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Fairfield, Conn. – Senior guard
Karvel Anderson (Elkhart, Ind. / Glen Oaks Community College) scored a career-high 36 points to help the
Robert Morris University men's basketball team snap a three-game slide Thursday with a 79-70 victory over Sacred Heart at the William H. Pitt Center in the Northeast Conference opener for both programs.
RMU improved to 6-10 overall and 1-0 in the league with the victory, while the Pioneers dipped to 3-13 overall and 0-1 in the NEC.
The Pioneers started the game hot, jumping out to leads of 8-3, 14-11 and 18-13, as Mostafa Abdel Latif provided SHU with six points and seven rebounds in the opening nine minutes of action.
Junior guard
David Appolon (Philadelphia, Pa. / Imhotep Charter) came off the bench and provided the Colonials with a spark, pulling RMU within 20-19 thanks to a layup off an offensive rebound. Freshman forward
Jeremiah Worthem (Philadelphia, Pa. / Math, Civics & Sciences) followed with a layup to give Robert Morris its first lead, 21-20, but Abdel Latif responded with a dunk to push the Pioneers back in front, 22-21.
Appolon again came through for the Colonials, as his putback with 7:02 to play in the first half ignited a 19-8 run that gave Robert Morris a 40-30 lead just 53 seconds left before halftime. Anderson scored five points during the surge as six different players scored for RMU.
The Colonials eventually entered halftime with a 40-31 edge and in the second half extended their lead to 54-43 with 15:53 to play after an Anderson three-pointer.
RMU's biggest lead came at the 11:34 mark of the second half when Anderson converted a layup to give Robert Morris a 62-50 edge, but an 8-0 spurt pulled Sacred Heart to within 62-58 as Abdel Latif bolstered the Pioneers with four points.
Anderson stemmed the tide with a three-pointer, and another triple with 7:05 to go made it 68-58 in favor of the Colonials. Worthem got into the act with a three-pointer to give Robert Morris a 71-60 with 6:38 remaining, but the Colonials would follow by going over five minutes without a field goal.
In the meantime, Sacred Heart used a 10-1 surge to close to within 72-70 after De'von Barnett hit the front end of a pair of opportunities at the free-throw line with two minutes to play.
Robert Morris went to the well, as Anderson's jumper with 1:31 remaining pushed RMU's advantage to 74-70, and his three-pointer from NBA range at the top of the key with 29 seconds left helped seal the victory.
Anderson finished 15-for-19 shooting from the field, including 6-for-7 from beyond the arc, and also added five rebounds and three steals. Junior forward
Lucky Jones (Newark, N.J. / St. Anthony) added 17 points for RMU on the strength of a 3-for-5 performance from deep while going 6-for-6 from the chalk.
Abdel Latif led the Pioneers with 17 points and 12 rebounds, hitting all eight of his shots from the floor. Barnett added 12 points, while Louis Montes finished with 11 points.
Robert Morris concludes a five-game road trip Saturday, Jan. 11, with a 1:00 p.m. tip against Bryant at the Chace Athletic Center in Smithfield, R.I.
