Jersey City, N.J. - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team shot 61.9 percent (13-for-21) from the field in the second half en route to a 69-52 victory over Saint Peter's Tuesday night at the Yanitelli Center.
The victory improves the Colonials to 2-0 for the first time since the 2007-08 campaign, while the Peacocks dipped to 0-2 to start the year.
A back-and-forth affair in the first half that featured three ties and six lead changes, RMU never trailed in the second half after taking a 31-29 advantage at the break.
Trailing, 29-24, at the 1:41 mark of the first half after a layup from Yvon Raymond of Saint Peter's, Robert Morris scored the final seven points of the stanza to take a two-point lead at intermission.
Redshirt sophomore guard Coron Williams (Midlothian, Va. / Christchurch School) started the spurt with a jumper, and a three-pointer by redshirt junior forward Russell Johnson (Chester, Pa. / Chester) knotted the contest, 29-29, with 46 ticks left on the first-half clock.
The Peacocks looked to take the lead with time waning in the first half, but a three-pointer by Karee Ferguson with under six seconds to go was off the mark. A rebounding foul after Ferguson's errant shot by Raymond, however, sent Williams to the free-throw line with 4.1 seconds left in the half.
Williams calmly sank both free throws to give the Colonials the lead at halftime.
In the second half RMU's defense stiffened, holding Saint Peter's to just one field goal in the first seven and-a-half minutes.
Meanwhile, Robert Morris hit its first six shots from the field after the break to push its lead into double digits, 50-36, as five different Colonials scored.
Williams scored six points during the 19-4 run that essentially put the game away, while redshirt junior guard Velton Jones (Philadelphia, Pa. / Northeast Catholic) and Johnson each contributed four points.
Lamin Fulton's three-pointer with 9:26 to go helped Saint Peter's close to within 50-40, but RMU squashed any chances of a comeback by the Peacocks, as a fade away three-pointer from Jones and a wide open dunk by junior forward Lijah Thompson (Philadelphia, Pa. / Monsignor Bonner) with 6:05 remaining gave the Colonials a commanding 60-42 lead.
Jones led four Colonials in double figures with 19 points, connecting on six of his 10 shots from the field, including a 4-for-6 performance from beyond the arc. He also added a game-high seven assists.
Williams added 13 points for Robert Morris, Johnson contributed 11 and Thompson finished with 10 points. Ferguson, Raymond and Fulton each scored 10 points to pace Saint Peter's.
RMU shot an even 50 percent (23-for-46) from the field and posted 19 assists on its 23 field goals. In addition to the seven dimes by Jones, sophomore guard Anthony Myers (Washington, D.C. / Charis Prep) had five, Johnson and Williams each recorded three and Thompson had one.
Robert Morris continues a five-game swing away from home Saturday, Nov. 19, when it opens play in The Philly Hoop Group Classic with a 7:00 p.m. tip against Penn at the Palestra in Philadelphia, Pa.
Notes: RMU is 2-0 for the 10th time in its 36-year Division I history ... Thanks to yielding just 57 and 52 points, respectively, in its first two games, it marks the first time in school history the Colonials have opened a season holding back-to-back opponents to under 60 points ... Saint Peter's shot 38.9 percent (7-for-18) from the field in the second half and 43.2 percent (19-for-44) overall ... The Colonials connected on 10 of their 17 attempts (58.8 percent) from beyond the arc and are a perfect 7-0 in two seasons under head coach Andrew Toole when hitting at least 10 three-pointers in a game ... Robert Morris notched its 22nd straight victory when shooting 50 percent or better from the field ... Jones extended his streak of double-figure scoring games dating back to last season to eight, while Williams has now scored in double figures six consecutive contests ... Saint Peter's held a 27-26 edge in rebounding, with freshman guard/forward Lucky Jones (Newark, N.J. / St. Anthony) leading RMU with five caroms.
