Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. - A pair of free throws by Akeem Bennett with just four seconds to play helped lift St. Francis (N.Y.) to a 65-63 victory over the Robert Morris University men's basketball team Saturday night at the Pope Center.

RMU slips to 3-4 overall on the 2010-11 season, including 1-1 in Northeast Conference play, while the Terriers improved to 3-3 overall and 2-0 in league action.

The Colonials held a 63-59 lead with 31 seconds to go and freshman guard Anthony Myers (Washington, D.C. / Charis Prep) heading to the free-throw line after a steal and foul by Ricky Cadell of St. Francis (N.Y.).

However, redshirt sophomore forward Russell Johnson (Chester, Pa. / Chester) was whistled for a technical foul after a scrum away from the ball. 

Myers missed both of his attempts at the charity stripe, and Cadell followed by sinking his pair after Johnson's technical to pull the Terriers within two, 63-61. St. Francis (N.Y.) got possession of the ball after the free throws from Cadell, and Stefan Perunicic was sent to the foul line with 20 seconds left after an intentional foul by Myers.

Perunicic knotted the score, 63-63, with a pair of free throws, and the Terriers held for the last possession after getting the ball back again.

Bennett drove to the basket and drew a blocking foul on redshirt sophomore guard Velton Jones (Philadelphia, Pa. / Northeast Catholic) and sank both free throws to push St. Francis (N.Y.) back in front. 

Bennett came up big on the defensive end following his pair of free throws, blocking a three-point attempt by Johnson as time expired to lift the Terriers to the win.

In a contest that featured 12 ties and 18 lead changes, the Colonials took a 33-31 lead at the break after shooting 48.1 percent (13-for-27) from the field in the first half.

Sophomore forward Lijah Thompson (Philadelphia, Pa. / Monsignor Bonner) scored eight points off the bench for Robert Morris in the first half, converting all three of his shots from the field while going 2-for-3 from the free-throw line.

Neither team led by more than five in the second half, with RMU owning a 52-47 advantage with 7:44 remaining after a pair of free throws by Myers as well as a 54-49 edge after a layup from Johnson with 7:01 to play.

A layup from Justin Newton at the 3:02 mark of the second stanza helped St. Francis (N.Y.) cap a 10-3 surge to push the Terriers back in front, 59-57, but Johnson answered with a three-pointer on RMU's next possession to start a 6-0 spurt to give the Colonials a 63-59 lead before St. Francis (N.Y.) sealed the win at the free-throw line.

Johnson scored 16 of his team-high 21 points in the second half to pace Robert Morris and also added eight rebounds, two assists and a block. For the third straight game Thompson established a new personal best in points, finishing with 13 while also establishing a career high in rebounds with nine.

Bennett scored 26 points to lead the Terriers and also added nine rebounds, five assists and four steals, while Cadell finished with 18 points despite going 1-for-8 from beyond the three-point arc. 

Robert Morris closes out a five-game road trip and returns to non-conference action Tuesday, Dec. 7, with a 7:00 p.m. tip at West Virginia in a game that will be televised live on FSN Pittsburgh.

Notes: Senior guard Gary Wallace (Montclair, N.J. / Seton Hall Prep) did not play due to an injury to his finger sustained in RMU's 70-69 victory @ Long Island (12/2/10) ... Wallace had his streak of consecutive games played snapped at 110 ... Sophomore guard Karon Abraham (Paterson, N.J. / Harp Academy) did not play for the fourth straight game due to a violation of team rules ... Robert Morris shot 42.3 percent (22-for-52) from the field but was just 5-for-17 (29.4 percent) from beyond the arc ... St. Francis (N.Y.) shot 41.2 percent (21-for-51) and also struggled from long range, hitting just five of its 18 attempts (27.8 percent) ... The Colonials were 14-for-21 (66.7 percent) at the free-throw line compared to 18-for-24 (75 percent) for the Terriers ... St. Francis (N.Y.) held a 30-28 edge in points in the paint, a 14-12 advantage in points off turnovers and outscored RMU, 14-11, in second chance points ... The Robert Morris bench outscored the reserves for the Terriers, 19-12 ... The Colonials held a 38-27 edge on the glass, including a 17-12 advantage on the offensive boards  ... Five of RMU's first seven games of the 2010-11 season have been decided by six points or less, with the Colonials 2-3 (.400) in those contests.