Pittsburgh, Pa. - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team had its four-game winning streak snapped Wednesday night with a 67-53 loss to No. 2 ranked Pittsburgh at the Petersen Events Center. The loss drops RMU to 4-1 overall on the 2006-07 campaign, while the Panthers improved to 7-0.
The two teams traded baskets in the early going until Pitt took a 14-7 lead with a 7-0 run that saw Aaron Gray score in the paint, Keith Benjamin hit a jumper and Ronald Ramon sink a three-pointer for the Panthers. RMU got back in the contest with a jumper from sophomore guard Jeremy Chappell (Cincinnati, Ohio / Northwest) as well as a layup from senior forward A.J. Jackson (Monessen, Pa. / Monessen) to close within three, 14-11.
Pittsburgh was able to keep Robert Morris at bay and then used an 8-0 spurt to take its biggest lead of the contest to that point, 30-18. Mike Cook scored four points during the burst for the Panthers, including a pair at the free-throw line. Despite the double-digit deficit, the Colonials hung around with a 12-5 run over the final 3:38 of the first half to trim their deficit to five at halftime, 35-30.
Chappell got the run started with a three-pointer, and junior forward Colson Sénat (Montreal, Quebec / Vanier College) also came up big for Robert Morris, scoring the final five points of the half. He scored his first two with a pair from the charity stripe with 42 seconds to play, then gave the Colonials some life heading into the break with a three-pointer with one second left on the first-half clock.
In the second half Antonio Graves scored on a fastbreak layup to give Pitt a 37-30 lead, but the Colonials rode the offensive surge of sophomore forward Ifeanyi Ehirim (Toronto, Ontario / Eldon Academy Prep) to stay close. Ehirim slammed home a dunk at the 18:54 mark, then scored on a layup with 16:51 to play and was fouled during the drive by Gray. Ehirim converted the old-fashioned three-point play to pull RMU within two, 37-35, but Pitt answered with a jumper from Gray. Ehirim again came through, hitting a jumper of his own, and after yet another Gray layup, senior guard Derek Coleman (Dorchester, Mass. / Charlestown) drained a three-pointer with 13:50 remaining to pull Robert Morris within one, 41-40.
After a Ronald Ramon turnover, Coleman scored on a fastbreak layup to give the Colonials their only lead of the game, 42-41, with 13 minutes to go. Tyrell Biggs came back and scored a layup to push Pitt back in front, 43-42, which started the Panthers on a 12-2 run to help them open up a 53-44 advantage with 8:21 to play. Gray was the main offensive force for Pitt during the surge, scoring seven points, while Ramon added a three-pointer. Robert Morris was able to trim its deficit to six after a three-pointer by Coleman, 53-47, but the Colonials converted just two field goals in the last 7:03 of the contest.
Coleman paced RMU with 12 points, all of which came in the second half, while adding two rebounds, three assists and a steal, while junior guard Tony Lee (Boston, Mass. / Charlestown) added another complete performance by finishing with 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a steal. Chappell also added 10 points for Robert Morris. Pitt was led by Gray with 21 points and 15 rebounds.
Robert Morris concludes its own version of rivalry week Saturday, Dec. 2, when it welcomes Duquesne to the Charles L. Sewall Center for a 7:00 p.m. contest.
Notes: Jackson was held scoreless in the second half and finished with six points and five rebounds ... Freshman guard Jimmy Langhurst (Willard, Ohio / Willard) saw his most significant action of the young season and in nine minutes finished with three points and two assists ... Ehirim was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and 1-for-1 from the free-throw line for his seven points and also added two rebounds, two assists and a block ... RMU shot just 37 percent (20-for-54) on the game, including 29.2 percent (7-for-24) from beyond the arc ... The Panthers converted 50.9 percent (27-for-53) of their shots but were just 2-for-17 (11.8 percent) from the three-point line.
