Moon Township, Pa. - The Bryant trio of Dyami Starks, Frankie Dobbs and Alex Francis combined for 73 points Thursday night to help bolster the Bulldogs to an 84-77 victory over the Robert Morris University men's basketball team at the Charles L. Sewall Center in the 2012-13 Northeast Conference opener for both programs.
Bryant improved to 8-4 overall with the victory, while the Colonials slipped to 8-6.
Trailing, 58-51, with 5:44 remaining, a three-pointer from sophomore forward Lucky Jones (Newark, N.J. / St. Anthony) and a fastbreak layup by redshirt senior forward Russell Johnson (Chester, Pa. / Chester) pulled RMU within two, 58-56, with just under five minutes to go.
Francis helped stem the tide, however, with a layup to give Bryant a 60-56 advantage, then added two at the free-throw line to give the Bulldogs a 62-56 cushion.
Robert Morris again made it a one-possession contest, 62-60, on the strength of a free throw from junior guard Anthony Myers-Pate (Washington, D.C. / Charis Prep) and a three-pointer from junior guard Karvel Anderson (Elkhart, Ind. / Glen Oaks Community College), but Starks helped seal the win for the Bulldogs with a pair of three-pointers on back-to-back possessions that gave Bryant a 68-60 edge with 3:11 to play.
Bryant eventually stretched its lead to 71-60 and sealed the victory at the free-throw line, finishing 16-for-18 at the stripe in the final 2:27.
In a game that featured six ties and six lead changes, Bryant jumped out to a 14-7 advantage on the strength of its shooting from beyond the arc, as Starks, Dobbs and Joe O'Shea each connected for three-pointers.
RMU used a 7-0 spurt to tie the game, 20-20, with 6:29 to play in the first half thanks to a three-point play from junior forward Mike McFadden (Newark, N.J. / Technology), a jumper from Johnson and a layup from junior forward Vaughn Morgan (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Southwestern Christian College).
Bryant was able to weather any run the Colonials generated, however, eventually entering the break with a 33-32 edge.
In the second half the Bulldogs opened up a 51-41 advantage with 11:24 to go after a three-pointer from Dobbs, but a 10-0 surge that featured a pair of three-pointers from Anderson tied the score, 51-51, with 8:31 left.
The Bulldogs grabbed the lead right back at the stripe, as Francis hit a trio of free throws and O'Shea a pair to give Bryant a 56-51 lead with 6:14 to go.
Starks finished with a game-high 29 points for the Bulldogs, hitting nine of his 17 shots from the field, including a 7-for-12 performance from deep. Dobbs added 26 points, while Francis finished with 18 points and nine boards.
Redshirt senior guard Velton Jones (Philadelphia, Pa. / Northeast Catholic) scored a team-high 24 points for Robert Morris and also added six assists and six steals.
Anderson and Lucky Jones each finished with 13 points for the Colonials, while McFadden chipped in 11 points and five rebounds.
RMU concludes a two-game homestand to open NEC play Saturday, Jan. 5, with a 7:00 p.m. tip against Central Connecticut State at the Sewall Center.
