Pittsburgh, Pa. – The
Robert Morris University men's basketball team concluded the non-conference portion of its 2016-17 schedule Wednesday with a 74-71 victory over Buffalo at PPG Paints Arena.
Trailing, 62-60, after CJ Massinburg converted a three-point play with 4:39 to play, RMU (4-9) used an 8-0 surge to grab a 68-62 lead with just 1:01 remaining.
Freshman guard
Braden Burke knotted the game for the sixth time, 62-62, with a jumper from the baseline on a feed from senior guard
Kavon Stewart to start the run, and a pair of free throws from both redshirt senior forward
Aaron Tate and Stewart pushed the Robert Morris advantage to 66-62.
Nick Perkins followed on Buffalo's next possession by turning the ball over, one of 22 miscues on the game for the Bulls, and the Colonials capitalized. Stewart drove into the lane and found a wide open Tate on the block, who provided a dunk to give Robert Morris its biggest lead since halftime.
Buffalo (5-7) made a charge, as a pair of free throws and a three-pointer from Blake Hamilton closed the Bulls to within 69-67 with 44 seconds to go. RMU was able to seal the win at the free-throw line, going 6-for-8 at the stripe in the final 54 seconds, but not without some tense moments.
Hamilton, who scored a game-high 24 points, pulled the Bulls to within 70-69 with 33 seconds to go with a pair of free throws. On the ensuing possession for RMU, Stewart turned the ball over due to the press as Dontay Caruthers came up with the steal for Buffalo.
The Bulls called timeout, and out of the break Massinburg's spinning layup attempt was strong, and Stewart came down with the rebound. He was immediately fouled and hit a pair at the chalk to push the advantage for the Colonials to 72-69.
Hamilton was fouled with 11 seconds remaining and hit another pair at the free-throw line to again make it a one-point affair, 72-71, but freshman guard
Clive Allen knocked down a pair of his own after being fouled by Caruthers.
Buffalo had one last chance, but a three-pointer from Hamilton, who scored nine points in the final minute, was strong, and Tate came down with the rebound to seal the victory.
"I'm really proud of the way our guys performed tonight, especially down the stretch," head coach
Andrew Toole said. "They stepped up and made plays when they needed to in order to beat a really good team in Buffalo. I thought Aaron and Kavon both made monster senior plays for us down the stretch. They were in a mindset where they were locked in. That's what you what out of your seniors and is very encouraging."
Robert Morris grabbed its biggest lead of the game with 1:18 to go before halftime, as a layup from
Braden Burke gave the Colonials a 37-25 advantage. Buffalo closed the half with a 5-0 surge and continued its run in the second half, outscoring RMU, 15-3, in the first six minutes of the stanza to grab a 45-40 edge.
Buffalo's largest lead came at the 11:16 mark of the second half, when a pair of free throws from Willie Conner gave the Bulls a 48-42 lead.
Stewart scored 14 of his team-high 18 points in the second half to lead Robert Morris with 18 points and also dished out seven assists while registering a steal. Junior guard
Lorenzen Wright, Jr., added 12 points off the bench courtesy of a 4-for-6 performance from beyond the arc.
Tate contributed nine points and seven rebounds,
Braden Burke added nine points and three boards and sophomore guard
Matty McConnell chipped in nine points four rebounds, a block and two thefts.
Joining Hamilton in double figures for Buffalo was Massinburg, who scored 13 points, and Perkins, who notched a double-double off the bench with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Its non-conference schedule complete, the Colonials will open Northeast Conference play with a pair of road games, beginning Thursday, Dec. 29, with a 3:00 p.m. contest against Sacred Heart at the William H. Pitt Center in Fairfield, Conn.
Stat Of The Night
0 - Points in the paint for Buffalo in the final 7:24 of action despite outscoring the Colonials, 34-20, in the category.
Tweet Of The Night
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