Easton, Pa. - Senior guard Jeremy Chappell (Cincinnati, Ohio / Northwest) led three Colonials in double figures scoring with a season-high 24 points as the Robert Morris University men's basketball team posted an 83-70 victory over Lafayette at the Kirby Sports Center. The win evens RMU's overall record at 5-5, while the Leopards dropped their seventh straight, falling to 2-7.
Robert Morris scored the first six points of the game, four of which came courtesy of junior forward Rob Robinson (Waldorf, Md. / Globe Institute of Technology), and the Colonials quickly stretched their advantage to double digits, 22-12, at the 12:26 mark of the first half after a jumper from junior guard Mezie Nwigwe (Hyattsville, Md. / High Point).
Lafayette kept pace with RMU by riding the hot shooting of guard Andrew Brown, who scored 21 points in the first half en route to a game-high 30 points. He connected on six three-pointers before halftime, but the Leopards couldn't get their deficit under eight points in the final 11:11 of the first half.
Robert Morris took its largest lead before the break, 42-28, after junior forward Dallas Green (Indianapolis, Indiana / Northwest) hit the back end of a pair of free throws with 2:30 left before intermission, but Lafayette cut the Colonial lead to 46-36 at halftime thanks to three-pointers from Jeff Kari and Brown.
A three-pointer from senior guard Bateko Francisco (Paris, France / Fort Scott J.C.) and consecutive baskets from Chappell, including a dunk, pushed Robert Morris to a 53-36 advantage early in the second half, but a 13-4 surge by the Leopards trimmed the lead for RMU to 55-49. Brown scored seven straight points to start the rally, while four different Leopards converted layups to cap the run.
Chappell helped Robert Morris weather the storm with a jumper, and his three-pointer pushed the Colonials in front, 60-51. Meanwhile, the three-point shot went cold for Lafayette. After starting 8-for-16 from beyond the arc, the Leopards missed their next eight opportunities.
Senior forward Ifeanyi Ehirim (Toronto, Ontario / Eldon Academy Prep) helped RMU get its lead back to double digits, 63-52, with a layup off an offensive rebound, and a three-point play by Nwigwe with 7:34 to go helped the Colonial lead swell to 70-57.
Chappell finished 9-for-12 shooting, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc and 3-for-4 at the charity stripe, to take home team-high honors in scoring, while Robinson finished with 15 points and a game-high seven rebounds.
Junior forward Josiah Whitehead (Portsmouth, Va. / Cecil C.C.) contributed 10 points off the bench, while junior guard Jimmy Langhurst (Willard, Ohio / Willard) finished with nine points and a career-high six boards.
Robert Morris concludes its three-game road trip Saturday, Dec. 20, with a 1:00 p.m. tilt against Central Michigan that will be played at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
