Morgantown, W.Va. - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team concluded a five-game road trip Tuesday night with an 82-49 loss to West Virginia at the WVU Coliseum.
The Colonials fall to 3-5 overall on the 2010-11 season, while the Mountaineers up their record to 6-2.
Redshirt sophomore forward Russell Johnson (Chester, Pa. / Chester) opened the scoring in the second half with a three-pointer that pulled RMU within one, 32-31, but an 8-2 spurt by West Virginia allowed the Mountaineers to open up a 40-33 advantage.
Sophomore forward Lijah Thompson (Philadelphia, Pa. / Monsignor Bonner) connected on a jumper lane to trim the deficit for the Colonials to 40-35, but 15 unanswered points allowed WVU to take control with a 55-35 lead. Jonnie West scored five points during the surge, while Deniz Kilicli and Dalton Pepper each added four points.
West Virginia shot 63.3 percent (19-for-30) from the field in the second half as Kilicli scored 12 of his game-high 14 points after intermission.
Robert Morris jumped out of the gates to a 5-0 lead thanks to a three-pointer from redshirt freshman Coron Williams (Midlothian, Va. / Christchurch School) and a jumper from freshman forward Yann Charles (Longueuil, Quebec / Champlain St. Albert).
WVU responded with eight straight points, including four from Darryl Bryant, which was part of a 13-2 run that allowed the Mountaineers to claim a 13-7 lead at the 13:30 mark of the first half.
Charles helped ignite a 9-2 run for RMU with a jumper as he and Williams accounted for all the scoring during the spurt, with Williams scoring five points and Charles four. Bryant put the Mountaineers back on top, 17-16, with a layup, but after a turnover and two consecutive fouls by Joe Mazzulla, the West Virginia bench was whistled for a technical foul with 8:13 remaining in the first half.
Sophomore guard Karon Abraham (Paterson, N.J. / Harp Academy), returning from a four-game suspension, hit both of the free throws to push the Colonials back on top, 18-17, but an 11-6 run gave WVU a 29-23 lead at the 2:21 mark of the first half.
Robert Morris was able to slice its deficit to four at halftime, 32-28, thanks to a jumper and three-pointer from freshmen guards Anthony Myers (Washington, D.C. / Charis Prep) and Elton Roy (Houston, Texas / Yates), respectively.
The Colonials couldn't overcome poor shooting in the second half, converting just 25 percent (7-for-28) of their attempts from the floor after halftime. Charles and Williams tied for team-high honors with 11 points each for Robert Morris.
In addition to the 14 points for Kilicli off the bench for the Mountaineers, Bryant and John Flowers each finished with 12 points. Flowers also grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double.
RMU is next in action Saturday, Dec. 11, when it welcomes Youngstown State to the Charles L. Sewall Center for a 7:00 p.m. tip.
