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Moon Township, Pa. – In a game that featured three ties and 19 lead changes, Toledo kept its perfect record intact Saturday afternoon with an 80-77 victory over the
Robert Morris University men's basketball team at the Charles L. Sewall Center.
The Colonials, who saw their losing streak reach five games, dipped to 3-7 overall on the 2013-14 campaign with the loss, while the Rockets improved to 8-0.
J.D. Weatherspoon gave UT an early 8-5 edge by hitting the front end of a pair of free throws, but an 11-2 run that featured a pair of three-pointers from senior guard
Karvel Anderson (Elkhart, Ind. / Glen Oaks Community College) and a triple from junior forward
Lucky Jones (Newark, N.J. / St. Anthony) pushed RMU in front, 16-10.
Toledo answered with a 9-1 surge to take the lead back, 19-17, thanks to a three-pointer from Justin Drummond at the 11:07 mark of the first half.
The tone was set, as the first half featured three ties and nine lead changes.
The Rockets took their biggest lead, 27-21, after a dunk by Rian Pearson with 7:52 to go before intermission, but the Colonials surged back in front with seven straight points thanks to a layup from freshman forward
Jeremiah Worthem (Philadelphia, Pa. / Math, Civics & Sciences), a three-pointer from Jones and a layup by senior guard
Anthony Myers-Pate (Washington, D.C. / Charis Prep).
Nathan Boothe would give Toledo a 33-30 advantage at the 3:49 mark of the first half with a jumper, but Robert Morris closed the first half on an 11-4 spurt to take a 41-37 lead at halftime.
In the first half, Jones and Anderson combined for 23 points on perfect 9-for-9 shooting, including 5-for-5 from beyond the arc.
Toledo came out on fire shooting in the ball in the second half, hitting seven of its first eight shots from the field in taking a 53-49 advantage with 13:36 to play. Julius Brown was the main offensive force, scoring the first seven points of the half for the Rockets.
RMU weathered the surge, coming back to knot the score, 57-57, after a three-pointer from Jones. The Colonials had their last lead of the game, 66-65, when Anderson hit a three-pointer at the 7:36 mark of the second half.
Toledo responded with a 9-2 run that opened up a 74-68 lead with 3:40 to play. Brown again was at the center of the attack, converting a layup and hitting a jumper for the Rockets.
In the last two-and-half minutes Robert Morris closed its deficit to one, including 78-77 with 39 seconds to play after a layup from Jones.
Drummond gave the Colonials an 80-77 lead with a pair of free throws with 25 seconds to go, and on RMU's next possession, Myers-Pate was whistled for a charge.
Toledo couldn't quit seal the win, however, turning the ball over on its ensuing possession as Jones came up with a steal for Robert Morris. The Colonials called timeout with 6.1 seconds left, but out of the break Anderson was fouled with one second to go by Drummond.
Anderson missed his first attempt at the line, and Jordan Lauf grabbed the defensive rebound to seal the win.
For the second straight game Jones established a career high in points, leading RMU with 25 on a 10-for-12 shooting performance from the field, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. He also added three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Anderson added 23 points for the Colonials, drilling nine of his 11 attempts from the floor, including 5-of-6 from deep. Senior forward
Mike McFadden (Newark, N.J. / Technology) also scored in double figures for Robert Morris with 12 points while grabbing a team-high six rebounds.
Pearson led the Rockets with 19 points and also recorded seven boards, four dimes and three steals, while Drummond and Brown each scored 16 points. Weatherspoon also scored in double figures for UT with 10 points.
RMU now has a week off before returning to the court Saturday, Dec. 14, with a 2:00 p.m. tip against Duquesne at the A.J. Palumbo Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.
