Smithfield, R.I. - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team closed the game on a 17-3 run and held Bryant to just one field goal, a three-pointer by Adam Parzych, over the final 10:12 of the contest en route to a 52-42 victory over the Bulldogs Saturday afternoon at the Chace Athletic Center.
In earning its 11th straight victory against Northeast Conference foes, RMU improved to 18-9 overall and 13-1 in the league, while the Bulldogs fell to 0-26 overall and 0-14 in conference play.
Struggling to find an offensive flow all game, the Colonials turned to their defense to turn a four-point deficit into the double-digit victory, holding Bryant to 1-for-12 shooting and forcing four turnovers in the last 10 minutes of the contest.
Claybrin McMatch gave the Bulldogs a 39-35 edge with 10:12 to play thanks to a layup off an offensive rebound, but junior guard Gary Wallace (Montclair, N.J. / Seton Hall Prep) started Robert Morris on its final run with a layup on a feed from senior forward Rob Robinson (Waldorf, Md. / Globe Institute of Technology) at the 9:03 mark of the second half.
Freshman guard Karon Abraham (Paterson, N.J. / Harp Academy) would knot the score for the seventh time, 39-39, with a pair of free throws, and after neither team scored for almost three minutes senior forward Dallas Green (Indianapolis, Indiana / Northwest) gave the Colonials their first lead of the second half with a tip-in off a missed layup by Robinson, 41-39.
Robinson would extend RMU's advantage to 44-39 by going 3-for-4 at the free-throw line, but with 2:31 to play Parzych buried a three-pointer from the top of the key to pull the Bulldogs within two, 44-42.
Redshirt freshman forward Russell Johnson (Chester, Pa. / Chester) would hit the back end of a pair of attempts at the charity stripe with 2:06 remaining to give Robert Morris a 45-42 edge, and after a turnover by Raphael Jordan of Bryant, redshirt freshman Velton Jones (Philadelphia, Pa. / Northeast Catholic) helped seal the victory with RMU's only three-pointer of the game with just 90 seconds left to push RMU's lead to 48-42.
The Colonials sealed the win at the free-throw line, with Jones and Abraham each going 1-for-2 while senior guard Mezie Nwigwe (Hyattsville, Md. / High Point) hit both of his attempts in the final minute.
Robinson led Robert Morris with 12 points and was the only player in double figures for the Colonials, while Jones and Johnson each scored eight points and Green and Abraham added seven apiece.
Bryant was led by Vlad Kondratyev, who finished with 15 points but suffered six turnovers, while Jordan contributed 11 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals off the bench.
The Colonials shot 34.8 percent (16-for-46) from the field and were 1-for-11 (9.1 percent) from beyond the arc, earning just their second win this season when failing to shoot at least 40 percent from the floor.
The Bulldogs converted 34 percent (16-of-27) of their shots from the field, including a 5-for-22 performance (22.7 percent) from long range, and were outrebounded by Robert Morris, 37-27.
Robert Morris returns to the Charles L. Sewall Center for its final two home games of the 2009-10 regular season, beginning Thursday, Feb. 18, when it welcomes Sacred Heart for a 7:30 p.m. tip.
