Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team earned a split in its swing through Brooklyn, N.Y., Saturday night by holding on for a 67-63 victory over St. Francis (N.Y.) at the Pope Center.
RMU evened its overall record on the 2009-10 campaign at 8-8, including 3-1 in the Northeast Conference, while the Terriers slipped to 4-9 overall and 2-2 in league play.
Holding a 21-point lead coming out of halftime, 41-20, the Colonials converted just five field goals in the second half and withstood a furious comeback by St. Francis (N.Y.) due in large part to solid free-throw shooting.
Robert Morris converted 16 of its 24 attempts (66.7 percent) at the charity stripe after intermission, including eight in the final 1:02 of action that helped seal the win.
The Colonials never trailed in the contest, sprinting to leads of 9-2 and 17-8 in the first 10 minutes of play. Senior guard Mezie Nwigwe (Hyattsville, Md. / High Point) and freshman forward Lijah Thompson (Philadelphia, Pa. / Monsignor Bonner) were each key components during the opening salvo for RMU, as each scored six points. Thompson scored six straight points at one point for the Colonials, including a thunderous dunk.
RMU took its first double-digit lead, 20-10, at the 9:38 mark of the first half when freshman guard Karon Abraham (Paterson, N.J. / Harp Academy) buried a three-pointer.
Abraham's trifecta spearheaded a 17-4 surge by the Colonials that allowed them to open up a 20-point advantage, 34-14, with just 2:14 to play before the break.
Five different players scored for Robert Morris during the run, including six straight points from senior forward Rob Robinson (Waldorf, Md. / Globe Institute of Technology) and a pair of dunks by senior forward Dallas Green (Indianapolis, Indiana / Northwest).
The lead eventually swelled to 41-20 at the break for the Colonials when redshirt freshman Velton Jones (Philadelphia, Pa. / Northeast Catholic) and Abraham each hit a pair from the charity stripe in the final 17 seconds of the first half.
The Terriers began to chip away after intermission, opening the second half on a 13-3 run to almost cut its deficit in half, 44-33, with less than seven minutes gone by. Ricky Cadell was the main offensive force for St. Francis (N.Y.), scoring 10 points, including a pair of three-pointers.
Green helped slow the surge by the Terriers with his third dunk of the game to give RMU a 46-33 lead, but three-pointers by Cadell and Kayode Ayeni trimmed the deficit into single digits for St. Francis (N.Y.), 48-39, with 11:11 to play.
Robert Morris was able to keep the Terriers at bay by converting at the free-throw line, but Cadell would cap an 11-4 St. Francis (N.Y.) run with a three-pointer and a layup to trim RMU's lead to just one, 58-57, with 2:12 remaining.
Stefan Perunicic had an opportunity to give the Terriers their first lead of the game with just 1:22 left on the clock, but he hit the back end of a pair of free throws to knot the game for the first time, 58-58.
Robert Morris converted at the free-throw line from there to earn the win, hitting eight of their 10 shots in the final 1:02 of action. Nwigwe and redshirt freshman Russell Johnson (Chester, Pa. / Chester) each went 3-for-4, while junior guard Gary Wallace (Montclair, N.J. / Seton Hall Prep) hit a pair with just 1.5 seconds to go to clinch the victory.
Nwigwe led the Colonials with 13 points, while Green added 12 points in a return to the starting lineup. Green converted five of his six shots from the floor, grabbed four rebounds and also recorded a pair of blocks.
Robinson and Abraham each scored nine points for Robert Morris, with Robinson tying a career high with five assists. Thompson added eight points on 4-of-4 shooting, three rebounds and a pair of blocks off the bench.
The Terriers were led by Cadell, who scored 18 of his game-high 29 points in the second half. He converted 11 of his 24 shots from the field, including a 5-for-15 performance from long range, and also added seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Akeem Bennett added 17 points, while Ayeni finished with 10.
RMU returns home to the Charles L. Sewall Center for its next game, opening a two-game homestand Thursday, Jan. 14, with a 7:30 p.m. tip against Fairleigh Dickinson.
