Moon Township, Pa. - In a game that featured 16 ties and 15 lead changes, junior forward Rob Robinson's (Waldorf, Md. / Globe Institute of Technology) layup with 1:42 remaining off an offensive rebound gave the Robert Morris University the lead for good en route to a 66-63 win over Mount St. Mary's Saturday night at the Charles L. Sewall Center in the 2008-09 regular-season finale for both teams.
RMU had a pair of opportunities to clinch the game in the final minute, but junior guard Jimmy Langhurst (Willard, Ohio / Willard) and senior guard Jeremy Chappell (Cincinnati, Ohio / Northwest) each went 1-for-2 at the free-throw line.
Mount St. Mary's had one last chance with under 15 seconds to play, but Jeremy Goode's three-pointer with 11 seconds to go was off the mark.
The Colonials improve to 21-10 overall on the 2008-09 campaign, including 15-3 in the Northeast Conference, while the Mount fell to 17-12 overall and 12-6 in league play.
Robert Morris will open the 2009 NEC Tournament Thursday, March 5, with a 7:00 p.m. tip in a quarterfinal game against No. 8 seed St. Francis (N.Y.) at the Sewall Center.
Mount St. Mary's led, 34-31, at halftime, and Goode converted a windmill layup in the lane to give the Mountaineers a 36-31 advantage out of intermission, but after a layup from Bateko Francisco (Paris, France / Fort Scott J.C.) with 18:33 to play, neither team led by more than four the rest of the way.
Francisco's layup was part of a 6-0 surge that gave RMU a 37-36 advantage, as Langhurst hit the first three-pointer of the game for Robert Morris at the 18:04 mark of the second half.
The score was tied nine times in the second half, and a jumper from Kelly Beidler helped the Mount open up a 49-45 lead with 12:46 to play and cap a 7-2 run.
Chappell would knot the score, 51-51, with a layup with 9:28 to go, which started an 8-2 Colonial surge to push Robert Morris to a 57-53 advantage. Langhurst hit a three-pointer during the spurt, while Chappell converted an old-fashion three-point play.
Mount St. Mary's responded, as layups from Shawn Atupem and Beidler tied the score for the 15th time, 57-57. Markus Mitchell would give the Mount a 61-59 edge with 3:48 remaining thanks to a jumper from the top of key, and the Colonials closed their deficit to 61-60 after Robinson hit the front end of a pair of free throws.
Robinson would strike again a little less than a minute later, hitting a jumper in the paint to give RMU a 62-61 advantage. However, the back-and-forth affair continued when Beidler pushed Mount St. Mary's back in front, 63-62, with 2:15 to go thanks a jumper.
The Colonials would grab the lead for good with 1:42 to play thanks to Robinson's layup off an offensive rebound, and in Mount's last three possessions they missed two shots and suffered a turnover.
Robinson hit all seven of his shots from the field and was 3-for-5 from the free-throw line to take home game-high honors with 17 points off the bench. He also grabbed five rebounds and recorded two assists and a block. Francisco and Langhurst each contributed 11 points.
Shawn Atupem paced Mount St. Mary's with 14 points off the bench, hitting six of his 12 shots from the field. He also grabbed four rebounds. Beidler and Goode each added nine points, while Mitchell finished with eight.
Robert Morris welcomes the Terriers Thursday, March 5, looking to avenge one of only two home losses so far this season for the Colonials at the Sewall Center. St. Francis (N.Y.) garnered an 87-79 win over RMU in the 2008-09 NEC opener for both clubs Dec. 4, 2008.
