Moon Township, Pa. - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team stretched its winning streak to five games Thursday night with a 76-64 victory over Central Connecticut State at the Charles L. Sewall Center.
The win improves the Colonials to 11-7 overall on the 2008-09 campaign, including 6-1 in the Northeast Conference. Thanks to the victory, RMU is off to its best start in league play since the 1998-99 Colonials also started their league slate with a 6-1 ledger. Central Connecticut State falls to 7-9 overall and 3-3 in NEC play.
The Blue Devils scored five of the game's first seven points thanks to a three-pointer by Ken Horton and a layup from Marcus Palmer, but a 13-2 surge gave Robert Morris a 15-7 lead at the 13:33 mark as four different Colonials scored during the run.
Senior guard Jeremy Chappell (Cincinnati, Ohio / Northwest) scored five points, while junior guard Mezie Nwigwe (Hyattsville, Md. / High Point) came off the bench to supply four points.
A three-pointer by Joe Seymore helped CCSU trim its deficit to 19-15 with nine minutes remaining in the first half, but the Colonials used a 22-4 run to take a commanding 41-19 lead into the break.
Chappell ignited the spurt with a three-pointer, while a total of seven different Colonials provided points, including eight from junior guard Jimmy Langhurst (Willard, Ohio / Willard).
The Blue Devils hit just two of their final nine attempts from the floor in the final nine minutes of the first half while committing four turnovers. In the first half Central Connecticut State shot just 29.6 percent (8-for-27), while the Colonials converted 16 of their 30 attempts (53.3 percent) from the field.
In the second half CCSU trimmed its deficit to 43-29 after a jumper from Robby Ptacek, but Chappell answered with a three-pointer and a jumper from Langhurst gave RMU a 48-31 lead with 14:10 to play.
Seymore's third trifecta of the game helped the Blue Devils climb within 57-42 at the 8:07 mark of the second half, but nine straight points gave the Colonials their largest lead of the contest, 66-42, with 5:20 remaining. Nwigwe converted four from the free-throw line, while junior forward Josiah Whitehead (Portsmouth, Va. / Cecil C.C.) and Chappell each scored baskets.
Central Connecticut State closed the game on a 22-10 run to settle the final score at 76-64 as Ptacek scored seven points and Horton added five.
Chappell took home game-high honors with 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting and added five boards and three assists, while Langhurst and Nwigwe each finished with 13 points. Junior forward Dallas Green (Indianapolis, Indiana / Northwest) tied a career-high with seven rebounds to lead Robert Morris on the glass.
The Blue Devils were led by Horton, who finished with 16 points, while Chris Baskerville came off the bench to supply 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Tamir Johnson grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds but finished with just four points on 2-of-8 shooting.
Robert Morris closes out a two-game homestand Saturday, Jan. 17, when it welcomes Wagner to the Sewall Center for a 7:00 p.m. NEC tilt.
