Moon Township, Pa. - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team extended its winning streak to seven games Saturday night with an 88-72 win over Long Island at the Charles L. Sewall Center.

The victory, matching RMU's longest winning streak in 14 years, pushed the Colonials to 19-6 overall on the 2007-08 campaign, including 10-2 in Northeast Conference play, while the Blackbirds fell to 12-11 overall and 4-8 in league action.

The victory also clinched a spot in the NEC Tournament for the fifth straight year for the Colonials and pushed Robert Morris into sole possession of second place in the league standings, a half game ahead of idle Wagner (9-2 in NEC).     

Kellen Allen gave Long Island an early 9-8 lead after a jumper with 16:10 remaining in the first half, but Robert Morris took control with an 18-7 surge to push the Colonials out in front, 26-16.

RMU did most of its damage during the run thanks to the three-pointer, as sophomore guards Mezie Nwigwe (Hyattsville, Md. / High Point) and Jimmy Langhurst (Willard, Ohio / Willard), as well as junior guard Bateko Francisco (Paris, France / Fort Scott J.C.) and freshman guard Gary Wallace (Montclair, N.J. / Seton Hall Prep), each hit from long range. It was part of a balanced scoring attack by Robert Morris all night, as seven different Colonials scored at least eight points in the win.   

The advantage swelled to 36-19 in favor of RMU with just 6:10 to go before the break as senior guard Tony Lee (Boston, Mass. / Charlestown) and junior guard Jeremy Chappell (Cincinnati, Ohio / Northwest) each supplied four points, and Wallace gave Robert Morris its biggest lead of the half as the buzzer sounded with a three-pointer, 46-28.   

Long Island closed its deficit to 53-41 in the first four and-a-half minutes of the second half as Ron Manigault scored five points while Kellen Allen and Jaytornah Wisseh each scored a pair.

Despite the surge by the Blackbirds, RMU kept Long Island at bay, as Wallace hit a jumper and Nwigwe a three-pointer to push the Colonials to a 58-41 advantage.   

Allen, who scored 15 of his game-high 23 points after halftime, scored four straight points, but a 9-0 run gave the Colonials a 71-46 lead with 10:55 to play. Sophomore forward Dallas Green (Indianapolis, Indiana / Northwest) scored four points, while Francisco added a three-pointer. The Blackbirds closed their deficit to 17 twice in the final 4:47 of action before Kyle Johnson's pair of free throws with 18 seconds left accounted for the final score. 

Senior forward A.J. Jackson (Monessen, Pa. / Monessen) and Francisco each scored 14 points to pace Robert Morris, while Lee recorded the first Colonial triple-double in almost 30 years with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. It marked just the third triple-double in school history, as former Colonial Hosea Champine posted two during the 1978-79 campaign. Chappell added 13 points for RMU, while Langhurst finished with nine and Nwigwe and Wallace each had eight points.

Long Island was paced by Allen, who scored 23 points, while Manigault finished with 13, Johnson 12 and Wisseh 11.