Boxscore
Fayetteville, Ark. - Arkansas shot 66.7 percent (18-for-27) from the field in the second half and 52.5 percent (31-for-59) overall en route to a 79-74 victory over the Robert Morris University men's basketball team Thursday night at Bud Walton Arena.
The Colonials, who had their five-game winning streak snapped with the setback, concluded their 2012-13 non-conference slate with an overall record of 8-5, while the Razorbacks improved to 6-4.
In a game that featured 10 ties and 11 lead changes, RMU held a 41-37 advantage with 18:10 to play after sophomore forward Lucky Jones (Newark, N.J. / St. Anthony) hit the front end of a pair of free-throw attempts to cap a 7-2 run to open the second half for the Colonials.
Junior guards Coron Williams (Midlothian, Va. / Christchurch School) and Karvel Anderson (Elkhart, Ind. / Glen Oaks Community College) each connected from beyond the arc to bolster Robert Morris during the salvo.
Arkansas battled back behind the play of Hunter Mickelson, who scored 14 of his career-high 16 points in the second half on perfect 6-for-6 shooting from the field and a 2-for-2 performance at the stripe.
Mickelson would give the Razorbacks a 45-42 edge with a tip-in off an offensive rebound, and after junior guard Anthony Myers-Pate (Washington, D.C. / Charis Prep) pulled the Colonials to within 45-44 with a pair of free throws, Arkansas hung a 14-4 run on RMU to open up a 59-48 advantage with 10:23 to go.
Mickelson, Mardracus Wade and BJ Young each scored four points during the balanced attack offensively for the Razorbacks.
Despite the deficit, Robert Morris used a 12-1 surge to close to within 64-60 at the 7:19 mark of the second half. The Colonials did most of their damage at the chalk, as Anderson went 5-for-5, redshirt senior forward Russell Johnson (Chester, Pa. / Chester) hit a pair and Williams buried a three-pointer.
The Razorbacks looked to take control, 69-60, after a layup from Mickelson with 4:35 left, but RMU had one last charge, closing to within 71-68 thanks to an 8-2 spurt.
Williams started the run with a three-pointer, while Johnson converted a three-point play and Jones hit a pair of free throws.
However, Marshawn Powell was left wide open with 1:23 to play and slammed home a dunk to give Arkansas a 74-68 lead to help seal the victory.
In the first half, Robert Morris owned a 25-17 lead at the 9:47 mark after a layup from sophomore guard David Appolon (Philadelphia, Pa. / Imhotep Charter), but a 10-0 run gave Arkansas a 27-25 advantage en route to a 35-34 cushion at the break.
Anderson and Williams tied for team-high honors in scoring for the Colonials, as each finished with 17 points. Williams shot 6-for-7 from the field, including 5-for-6 from beyond the arc.
Johnson added 10 points and eight rebounds off the bench, while junior forward Mike McFadden (Newark, N.J. / Technology) recorded 10 points, three rebounds and a career-high four steals.
Young led the Razorbacks with 23 points as one of four players to score in double figures. Mickelson finished with 16 points, Wade added 14 points and Powell recorded 12 points and nine rebounds.
Robert Morris now has its longest break of the 2012-13 campaign, as the Colonials are off for two weeks before opening Northeast Conference Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, with a 7:00 p.m. tip against Bryant at the Charles L. Sewall Center.
