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Moon Township, Pa. – The
Robert Morris University men's basketball team opened play in the 2014 Northeast Conference Tournament Wednesday with a 60-53 victory over No. 8 seed Fairleigh Dickinson at the Charles L. Sewall Center.
In improving to 20-12 overall on the 2013-14 campaign with the victory, the Colonials advance to the semifinals of the NEC Tournament for the seventh consecutive year. The Knights conclude their season with an overall mark of 10-21.
A tight affair all game, sophomore forward
Stephan Hawkins (Gary, Ind. / Bowman Academy) gave RMU a 43-35 advantage with 9:22 to play on a jumper from a feed from junior forward
Lucky Jones (Newark, N.J. / St. Anthony).
Three straight points from Sidney Sanders, Jr., however, pulled Fairleigh Dickinson to within 43-38 with 8:02 to go, as he hit a jumper and converted one of two attempts at the free-throw line.
Jones came back with a three-pointer to push the advantage for Robert Morris to 46-38, and a fastbreak layup from junior guard
David Appolon (Philadelphia, Pa. / Imhotep Charter) with 6:36 remaining off a steal kept the advantage at eight points for the Colonials, 48-40.
A pair of free throws from Mustafaa Jones for Fairleigh Dickinson would help the Knights trim their deficit to 48-42 just inside four minutes to play, but a 6-2 spurt over the next three minutes gave Robert Morris its first double-digit advantage, 54-44, with 1:01 left. Freshman guard
Kavon Stewart (Paterson, N.J. / Hudson Catholic) hit a floater in the lane,
Lucky Jones hit a pair of free throws and Appolon converted another fastbreak layup.
Twice in the final minute of action Fairleigh Dickinson made it a two-possession game, trimming their deficit to six thanks to layups from Mathias Seilund and Sanders, but RMU sealed the win at the free-throw line, finishing 6-for-7 at the stripe in the final 48 seconds.
Lucky Jones led all scorers in the contest with 19 points and also recorded seven rebounds, four assists and a steal. He converted seven of his 13 shots from the floor, including 3-for-6 from beyond the arc, and hit both of his attempts at the line.
Senior guard
Anthony Myers-Pate (Washington, D.C. / Charis Prep) added 10 points, four rebounds and two steals for Robert Morris, while Hawkins and Appolon each scored eight points.
Senior guard
Karvel Anderson (Elkhart, Ind. / Glen Oaks Community College), the 2014 NEC Player of the Year, played 28 minutes and did not score, finishing 0-for-3 from the field. It marks his first scoreless game in an RMU uniform since Feb. 14, 2013, at Quinnipiac.
Fairleigh Dickinson was led by Sanders, who finished with 16 points, three assists and three steals. Scooter Gillette added 15 points, while Seilund recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 caroms.
RMU continues play in the 2014 NEC Tournament with a 2:00 p.m. tip Saturday, March 8, in a semifinal matchup against in-state rival Saint Francis U.
