Moon Township, Pa. - James Johnson led five players in double figures scoring with a career-high 28 points as Quinnipiac snapped RMU's winning streak against Northeast Conference opponents at 12 Saturday night with an 87-79 win over the Robert Morris University men's basketball team at the Charles L. Sewall Center.

The Colonials, who also had their winning streak snapped in consecutive home victories against league opponents at 19, dipped to 19-10 overall and 14-2 in the NEC, while the Bobcats improved to 19-8 overall and 13-3 in league play.

Quinnipiac shot 50.9 percent (27-for-53) from the field in the contest, the highest shooting percentage by a Robert Morris opponent since Fairleigh Dickinson converted 52.3 percent of its shots Jan. 14, 2010, at the Sewall Center.

Never trailing in the first half, the Bobcats jumped out to leads of 11-4, 23-18 and 30-23.

James Feldeine sparked Quinnipiac in the first half with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field, including a 2-for-4 performance from long range, while Justin Rutty scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds.

RMU used a 10-5 run in the final 3:34 of the first half to trim its deficit to two at the break, 35-33, as senior guard Mezie Nwigwe (Hyattsville, Md. / High Point) scored five points while senior forward Rob Robinson (Waldorf, Md. / Globe Institute of Technology) converted a three-point play. 

Layups from Rutty and Jeremy Baker to open the second half pushed Quinnipiac's advantage to 39-33, but a three-pointer from freshman guard Karon Abraham (Paterson, N.J. / Harp Academy) and fastbreak dunks by senior forward Dallas Green (Indianapolis, Indiana / Northwest) and Robinson gave Robert Morris its first lead, 40-39, with 18:02 to play.

A see-saw battle in the first five minutes of the second half, the Colonials owned a trio of two-point advantages, the last of which came with 15:33 remaining, 46-44, after a pair of free throws by junior guard Gary Wallace (Montclair, N.J. / Seton Hall Prep).

Quinnipiac answered with a 6-0 spurt to take a 50-46 lead as Johnson hit a three-pointer and Rutty converted a three-point play, but redshirt freshman forward Russell Johnson (Chester, Pa. / Chester) tied the game for the fourth time, 52-52, with a three-pointer at the 13:51 mark of the second half.

The Bobcats answered Russell Johnson's trifecta with a pair of three-pointers, one from James Johnson and the other from Deontay Twyman, to increase their edge over RMU to 58-52 and never trailed again.

The Colonials closed to within two, 62-60, after a layup from Green with 8:07 to go, but a 13-5 surge over the next six minutes gave Quinnipiac a 75-65 lead to help seal the victory.

Johnson finished 6-for-11 shooting from the field and was 13-for-16 at the free-throw line to pace Quinnipiac, while Rutty recorded his 25th career double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds and Feldeine contributed 15 points and seven boards. Jonathan Cruz and Twyman each finished with 10 points.

Robert Morris was led by Robinson, who scored 16 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out three assists, while redshirt freshman guard Velton Jones (Philadelphia, Pa. / Northeast Catholic) finished with 15 points, seven assists and a pair of steals. Abraham chipped in with 12 points, while Johnson added 11 off the bench.

The Colonials will close out their 2009-10 regular season with a pair of road games, visiting Staten Island, N.Y., Thursday, Feb. 25, for a 7:00 p.m. tip against  Wagner at the Spiro Sports Center before traveling to Emmitsburg, Md., for a 4:00 p.m. tilt with Mount St. Mary's Saturday, Feb. 27, at Knott Arena.