Moon Township, Pa. - Down by two at halftime, 33-31, the Robert Morris University men's basketball team opened the second half on a 19-5 run to take a 50-38 lead en route to its third straight win Saturday night at the Charles L. Sewall Center with a 78-67 victory over Monmouth.
RMU improved to 10-8 overall and moved to 5-1 in the Northeast Conference, while the Hawks slipped to 8-10 overall and 4-2 in league play.
Freshman guard Karon Abraham (Paterson, N.J. / Harp Academy) scored the first nine points of the second half for RMU, including three layups in the paint, and scored 11 points during the salvo, while four other Colonials scored.
Monmouth pulled to within seven, 50-43, thanks to a layup from Dutch Gaitley and a three-point play by Travis Taylor, but Robert Morris got its lead back to double digits, 53-43, thanks to a free throw from senior forward Dallas Green (Indianapolis, Indiana / Northwest) and a layup from junior guard Gary Wallace (Montclair, N.J. / Seton Hall Prep).
The Hawks could get no closer than eight the rest of the way, with redshirt freshman guard Velton Jones (Philadelphia, Pa. / Northeast Catholic) giving the Colonials their biggest lead of the game, 71-56, with 2:34 remaining with a jumper.
RMU shot 61.9 percent (13-for-21) from the field after halftime while holding the Hawks to just 31.4 percent (11-for-35) shooting in the second frame. Overall, the Colonials converted a season-high 57.4 percent (27-for-47) of their shots and posted a season-high 38 points in the paint.
Ed Waite scored nine points in the first five minutes of the game to help bolster Monmouth to an early 16-9 edge, and a pair of free throws from Will Campbell with 12:04 to play in the first half pushed the advantage for the Hawks to 18-11.
Robert Morris responded with an 15-4 surge to take a 26-22 lead as redshirt freshman Russell Johnson (Chester, Pa. / Chester) scored four points off the bench while Wallace hit a three-pointer.
Monmouth weathered the run and came back to take a 27-26 advantage thanks to a three-pointer from James Hett, which was part of an 11-5 spurt to end the half and give the Hawks a two-point lead at the break, 33-31.
Taylor led all scorers in the game with 22 points and added 12 points for his sixth double-double of the year, while Waite finished with 13 points and Campbell 11.
Abraham scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half, converting seven of his 11 shots from the field and going 5-for-6 at the free-throw line.
Senior guard Mezie Nwigwe (Hyattsville, Md. / High Point) contributed 14 points and team high totals in rebounds (8) and assists (3), while Wallace chipped in with 10 points off the bench.
RMU held a 34-33 rebounding edge and a 38-24 advantage in points in the paint, while Monmouth had 19 second-chance points compared to 12 for the Colonials.
After hosting Fairleigh Dickinson and Monmouth at the Sewall Center, Robert Morris returns the favor next week, visiting Teaneck, N.J., for a 7:30 p.m. tip with the Knights at Stratis Arena Thursday, Jan. 14, before taking on the Hawks Saturday, Jan. 23, at 7:00 p.m. at the M.A.C. in West Long Branch, N.J.
