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Moon Township, Pa. – Senior guard Karvel Anderson (Elkhart, Ind. / Glen Oaks Community College) scored 18 of his game-high 21 points in the second half as the Robert Morris University men's basketball team opened its 2013-14 season Saturday with an 86-66 victory over Savannah State at the Charles L. Sewall Center.

RMU (1-0) improved to 20-18 (.526) all-time in season openers thanks to the win, including 16-2 (.889) in season lidlifters at home.

Leading by three, 34-31, at halftime, the Colonials took control with a 14-6 run midway through the second half that turned a 47-45 RMU edge into a 63-51 advantage with 9:39 to play. Anderson scored 10 straight points during the surge to bolster Robert Morris.

Senior forward Mike McFadden (Newark, N.J. / Technology) gave the Colonials a 70-59 advantage with 5:33 to play, and the Tigers were never able to trim their deficit into double digits the rest of the contest.

Both teams struggled offensively in the first half, combining to shoot just 35.6 percent (21-for-59) from the field. The opening stanza featured five ties and six lead changes, with neither team owning an advantage larger than six points.

Patrick Hendley gave Savannah State a 24-20 lead with 6:47 to go before intermission, but an 8-0 surge that featured five points from junior guard Charles Oliver (Scotch Plains, N.J. / Scotch Plains) and a three-pointer by junior guard Desjuan Newton (Seattle, Wash. / Central Arizona College) helped Robert Morris grab a 28-24 advantage.

Deven Williams would hit a three-pointer to pull SSU within 28-27, but a 5-0 spurt that featured four points from sophomore forward Aaron Tate (New Bern, N.C. / Dodge City Community College), including a dunk, gave the Colonials a 33-27 edge.

The Colonials eventually entered the break on top, 34-31, and junior forward Lucky Jones (Newark, N.J. / St. Anthony) opened the scoring in the second half by converting a pair of free throws to push RMU's cushion to 36-31.

On three occasions in the first six and-a-half minutes of the second half Savannah State closed to within two until Robert Morris used its run fueled by Anderson to take charge.

Anderson converted seven of his 12 shots from the field, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, and was also 2-for-2 at the free-throw line, to lead all scorers with 21 points. He also added six rebounds. McFadden added 12 points and nine rebounds for RMU, while Oliver contributed 12 points and four rebounds off the bench.

The Tigers were led by Joshua Montgomery, who finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Keierre Richards added 12 points off the bench for Savannah State, while Alante Fenner scored 10 points.

RMU's 86 points are the most its scored in a season opener since posting a 96-72 victory over Florida International at the Sewall Center Nov. 13, 2006.

Robert Morris returns to the court for its first road game of the 2013-14 campaign Tuesday, Nov. 12, with a 7:00 p.m. tip against Lafayette in Easton, Pa.