Hamden, Conn. - The Robert Morris University men's basketball notched its season-high third straight win Thursday night and in the process ran its winning streak in Northeast Conference road games to 11 with a 75-63 win over Quinnipiac at the TD Banknorth Sports Center.
RMU improves to 9-7 overall and 4-1 in the NEC with the victory, while the Bobcats fall to 6-8 overall and 2-2 in league play.
Nursing a 32-38 advantage coming out of intermission, the Colonials scored the first nine points of the second half to stretch their lead to double digits, 41-28, with less than two minutes gone in the half.
Senior guard Bateko Francisco (Paris, France / Fort Scott J.C.) and junior guard Jimmy Langhurst (Willard, Ohio / Willard) each hit three-pointers, while junior forward Rob Robinson (Waldorf, Md. / Globe Institute of Technology) scored three points.
Justin Rutty converted a layup for Quinnipiac's first points after halftime at the 16:59 mark, but five straight points from junior guard Mezie Nwigwe (Hyattsville, Md. / High Point) pushed the Robert Morris lead to 46-30.
The Bobcats answered with a 7-0 spurt to trim their deficit to 46-37, but a pair of free throws from junior forward Dallas Green (Indianapolis, Indiana / Northwest) and a dunk from Robinson quickly pushed RMU's lead back to double digits, 50-37.
A pair of free throws from James Feldeine with 9:59 remaining pulled the Bobcats within nine, 53-44, but Robert Morris responded with a jumper from senior forward Ifeanyi Ehirim (Toronto, Ontario / Eldon Academy Prep) and trio of free throws from Francisco.
The lead eventually swelled to 71-51 with 3:25 to go after a pair of free throws from sophomore guard Gary Wallace (Montclair, N.J. / Seton Hall Prep) before Quinnipiac finished the game on a 12-4 run.
The first half of the game featured a pair of ties and eight lead changes, with the Bobcats owning their biggest lead of the game, 11-7, after a layup from Sean Light with 12:53 remaining before the break.
The two teams traded leads late in the first half, with a three-pointer from Bryan Geffen giving Quinnipiac a 28-26 lead at the 2:18 mark. However, three-pointers from Francisco and senior guard Jeremy Chappell (Cincinnati, Ohio / Northwest) in the final two minutes of play in the first half propelled RMU to a 32-28 halftime lead.
Robinson led four Colonials in double figures with 15 points while grabbing five rebounds and establishing a career high with four steals. Langhurst added 14 points, Francisco 13 and Nwigwe 10 points off the bench. Chappell grabbed a team-high six rebounds and also added four assists and three steals. As a club Robert Morris forced 19 turnovers, recording a season-high 16 steals.
Feldeine scored a game-high 18 points for Quinnipiac but was just 5-for-17 from the field, while Rutty finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and two steals.
Robert Morris concludes its three-game road trip Saturday, Jan. 10, with a 4:00 p.m. tilt against Sacred Heart at the William H. Pitt Center.
