West Long Branch, N.J. - Freshman guard Will Campbell scored 18 of his game-high 23 points in the second half, including a runner in the lane with 1:27 to play that gave Monmouth a 59-57 lead, to help propel the Hawks to a 60-57 victory over the Robert Morris University men's basketball team Thursday night at Boylan Gymnasium.
The Colonials had their 13-game winning streak in Northeast Conference games snapped with the loss and fall to 19-9 overall on the 2008-09 campaign, including 13-2 in the NEC, while the Hawks improve to 7-21 overall and 5-10 in the NEC.
Despite the loss, RMU, which also had its league road winning streak snapped at 15, clinched a share of the 2009 NEC regular-season title when Wagner defeated Mount St. Mary's, 70-65.
Campbell and freshman forward Travis Taylor helped Monmouth climb out of a 12-point deficit in the second half, as the pair were the only two Hawks to convert a field goal after intermission.
Junior forward Josiah Whitehead (Portsmouth, Va. / Cecil C.C.) had given the Colonials a 41-29 lead with 14:31 to play by hitting the back end of a pair of free throws, but Robert Morris went over eight minutes without a field goal, and the Hawks were able to take advantage.
Taylor started Monmouth's surge with a dunk, and Campbell's fastbreak layup pulled the Hawks within 41-39 at the 10:36 mark of the second half. James Hett tied the game for the fourth time, 41-41, with a pair of free throws, and the Hawks were able to take a 42-41 lead when Alex Nunner hit the front end of a pair at the charity stripe.
RMU continued to stay cold from the field, and two buckets from Campbell and a free throw from George Barbour gave Monmouth a 47-41 advantage with 7:21 to go.
Senior forward Ifeanyi Ehirim (Toronto, Ontario / Eldon Academy Prep) helped RMU snap its drought by converting a jumper to pull Robert Morris within 47-43, which started the Colonials on an 11-5 run to knot the score, 52-52. Senior guard Jeremy Chappell (Cincinnati, Ohio / Northwest) scored five points, including three from the free-throw line.
Campbell again came through for the Hawks, burying a three-pointer with 4:21 to go to push the Hawks back in front, 55-52, and a layup from Taylor at the 2:53 mark gave Monmouth a 57-52 edge.
Junior forward Rob Robinson (Waldorf, Md. / Globe Institute of Technology) trimmed RMU's deficit to 57-54 with a jumper in the lane, and Chappell tied the game for the sixth time, 57-57, with a three-pointer with 1:55 remaining.
On Monmouth's next possession, Campbell drove the lane and used the glass to convert a jumper and give the Hawks a 59-57 lead. After empty possessions by both teams, Robert Morris had a chance to tie the game, but senior guard Bateko Francisco (Paris, France / Fort Scott J.C.) turned the ball over with 13 seconds to play.
Yaniv Simpson, who hadn't played to that point for Monmouth, was inserted into the lineup and was fouled with 8.9 seconds to go. Simpson hit the front end of his pair of free throws to give the Hawks a 60-57 advantage, giving the Colonials one last chance, but junior guard Jimmy Langhurst's (Willard, Ohio / Willard) three-pointer as time expired was long, giving Monmouth the win.
Chappell paced Robert Morris with his fourth double-double of the season thanks to 15 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore guard Gary Wallace (Montclair, N.J. / Seton Hall Prep) contributed nine points. Robinson, Francisco and junior guard Mezie Nwigwe (Hyattsville, Md. / High Point) each finished with six points for the Colonials.
Campbell hit 10 of his 21 shots from the floor and also grabbed three rebounds to go along with his 23 points, while Taylor finished with 18 points and three caroms.
Robert Morris continues a three-game road trip Saturday, Feb. 21, when it visits Wagner for a 7:00 p.m. tilt at the Spiro Sports Center on Staten Island, N.Y.
