Moon Township, Pa. - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team ran its winning streak to three Saturday night and concluded a perfect 2-0 homestand with an 83-78 victory over St. Francis (N.Y.) at the Charles L. Sewall Center. The win improved the Colonials to 15-6 overall, including 6-2 in Northeast Conference play, while the Terriers fell to 5-16 overall and 2-8 in league action.
Trailing, 39-36, entering the second half, RMU used a 12-1 run out of the break to take a 48-40 lead as senior forward A.J. Jackson (Monessen, Pa. / Monessen) and junior guard Jeremy Chappell (Cincinnati, Ohio / Northwest) hit three-pointers while senior guard Tony Lee (Boston, Mass. / Charlestown) and sophomore guard Jimmy Langhurst (Willard, Ohio / Willard) converted layups.
St. Francis (N.Y.) quickly called timeout and answered with a 9-2 surge to close within one, 50-49, at the 13:31 mark of the second half. Kayode Ayeni was the main offensive force for the Terriers, converting a pair of old-fashion three-point plays, while Jamaal Womack buried a three-pointer.
Robert Morris stretched its lead to four, 53-49, after Lee converted a three-point play thanks a layup and foul by John Gooden. St. Francis (N.Y.) eventually tied the game, 54-54, after a three-pointer from Robert Hines, but the Colonials kept the lead thanks to a Chappell three-pointer and a 5-for-6 performance from Lee at the free-throw line.
Hines would tie the game for the sixth time, 62-62, with 7:59 remaining after a layup, but RMU scored the next eight points to open up a 70-62 advantage. Langhurst hit a three-pointer, while Jackson's layup in the paint on a feed from Langhurst with 5:33 gave Robert Morris an eight-point lead.
Ricky Cadell's jumper with 4:40 to play pulled the Terriers to within 70-65, but junior guard Bateko Francisco (Paris, France / Fort Scott J.C.), who had been 0-for-4 from the field up to that point, drained a three-pointer and was fouled on the shot by Womack. Francisco would convert the four-point play to give the Colonials a 74-65 lead. Cadell came back with a three-pointer for St. Francis (N.Y.), but Jackson answered Cadell's trifecta with one of his own to give RMU a 77-68 lead with 3:46 to go.
The Terriers had one run left, reeling off five straight points to pull within 77-73 with 1:59 remaining after a layup by Womack. The score remained that way until Lee threw a full-court pass to Chappell, who dunked it home with 35 ticks left to give Robert Morris a 79-73 lead.
Ayeni came back with a layup, and after a foul Francisco hit a pair from the free-throw line with 13 seconds to play to give RMU an 81-75 advantage. Ayeni then drilled a deep three-pointer with just four seconds left on the second-half clock, and on the ensuing inbound pass he fouled Chappell. Chappell would hit both his free throws with just 3.6 seconds to go to help seal the win.
Lee and Chappell each scored 21 points to pace the Colonials, while Lee added a game-high nine rebounds, five assists and two steals. Jackson contributed 12 points, while Langhurst chipped in with 10. The Terriers were led by Womack, who scored 19 points. Ayeni added 15 off the bench for St. Francis (N.Y.), while Cadell finished with 14 points and Hines 13.
Robert Morris takes to the road for its next game, visiting Monmouth for the start of a two-game road trip Thursday, Jan. 31. Tip time is 7:00 p.m.
