In a game of runs, Florida International reeled off 11 unanswered points to take an 11-2 advantage after senior forward A.J. Jackson (Monessen, Pa. / Monessen) scored the game's opening points. The Panthers scored courtesy of the long ball, as Elvis Lora, Johwen Villegas and Facundo Giorgi each hit three-pointers. Robert Morris closed its deficit to one, 13-12, on the strength of an 11-2 run of its own, which was bolstered by five points from junior guard Tony Lee (Boston, Mass. / Charlestown).

With the score tied at 19 with 11:35 left before halftime, FIU surged out to a 29-21 advantage thanks to a pair of trifectas from Lora. The Panthers held tied their largest lead of the game by taking a 32-23 advantage after a free throw from Chris Fuller, but the Colonials used a 21-5 run over the last 6:33 of the first half to take a 44-37 edge into halftime. The main offensive threat during RMU's run was sophomore guard Jeremy Chappell (Cincinnati, Ohio / Northwest), who scored seven points.

Robert Morris seemed to break open the game at the start of the second half, stretching its lead to 14, 57-43, after a three-pointer from junior forward Colson Sénat (Montreal, Quebec / Vanier College), but Florida International climbed back into the contest with a 10-0 spurt to close its deficit to four, 57-53. The Panthers again used the three-pointer, as Johwen Villegas and Dejon Prejean each hit treys to bolster FIU.

Chappell answered Prejean's three-pointer to push the Robert Morris lead to 60-53 with 12:17 to play, but a fastbreak layup by Prejean on the next possession kept Florida International close, 60-55. However, the Panthers would score just five points over a five-minute stretch, and the Colonials upped their lead to double digits in the process, 72-60, with 7:15 to play. Chappell and senior guard Derek Coleman (Dorchester, Mass. / Charlestown) each scored five points during the 12-5 spurt.

Robert Morris eventually pushed its lead to 20 and finished the game 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in the last five minutes of action to help seal the win. Jackson led five Colonials in double figures scoring with 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the floor, including 2-for-4 from beyond the arc. He also added eight rebounds.

Lee notched his 10th career double-double with 13 points and a career-high 10 assists while also adding seven rebounds. Coleman finished with 19 points and seven assists, while Chappell contributed 19 points, five rebounds, five assists, four steals and a pair of blocks. Sénat added 12 points and three rebounds off the bench in 17 minutes of work.

Robert Morris is next in action Friday, Nov. 17, when it travels to Huntington, W.Va., for a 7:00 p.m. tilt against Marshall.

Notes: Robert Morris improved to 16-15 all-time in season openers, including 12-2 in season openers at home ... RMU's 24-point victory marked the largest by the club in a season opener against a Division I team ... The Colonials downed Marshall, 85-61, in its 1991-92 opener at the Charles L. Sewall Center, Dec. 2, 1991 ... Robert Morris is 3-3 in season openers under head coach Mark Schmidt ... The Colonials shot 59.7 percent (37-for-62) from the field on the game, while Florida International converted 54.0 percent (27-for-50) of its shots ... RMU shot 60 percent (12-for-20) from beyond the arc and also converted 83.3 percent (10-for-12) of its free throws ... Robert Morris owned a 29-23 advantage on the boards, including a 9-6 edge on the offensive glass.