Newark, N.J. - Jamar Nutter's three-pointer off a steal with seven seconds to play in overtime helped lift Seton Hall to a 111-107 victory over the Robert Morris University men's basketball team Sunday afternoon at the Prudential Center in a preliminary round game of The Philly Hoop Group Classic. The loss, the first of the year for the Colonials, dropped RMU to 2-1, while the Pirates improved to 2-0 on the 2007-08 campaign. Sophomore guard Jimmy Langhurst (Willard, Ohio / Willard) tried to get the ball down court with less than five seconds to go in the extra frame for a chance at a game-tying three-pointer, but he was fouled by Paul Gause with four seconds to play. Langhurst hit just one of his two free throws, and Nutter sank a pair from the charity stripe to help seal the win for Seton Hall.
Robert Morris owned a 66-43 lead at the 17:37 mark, but the Pirates slowly chipped away in the second half. The big run for Seton Hall came over a two-minute stretch with just under 10 minutes to play, when the Pirates trimmed a 15-point deficit down to four to make it an 85-81 game with 7:02 to go in regulation. Jeremy Hazell hit a pair of three-pointers during a 13-2 spurt for the Hall, while Eugene Harvey hit a pair of layups off steals thanks to full-court pressure. A pair of free throws from Langhurst with 6:16 remaining in regulation gave RMU an 87-81 lead, but a 12-5 run by the Pirates gave Seton Hall just its second lead of the game, 93-92, with 3:17 to go. Hazell and Nutter each hit three-pointers, while Harvey and Larry Davis converted layups. The Colonials took the lead back, 95-93, thanks to a three-pointer from Langhurst, and Robert Morris owned a 97-94 edge with 2:01 left in regulation after a free-throw from sophomore forward Dallas Green (Indianapolis, Indiana / Northwest). However, Harvey and Hazell knotted the game, 97-97, with a trio of free throws.
Each team had a chance to win it at the end of regulation. The Colonials owned possession with 18.5 seconds left on the second-half clock, but out of an RMU timeout sophomore guard Mezie Nwigwe (Hyattsville, Md. / High Point) was called for a five-second violation, turning the ball over to Seton Hall with 11 seconds to go. Harvey's runner in the lane for the Pirates as time expired was off the mark, sending the game to overtime. Seton Hall struck first in the extra frame as Brian Laing hit a jumper with 4:45 to go, but Green came back to tie the game with a tip-in off an offensive rebound. Robert Morris owned a 101-100 lead after a layup by junior guard Jeremy Chappell (Cincinnati, Ohio / Northwest), but Laing responded with a fade-away jumper to put the Pirates back on top, 102-101. Laing again scored for the Hall to push its advantage to 104-101, but on the ensuing possession for the Colonials senior guard Tony Lee (Boston, Mass. / Charlestown) hit Chappell with a full-court pass, and Chappell converted a layup and was fouled by Nutter. Chappell converted the free throw to tie the game, 104-104, and Green gave RMU a 105-104 edge with 1:25 to play in the extra stanza after a 1-for-2 performance at the free-throw line. With the score tied, 106-106, Nwigwe came down with a defensive rebound, but his outlet pass to Lee was stolen by Nutter, who drained the three-pointer with seven seconds to play in overtime to help seal the win
In the first half Robert Morris jumped out to a 24-11 lead and owned three leads of 17 points en route to a 53-41 halftime edge. As a club the Colonials shot 58.8 percent (20-for-34) in the first half, including a 70 percent (7-for-10) showing from beyond the arc. Junior guard Bateko Francisco (Paris, France / Fort Scott J.C.) was key for RMU during its opening salvo, scoring 12 points on a perfect 5-for-5 performance from the field. However, Francisco also picked up four personal fouls before the break and played just 10 minutes after halftime. Langhurst added 11 points in the first half, hitting on three of his four attempts from beyond the arc and finishing 2-for-2 at the free-throw line.
RMU opened the second half on a 13-2 run to push its lead to 66-43 as Langhurst, senior forward A.J. Jackson (Monessen, Pa. / Monessen) and Chappell each hit three-pointers, while Lee and Chappell each converted layups. Seton Hall, however, whittled its deficit thanks to the play of Laing and Harvey, who combined to score 59 of Seton's Hall 111 points. Laing shot 14-for-24 from the field and added nine rebounds, while Harvey was 8-for-14 from the floor and 10-for-13 at the free-throw line. He also added six assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals.
Chappell and Langhurst led six Colonials in double figures with 21 points each, as Chappell hit nine of his 15 field goals and added 11 rebounds and four steals. It marked the first double-double of the season for Chappell and the fourth of his career. Langhurst finished 5-for-12 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line for his 21 points. Lee also recorded a double-double, finishing with 19 points and establishing a career-high with 12 assists. He also recorded eight rebounds and four steals. Jackson added 13 points, Francisco 12 points and Green a career-high 11 points for RMU.
Robert Morris continues play in The Philly Hoop Group Classic Friday, Nov. 23 at the Palestra in Philadelphia, Pa., when it squares off with Drexel in a 2:00 p.m. tilt as part of the Liberty Bracket. The Colonials will face either Loyola (Md.) or Howard in the final game of the tourney Saturday, Nov. 24.
