out of the break, Stewart drove right, pulled back and drove again, lifting a floater that fell through with exactly three seconds to go.
"Our formula coming in was to stay together and play hard," Stewart said. "More importantly, have fun."
The contest featured four ties and 10 lead changes, with RMU surging to an early 11-2 lead thanks to the long ball. McConnell opened the game 3-for-3 from deep to give the Colonials a 9-0 edge, and a layup from Still at the 16:47 mark of the first half gave Robert Morris a nine-point cushion.
LIU Brooklyn charged back to close to within one, 14-13, on the strength of an 11-3 run. The Blackbirds eventually owned a one-point advantage at the break, 27-26.
In the second half the Blackbirds shot 60 percent (18-for-30) from the field, owning their biggest lead with 9:14 remaining, 52-43, after a layup from Jashaun Agosto. RMU responded with a 13-4 run to knot the game, 56-56, courtesy of a layup from Burke. That set up a frantic final five minutes that saw two ties and six lead changes.
McConnell paced Robert Morris with a career-high 20 points, shooting 7-for-10 from the field, including 6-for-9 from beyond the arc. He also notched four rebounds, an assist, block and steal.
Still registered his second career double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds and also dished out three assists, while Stewart finished with 11 points, four assists and three steals.
LIU Brooklyn was led by Agosto, who also recorded a double-double courtesy of 16 points and 10 assists. Frink, Iverson Fleming and Nura Zanna each scored 10 points for the Blackbirds
RMU next travels to Emmitsburg, Md., for a 2:00 p.m. tip against Mount St. Mary's Saturday, March 4, at Knott Arena for the 2017 NEC Tournament semifinals.
Stat Of The Night
11 – Career victories for
Andrew Toole in the NEC Tournament, the most by a head coach in program history
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