Albany, N.Y. - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team earned its first victory of the 2009-10 campaign Saturday night by cruising to a 107-76 victory over Alcorn State at SEFCU Arena in Albany, N.Y., as part of the 2K Sports Classic, benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer.
The Colonials improved to 1-3 overall with the win, while the Braves dropped to 0-4.
RMU never trailed in the contest, surging to a 7-0 advantage thanks to baskets from senior guard Mezie Nwigwe (Hyattsville, Md. / High Point) and senior forward Rob Robinson (Waldorf, Md. / Globe Institute of Technology) and a three-pointer from senior guard Jimmy Langhurst (Willard, Ohio / Willard).
Alcorn State closed its deficit to 7-6 after a jumper from JaMarkus Holt, but an 11-2 surge gave Robert Morris its first double-digit lead of the contest, 18-8, with 13:45 to play in the first half. Freshman guard Karon Abraham (Paterson, N.J. / Harp Academy) came off the bench to supply six straight points during the salvo, while Langhurst buried another three-pointer.
The Braves got four straight points from Holt to trim their deficit to 18-12, but the Colonials essentially ended the contest with a 26-4 run that opened up a 44-16 lead for RMU at the 3:30 mark of the first half.
Seven different Colonials scored during the stretch, with Nwigwe and Langhurst each supplying seven points.
RMU shot 53.1 percent (17-for-32) from the floor in the first half in taking a 51-25 advantage after the first 20 minutes of play. Eight of the 17 field goals came from beyond the arc, including three each by Langhurst and Abraham.
The Braves never were able to get closer than 20 the rest of the contest, with the Colonials hitting the 100-point mark for the 15th time in school history when freshman guard Coron Williams (Midlothian, Va. / Christchurch School) converted a layup with 2:46 to play.
Abraham led a balanced attack offensively for Robert Morris, scoring 18 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor and a 6-for-7 performance at the charity stripe. He is the fourth different Colonial to lead in the team in scoring in as many games to start the year.
Langhurst added 15 points for RMU, while Nwigwe chipped in with 12. Nwigwe also posted a game-high five assists, while Abraham and junior guard Gary Wallace (Montclair, N.J. / Seton Hall Prep) each posted four dimes.
Robert Morris shot 53 percent (35-for-66) from the field on the game, including 57.1 percent (12-for-21) from long range, while converting 65.8 percent (25-of-38) of its shots at the free-throw line.
Alcorn State was led by Holt, who scored 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting. He was also 8-for-8 at the charity stripe and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
Leading the Colonials in rebounds was Robinson and freshman forward Lijah Thompson (Philadelphia, Pa. / Monsignor Bonner), who each finished with six caroms.
RMU closes out play in the 2K Sports Classic Sunday, Nov. 22, with a 5:00 p.m. tip against the host Great Danes at SEFCU Arena.
Notes: The Robert Morris benched scored 59 points compared to 48 for the starting five ... Langhurst played a team-high 21 minutes as 12 Colonials logged between 12 and 21 minutes of action ... RMU outrebounded Alcorn State, 42-31, including a 17-12 edge in offensive boards ... Through the first four games of the season the Colonials have averaged 15.3 offensive boards a game ... The 107 points against the Braves are the most points scored by a Robert Morris team in a neutral site contest ... The old record came in a 105-86 victory over Texas A&M (11/30/90) as part of the Marshall Classic in Huntington, W.Va. ... RMU's six players in their first season of Division I basketball combined for 54 points and 14 rebounds against the Braves, shooting 54.8 percent (17-for-31) from the field.
