Towson, Md. – The
Robert Morris University men's basketball team earned its first victory of the 2016-17 campaign Friday by posting a 62-48 victory over Hampton in the Barclays Classic at SECU Arena.
In the opening 1:06 of action, senior forward
Aaron Tate and Kalin Fisher of the Pirates traded jumpers in the paint before the Colonials used an 18-6 run to open up a 20-6 lead with 9:53 left before halftime. Sophomore forward
Isaiah Still and freshman guard
Dachon Burke each scored five points, while Tate added four points to go along with his game-opening bucket.
Hampton got a tip-in from Branden Aughburns and a jumper from Akim Mitchell to close to within 22-10, but a 13-5 surge allowed Robert Morris to open up a 35-15 advantage with 2:36 left in the first half. Tate started the run with a layup, while junior guard
Lorenzen Wright, Jr., senior guard
Kavon Stewart and Still each hit from beyond the arc.
RMU eventually entered the break with a 36-20 advantage as Still and Tate each contributed eight points in the first half. Tate was 4-for-4 from the field and also grabbed six rebounds.
"In the first half we moved the ball and got a lot of clean looks at the basket," head coach
Andrew Toole said. "We really did a nice job of moving the ball, making the extra pass in order to get a better shot. In the second half I thought we got a little passive and were too predictable."
Still opened the scoring in the second half with another three-pointer and RMU grabbed its biggest lead of the contest, 47-25, with 15:24 to go after a jumper from Stewart. However, the Colonials would go almost 13 minutes without a field goal, allowing the Pirates to close their deficit.
Hampton scored 11 consecutive points to close to within 47-36 with 9:13 remaining as Devon Oakley converted a pair of layups and Charlie Wilson-Fisher scored five points, including three at the free-throw line.
Robert Morris was able to keep Hampton at bay at the charity stripe, as Still and Stewart each went 1-for-2, while a pair from Tate with seven minutes left pushed the edge for the Colonials to 51-36.
Mitchell's jumper for the Pirates at the 3:33 mark of the second half helped Hampton close to within 53-45 and capped a 9-2 spurt, but Stewart snapped RMU's field goal drought with 2:45 to play with a layup that gave RMU a 55-45 lead.
Junior forward
Roberto Mantovani followed with a jumper and Tate converted a tip-in with 37 seconds left that kept RMU's advantage in double digits, 59-47. Robert Morris sealed the win at the stripe, as Still hit a free throw and sophomore
Matty McConnell converted a pair.
"You have to give Hampton credit," Toole said. "They were more aggressive in the second half. To our credit, we hung on. The most important thing about tonight is that, for a young team, we learned how to win. Every time you step on the floor you bring your lunch pail and work boots. We did that, for the most part, tonight."
Still led the Colonials with 16 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field, including 3-for-6 from deep, and a 5-for-8 performance at the chalk. He also added two rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Tate chipped in a career-high 12 points and nine rebounds, missing his first career double-double by a carom. Stewart added 11 points and two steals, while McConnell registered six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Hampton was led by Aughburns and Oakley, who each scored nine points off the bench. Aughburns finished with a team-high six rebounds, while Oakley finished with five caroms.
RMU will conclude the Barclays Classic Saturday, Nov. 26, with a 7:30 p.m. tip against Towson at SECU Arena.
