Loretto, Pa. - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team closed out a three-game road trip Wednesday night with another come-from-behind victory, earning a 78-74 win over Saint Francis (Pa.) at DeGol Arena to open "Rivalry Week" in the Northeast Conference.
The Colonials improved to 18-8 overall and 9-4 in the NEC with the victory, while the Red Flash dipped to 5-19 overall and 4-9 in league play.
SFU shot 68.4 percent (13-for-19) from the field in the first half in taking a five-point advantage at the break, 35-30.
Tied, 19-19, at the 7:40 mark of the first half, the Red Flash hung a 16-5 run on the Colonials that opened up the biggest lead of the game for Saint Francis (Pa.), 35-24, with 2:19 left before halftime.
Storm Stanley scored the first four points of the run for the Red Flash, while Stephon Whyatt scored six points, including a three-pointer and an old-fashion three-point play.
Similar to its previous road game at Mount St. Mary's (2/4/12), Robert Morris climbed back in the latter stages of the first stanza, closing to within five at the break with six straight points.
Sophomore forward Mike McFadden (Newark, N.J. / Technology) hit a pair at the free-throw line, while freshman forward Lucky Jones (Newark, N.J. / St. Anthony) scored the final four points of the half, both off feeds from sophomore guard Anthony Myers (Washington, D.C. / Charis Prep).
The Colonials continued their surge in the opening minutes of the second half, using a 19-6 run in the first six and-a-half minutes to open up a 49-41 advantage.
Six different players scored for RMU, including four points each from redshirt junior guard Velton Jones (Philadelphia, Pa. / Northeast Catholic) and senior forward Lawrence Bridges (Detroit, Mich. / Columbus State Community College).
Robert Morris owned its own 11-point cushion, 56-45, at the 11:12 mark of the first half when Bridges scored on a layup, but a 9-2 spurt by the Red Flash trimmed the lead for the Colonials to 58-54 with 8:22 to play.
RMU weathered the storm and again got its advantage back to double-digits, 65-54, after a pair of free throws from Lucky Jones with 6:30 remaining.
The lead coming out of the final media timeout was 70-61 in favor of the Colonials, but Saint Francis (Pa.) used a 9-2 run to make it a one-possession contest, 72-70, with just 1:25 to go. Scott Eatherton scored the final four points of the surge for the Red Flash.
Redshirt junior forward Russell Johnson (Chester, Pa. / Chester) then came through big for Robert Morris, as Velton Jones fed him underneath the basket for a layup with 1:05 left to give the Colonials a 74-70 advantage.
RMU would seal the win the charity stripe, as both Velton Jones and redshirt sophomore guard Coron Williams (Midlothian, Va. / Christchurch School) would hit a pair at the stripe.
The Colonials shot a season-high 56 percent (28-for-50) from the floor, including 63 percent (17-for-27) after intermission, and received a balanced attack offensively.
McFadden and Lucky Jones tied for team-high honors with 14 points, while Williams scored 13. Velton Jones contributed eight points, a season-high eight assists and two steals, while Myers, Bridges and Johnson each finished with six points off the bench.
Anthony Ervin scored a game-high 20 points for Saint Francis (Pa.), which shot 61.5 percent (24-for-39) from the field on the game. Whyatt added 15 points, and Eatherton finished with 10.
Robert Morris and Saint Francis (Pa.) conclude the home-and-home series as part of "Rivalry Week" Saturday, Feb. 11, with a 7:00 p.m. tip at the Charles L. Sewall Center.
