Moon Township, Pa. - Jamaal Womack tied a Charles L. Sewall Center record for three-pointers with nine, including one that sent the game into overtime with three seconds left in regulation, en route to a 31-point performance that led St. Francis (N.Y.) to a 102-97 double overtime win over the Robert Morris University men's basketball team Saturday night. Womack's nine three-pointers ties the record originally set by Scott Murphy of Mount St. Mary's Jan. 24, 1991. The loss drops RMU to 15-8 overall on the 2006-07 campaign, including 7-7 in Northeast Conference play, while the Terriers improved to 7-21 overall and 5-11 in league play.
The Colonials held an 83-80 lead after senior guard Derek Coleman (Dorchester, Mass. / Charlestown) hit a pair of free throws with 10 seconds remaining in regulation after coming down with a defensive rebound and being fouled by John Gooden. However, Womack's trifecta from the left wing trickled through the basket to send the game to overtime. In the first extra period RMU took a 91-89 edge with 59 seconds to go on a jumper from senior forward A.J. Jackson (Monessen, Pa. / Monessen), but Marcus Williams tied the game at 91-91 with 32 seconds to play with a pair of free throws. On the ensuing possession for Robert Morris, sophomore guard Jeremy Chappell's (Cincinnati, Ohio / Northwest) three-pointer was off the mark, sending the game to a second overtime.
The Terriers jumped out to a 95-91 lead in the second extra frame as Womack hit a jumper and Bassith Yessoufou scored on a layup thanks to an offensive rebound. St. Francis (N.Y.) had an opportunity to extend its lead even further, but Allan Sheppard missed a pair of free throws with 2:46 remaining. Jackson pulled the Colonials within two, 95-93, on a pair of free throws, and after a turnover by Williams at halfcourt on a steal junior guard Tony Lee (Boston, Mass. / Charlestown) scored a fastbreak layup to tie the game for the 17th time, 95-95, with 2:10 to play.
Sheppard responded with a jumper on an assist from Gooden to give the Terriers a 97-95 edge with 40 seconds left in the second overtime, and Chappell again missed a three-pointer with 26 seconds to go, with Womack pulling down the rebound. He was fouled by Lee, and Womack hit both ends to help seal the victory.
Womack set a career high with 31 points to lead five Terriers in double figures scoring as Robert Hines added 27, Williams and Sheppard with 11 points each and Yessoufou with 10. Lee shot 13-for-18 from the floor to establish a career high with 31 points while adding six rebounds, six assists and three steals, while Coleman notched his third career double-double thanks to 16 points and a career-high tying 11 assists. Chappell added 17 points for RMU, while Jackson finished with 15 points and seven boards.
Robert Morris returns to action tomorrow night at the Sewall Center with a 7:00 p.m. NEC tilt with Wagner that was rescheduled from Thursday, Feb. 15.
