Moon Township, Pa. - Feb. 13, 2009 - They're called “the bigs.”

Not centers. Not forwards.

Just “the bigs.”

Or “our bigs.” Or, simply, “bigs.”

This apparently is to differentiate them from the guards - who are not similarly labeled “the smalls.”

Whatever.

In any case, the Robert Morris “bigs” came up, well, big-time Thursday night against Sacred Heart in a key Northeast Conference game that kept RMU on track to win back-to-back NEC regular season championships.

Rob Robinson was the biggest of the bigs.

The 6'8” junior scored 20 points, including 14 in the decisive second half, and had eight rebounds to complement guard Jeremy Chappell's 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Among Robinson's contributions was a spectacular offensive rebound-tomahawk jam with 1:31 left that put an exclamation mark on the Colonials' 85-79 victory.

Sacred Heart's “big” - 6'5” Joey Henley - blocked a layup attempt by guard Bateko Francisco, but Robinson, following on the fast break, energized the crowd with his highlight-reel slam.

“A set play,” Francisco said matter-of-factly.

“It had the whole gym jumping,” Robinson said.

Coach Mike Rice was among those in awe of the power jam.

“It was ridiculous,” he said. “I don't think there are too many plays in a game that I say, ?Wow!' in my head because you're so caught up in the game coaching-wise. But I did sit back on that one and turned to my assistant and and said, ?Wow! Did that just happen?'

“Ultimately there's a play or two that wins a game. That was a play you see on Sportscenter that NBA guys make. It was an incredible follow. That was incredible effort. That was a winning basketball play.”

Robinson has made more and more of those as he gets more comfortable with the Colonials in his first season at Robert Morris. And particularly more comfortable with Chappell.

“We've got a little connection going,” Chappell said.

“They're building a relationship on the court,” Rice said. “They just give us so much balance. They're so confident in each other's abilities and skills. They're so unselfish.”

Robinson has averaged 13.3 points and 5.9 rebounds a game over the past 14 games.

“Rob's the difference,” Rice said. “He adds the balance. We were always such a perimeter scoring team. He adds the back-to-the-basket presence and scoring in the paint and he does it in such an unselfish way. He's very poised and patient in the post and understands positioning. He's done a terrific job.”

“This is what I've been talking about since day one - he's our inside presence,” Chappell said. “He opens up things for the guards. For us to have an inside presence this year is really big.”

It's definitely a huge reason why the Colonials are 18-8 overall and 12-1 in the NEC.

“Everyone thought our frontcourt was going to be a weakness,” Rice said. “I thought the exact opposite. I thought we improved over last year's lack of a frontcourt. We didn't have a frontcourt. We had (6-6) A.J. Jackson running around shooting threes.”

Robinson isn't the only “big” helping the Colonials this season.

Dallas Green, a 6-8 junior, continued to contribute in the Sacred Heart game. He had eight points and five rebounds.

“He's nicknamed himself ?Super Screener,'” Rice said. “He doesn't get a play run for him ever (offensively). All he does is get yelled at if he doesn't get the rebound or doesn't defend. But he seems fine with it. He doesn't seem to be bothered. He relishes his role on this team - great off-the-ball defender, very good, active rebounder. He's not going to beat anybody up under the hoop, but he has a great knack for the basketball.

“He did it last year, too. He understands what it takes to win.”

The Colonials also include 6'7” senior Iffy Ehirim and 6'6” Josiah Whitehead among their “bigs.”

Those two Thursday night combined for six points and three rebounds.

And, of course, Chappell was Chappell.

“His will and effort certainly are keys every night,” Rice said. “He's certainly showing night in and night out that he's one of the best players - if not the best player - in the NEC.”

Robinson's signature slam was RMU's only field goal in the final 3:53 against the Pioneers. The Colonials sealed the deal at the free throw line by making 12 of 13 foul shots - including all of their final 10 - in the last 2:44.

Saturday night, the Colonials entertain Quinnipiac, which improved to 7-6 in the NEC with a 59-55 victory at Saint Francis (Pa.) Thursday night. The Bobcats have won three of their past four games following a four-game losing streak.

Sophomore Justin Rutty leads Quinnipiac. The 6'7” sophomore averages 15.2 points and an NEC-best 10.8 rebounds a game in league games.

A great offensive rebounder, Rutty has 10 double-doubles this season - including five in the past seven games. In that seven-game stretch, he's averaged 13.9 points and 12.3 rebounds per game.

“Not only is (Rutty) right now - head and shoulders - our best player, but he's morphed into our best competitor, too,'' Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore said. “His will and competitiveness are very strong.”

Junior guard James Feldeine scored in double figures in each of Quinnipiac's first 23 games, but his streak ended Thursday night when he scored eight against the Red Flash. Quinnipiac, which leads the NEC in field goal defense with a 40.1 percentage, lost to Robert Morris, 75-63, Jan. 8. In that game, Rutty had 16 points and eight rebounds; Feldeine went for 18 and six.

Elsewhere in the NEC Thursday night, Mount St. Mary's continued to hold firmly to second place with a 68-57 win against visiting St. Francis (N.Y.) that raised the Mountaineers' league record to 10-4. The Mount, which put the game away with a second half-opening 13-0 run, won despite making just 12 of 26 free throw attempts.

“We're not getting some of the things that we expect to get and we're still winning basketball games,” coach Milan Brown, whose team has won 10 of its past 11 games, told the Carroll County Times. “We want to shoot free throws better. We want to get more production from the bench. We want to continue to shoot a higher percentage than we did from the field (41.9). (But) we still are able to win - and by double figures.”

Long Island (8-5) slipped into third place with a 74-57 win against Monmouth, which extended its road losing streak to 16 consecutive games. Monmouth made its first three-point attempt of the game, then missed on its next 16 tries from beyond the arc.

Central Connecticut State (7-7) lost its second straight home game, falling to Fairleigh Dickinson 80-73.

“We have the best fans in the league,” CCSU coach Howie Dickenman told the New Britain Herald. "We owe them an apology. This is the first time I can remember a lot of disgusted fans and some cat calls (at a home game). We deserved it. We probably should give the fans their money back.”

That result left Fairleigh Dickinson 6-8 in the NEC and tied with St. Francis (N.Y.) for seventh place.

There are six teams with records from 7-6 to 4-9 as the race continues for the eight spots in the NEC tournament. Robert Morris and Mount St. Mary's have clinched a berth, and Long Island and Sacred Heart (8-6) seem certain to clinch their spots soon.

"We'll keep plugging,'' Dickenman said. "It's a dogfight. Everyone is battling. There are no easy games.

NEC NUGGETS

Robert Morris outrebounded Sacred Heart, 21-6, in the second half after trailing, 16-15, on the glass at halftime. In two seasons under Rice, the Colonials are 33-2 when they outrebound their opponent. . .Quinnipiac is second in the NEC in scoring defense (62.2 point allowed in league games) behind the Colonials (63) ... The Bobcats shoot only 64.7 percent from the free throw line, last in the league ... Colonial guard Jimmy Langhurst leads the NEC in three-point accuracy (47.5 percent) in league games ... In Wagner's 72-60 win at Bryant, Seahawk guard Joey Mundweiler was 6-for-18 from beyond the arc, finishing with 20 points. Wagner as a team was 12-for-32 from three-point range; Bryant was 10-of-27 ... Long Island and Monmouth combined to shoot 8-for-38 from beyond the arc in their game ... Fairleigh Dickinson was just 15-of-29 from the free throw line in its win at CCSU.