Boxscore
Lawrenceville, N.J. - Nurideen Lindsey led four Broncs in double figures scoring with 26 points as Rider posted a 79-54 victory over the Robert Morris University men's basketball team Friday night in the 2012-13 season opener for both programs at Alumni Gymnasium.
The Colonials dipped to 0-1 on the season with the setback, while Rider improved to 1-0.
Redshirt junior guard Coron Williams (Midlothian, Va. / Christchurch School) would give RMU an early 6-2 lead thanks to a pair of three-pointers, but a 12-2 run by the Broncs that featured a pair of layups from Lindsey and four points from Daniel Stewart allowed Rider to open up a 14-8 advantage with 12:28 to play in the first half.
Sophomore forward Lucky Jones (Newark, N.J. / St. Anthony) would hit a pair of free throws to help Robert Morris pull to within 14-10, but Rider would ride a 16-4 surge to take its biggest lead of the first stanza, 30-14, with 5:31 left before the break.
Lindsey provided 16 points in the first half for the Broncs on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor, including 2-for-4 from long range, and a perfect 4-for-4 performance at the free-throw line.
Rider eventually entered the second half with a 40-27 lead and stretched its cushion to 47-30 in the first three minutes after the break.
The Colonials struggled finding any offensive rhythm in the contest, shooting just 13-for-51 (25.5 percent) on the game, including 20 percent (4-for-20) from beyond the arc.
The Broncs biggest lead of the contest came with 3:19 remaining, when Jonathan Thompson capped a 14-7 sput with a three-pointer that gave Rider a 76-49 advantage.
Lindsey shot 10-of-15 from the field for Rider and added four rebounds and five assists despite committing nine turnovers. Stewart and Anthony Myles each added 11 points, while Thompson contributed 10 points.
Robert Morris was led by junior guard Karvel Anderson (Elkart, Ind. / Glen Oaks Community College), who finished with 11 points in his RMU debut. Anderson shot 4-for-11 from the floor and was 3-for-5 at the free-throw line and also added four rebounds.
Jones added nine points and five boards for the Colonials, while redshirt senior guard Velton Jones (Philadelphia, Pa. / Northeast Catholic), hobbled by cramps the majority of the second half, played 19 minutes and finished with eight points, three assists and three steals.
Rider held a 37-32 edge on the glass, which allowed the Broncs to post a 36-16 advantage in points in the paint. RMU, however, held a 13-4 cushion in second-chance points, while the Robert Morris bench outscored the Rider reserves, 22-17.
RMU is next in action Monday, Nov. 12, with an 8:30 p.m. tip against Lehigh at the Petersen Events Center on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. The contest is part of the 2012 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) Season Tip-Off.
Notes: RMU fell to 2-1 in season openers under head coach Andrew Toole ... The Colonials slipped to 19-18 (.514) all-time in season openers, including 3-15 (.167) in season openers on the road ... Junior forward Vaughn Morgan (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Southwestern Christian College) played 20 minutes in his Robert Morris debut and supplied two points, a team-high six rebounds and three blocks ... Robert Morris finished 24-for-32 at the free-throw line, snapping a streak of 36 consecutive wins for the Colonials when they visit the charity stripe at least 30 times in a game.
