Moon Township, Pa. - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team used a 25-8 run early in the second half and junior guard Jeremy Chappell (Cincinnati, Ohio / Northwest) became the 19th member of 1,000-point club thanks to a game-high 23 points as the Colonials defeated Lafayette, 88-76, Sunday night at the Charles L. Sewall Center. The win improves RMU to 8-5 overall on the 2007-08 campaign, while the Leopards fell to 8-4.
Ted Detmer's layup at the 18:02 mark of the second half helped push Lafayette in front, 43-39, but Robert Morris hung a 25-8 spurt on the Leopards to surge to a 64-51 lead with 9:15 to play. Sophomore guard Mezie Nwigwe (Hyattsville, Md. / High Point) started the run with a three-pointer and scored five points, while Chappell added seven points and senior guard Tony Lee (Boston, Mass. / Charlestown) six. Lafayette cut its deficit to nine, 71-62, after a three-pointer from Paul Cummins, but the Colonials kept the Leopards at bay with layups and free throws.
Lafayette trimmed its deficit to eight on a pair of occasions in the last five minutes, but each time RMU came back with an answer. After a three-pointer from Bilal Abdullah closed the Leopards within 77-69 with 4:20 to go, senior center Freddie Harris (Decatur, Ala. / Lawson State C.C.) responded with a layup on a feed from Lee. Andrew Brown, who paced the Leopards with 21 points, scored a layup to again get Lafayette within eight, but this time senior forward A.J. Jackson (Monessen, Pa. / Monessen) converted a layup on a feed from sophomore guard Jimmy Langhurst (Willard, Ohio / Willard) with 3:27 remaining.
Chappell eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau by helping seal the victory with a three-pointer at the 1:48 mark of the second half, giving Robert Morris an 88-73 advantage. Chappell entered the game needing 21 points for 1,000 and now owns 1,002 career points. He converted 10 of his 17 attempts from the floor against the Leopards and also added six rebounds, three assists and a game-high four steals.
The first half featured five lead changes and three ties, but Lafayette was able to enter the break with a 35-34 edge thanks to RMU converting just one field goal in the last 7:14 of the stanza. Jackson's three-pointer gave the Colonials a 28-20 edge, but the Leopards closed the half on a 15-6 spurt to take the lead at the break. Brown's three-pointer knotted the game, 32-32, while Abdullah's trifecta pushed Lafayette in front, 35-32.
Joining Chappell in double figures scoring for Robert Morris was Lee with 16 points, Jackson with 15 and Langhurst with 13. Abdullah contributed 16 points for Lafayette. Lee added six rebounds, nine assists and three steals, while junior guard Bateko Francisco (Paris, France / Fort Scott J.C.) finished with eight points and a career-high six boards.
RMU returns to Northeast Conference play after the New Year, as it welcomes Monmouth to the Sewall Center for a 7:00 p.m. tilt Thursday, Jan. 3.
