Moon Township, Pa. - Freshman guard Karon Abraham (Paterson, N.J. / Harp Academy) of the Robert Morris University men's basketball team was honored for the second time this season by the Northeast Conference Monday, as he was bestowed the Choice Hotels NEC Rookie of the Week.
Abraham garnered the honor after helping guide the Colonials to a 2-1 record over the holiday season, averaging 18.7 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 46.9 percent (15-for-32) from the floor, including a white hot 61.1 percent (11-for-18) from beyond the arc, and 88.2 percent (15-for-17) from the free-throw line.
In a 71-57 setback to Kent State (12/22/09), Abraham came off the bench to lead the Colonials with 13 points. His performance against the Golden Flashes propelled him into the starting lineup, as he scored a game-high 20 points while grabbing a career-high five rebounds in a 72-67 victory at Youngstown State (12/30/09).
Against the Penguins, Abraham converted a jumper with 33 seconds to play that snapped a 67-67 tie, and his pair from the charity stripe with six seconds to go helped seal the win.
Three nights later Abraham led the way in an 81-79 win over Ohio (1/2/10) with a career-high 23 points on 6-of-10 shooting while tying a career high with five caroms. He drained six of his seven attempts from beyond the arc, tying an RMU freshman record for three-pointers in a game for the second time this season.
Abraham's three-pointer with 2:09 to play gave the Colonials the lead for good against the Bobcats, 79-76, and he also went 5-for-6 from the free-throw line against Ohio, including two in the final minute that helped clinch the victory.
Despite playing just 20.9 minutes per contest, Abraham leads Robert Morris and is the NEC's top freshman scorer at 12.0 points per game. He also paces the league in free-throw shooting at 88.2 percent while ranking third in three-point field goal percentage (.470) and seventh in three-point field goals made per game (2.38).
Robert Morris, led by third-year head coach Mike Rice, will search for its third straight win tonight when it welcomes Morgan State to the Charles L. Sewall Center for a 7:00 p.m. tip.
