Moon Township, Pa. - Three Colonials scored in double figures as the Robert Morris University men's basketball team cruised to its seventh straight win Saturday night with a 74-56 victory over St. Francis (N.Y.) at the Charles L. Sewall Center.
RMU, which moved into sole possession of first place in the Northeast Conference with the victory, improved to 14-8 overall and 9-1 in the NEC, while the Terriers fell to 9-12 overall and 6-4 in the league.
Akeem Bennett gave St. Francis (N.Y.) an early 4-1 advantage with a three-pointer less than a minute into the contest, but Robert Morris used a 12-2 spurt to take a 13-6 advantage and never trailed the rest of the game.
Freshman guard Karon Abraham (Paterson, N.J. / Harp Academy) hit a three-pointer to tie the game, 4-4, and hit a pair from long range to bolster the Colonials during the run, while seniors Mezie Nwigwe (Hyattsville, Md. / High Point), Dallas Green (Indianapolis, Indiana / Northwest) and Rob Robinson (Waldorf, Md. / Globe Institute of Technology) each hit baskets.
Redshirt freshman Russell Johnson (Chester, Pa. / Chester) gave RMU a 15-10 advantage with a jumper with 12:50 remaining before halftime, but the Colonials went the next eight minutes without a field goal, missing six shots from the field while suffering four turnovers.
Despite the drought, Robert Morris stayed in front by converting all 10 of its attempts at the free-throw line, including six from Abraham and two each from freshman forward Brad Piehl (New Knoxville, Ohio / New Knoxville) and redshirt freshman guard Velton Jones (Philadelphia, Pa. / Northeast Catholic).
The Terriers were able to trim their deficit to two on a pair of occasions while the Colonials suffered shooting but couldn't grab the lead.
Senior forward Josiah Whitehead (Portsmouth, Va. / Cecil Community College) converted a layup with 4:57 remaining before halftime to give RMU a 27-19 edge, and the Colonials eventually entered the break with a nine-point advantage, 34-25.
Robert Morris stretched its lead into double digits, 37-25, early in the second half thanks to three straight points from Jones, and a layup from Piehl at the 13:18 mark of the second half gave Robert Morris a 17-point cushion, 46-29.
The Terriers could never trim their deficit into single digits the rest of the contest, with RMU taking its biggest lead and settling the final score with just 50 seconds to play, 74-56, when Abraham buried his fifth three-pointer of the game from deep with the shot clock winding down.
Abraham tied a career high with 23 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and a 6-for-6 performance at the free-throw line. He also added four rebounds, two assists and two steals while converting five of his seven attempts from beyond the arc.
Whitehead and Nwigwe each contributed 10 points, with Whitehead playing a season-high 19 minutes and converting five of his six attempts from the field.
Bennett led the Terriers with 14 points but suffered through a 3-for-16 night shooting, while Ricky Cadell added 12 points but converted just four of his 13 attempts from the floor.
Robert Morris is next in action Thursday, Feb. 4, when it travels East on Route 22 for a 7:30 p.m. tip against in-state rival Saint Francis (Pa.) at DeGol Arena.
It is part of Rivalry Weekend in the 2009-10 NEC schedule, as the Colonials will also host the Red Flash Saturday, Feb. 6, at the Sewall Center.
