Albany, N.Y. - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team dropped its third straight game to open the 2009-10 season Friday night with a 71-59 setback to Detroit Mercy at SEFCU Arena in Albany, N.Y., as part of the 2K Sports Classic, benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer.
The Colonials fell to 0-3 overall with the defeat, while the Titans improved to 2-1.
RMU jumped out to a 7-3 advantage in the contest, bolstered by a pair of jumpers in the paint from senior forward Rob Robinson (Waldorf, Md. / Globe Institute of Technology) and a three-pointer by senior guard Jimmy Langhurst (Willard, Ohio / Willard), but four straight points by UDM knotted the score, 7-7.
Sophomore forward Russell Johnson (Chester, Pa. / Chester) gave Robert Morris a 9-7 advantage thanks to a jumper, but Detroit took the lead for good with a pair of free throws from Xavier Keeling at the 14:57 mark of the first half, 11-9.
The Titans stretched their lead to 18-13 after a dunk by Eli Holman, but the Colonials clawed back to tie it, 18-18, after a three-point play by Johnson.
The score was tied for the fifth time in the first half, 21-21, after Langhurst answered a three-pointer by Donavan Foster with one of his own with 8:37 remaining before halftime, but the Titans used an 18-10 surge to take a 39-31 lead into the break. Holman scored seven points during the run, while Thomas Kennedy added four points.
Kennedy converted a three-point play to open the scoring in the second half to give Detroit its first double-digit lead, 42-31, and the Titans kept the Colonials at bay in the opening five minutes of the stanza.
An 11-2 surge by the Colonials, however, made it a one possession game, 49-46, with 8:57 to play as senior guard Mezie Nwigwe (Hyattsville, Md. / High Point) scored five points to lead the charge, including a three-pointer to cap the run.
Detroit responded with an 11-2 run of its own to stretch its lead back to double digits, 60-48, and Robert Morris could draw no closer.
Robinson led RMU with 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor and recorded four rebounds, while Langhurst added 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting. As a club the Colonials shot just 37.3 percent (22-for-59) and suffered 22 turnovers, the second time in three games to open the season Robert Morris has posted at least 20 turnovers in a game.
Kennedy scored a game-high 19 points for Detroit and was one of four Titans in double figures, as Holman finished with 14 points, Keeling 13 and Chase Simon 12. UDM converted 40.4 percent (21-for-52) of its shots from the floor and was 25-for-32 (78.1 percent) at the free-throw line.
RMU continues play in Albany, N.Y., Saturday, Nov. 21, with a 4:30 p.m. tip against Alcorn State at SEFCU Arena and will close out the tournament against the host Great Danes Sunday, Nov. 22, with a 5:00 p.m. tip.
