Moon Township, Pa. – Jerome Frink and Nura Zanna each posted double-doubles to help lead LIU Brooklyn to a 65-54 victory over the
Robert Morris University men's basketball team Thursday at the Charles L. Sewall Center.
Frink finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for the Blackbirds (9-7, 2-1 NEC), while Zanna finished with 12 points and a game-high 13 caroms.
LIU Brooklyn owned a 33-28 edge at halftime and scored the first seven points of the second half to grab its first double-digit advantage, 40-28, with 16:21 to play. Zanna and Iverson Fleming each converted layups, while Jashaun Agosto nailed a three-pointer.
RMU (5-11, 1-2 NEC) didn't convert its first field goal of the second half until the 14:55 mark, when sophomore guard
Isaiah Still connected from beyond the arc to pull the Colonials to within 42-33.
The Blackbirds responded with a 15-4 surge to grab a 57-37 advantage with 5:49 remaining.
"Clearly LIU deserved to win the game," head coach
Andrew Toole said. "They had more hunger and more desire. I apologize for the way we performed. Guys don't really seem to appreciate this opportunity to be a Division I player, and that's on me. You saw a team that didn't have a personality tonight. I'm just not sure it's important enough for our guys."
Robert Morris grabbed a 12-6 lead at the 12:49 mark of the first half after senior forward
Billy Giles knocked down a jumper off a feed from Still. The Blackbirds called timeout, and out of the break hung a 15-5 run on the Colonials to grab a 21-17 lead.
Freshman guard
Clive Allen connected from beyond the arc to propel the Colonials on a 7-0 run to help RMU jump back in front, 24-23, but an 8-2 charge from LIU Brooklyn gave the Blackbirds a 31-26 edge.
Robert Morris looked to make it a one-possession contest heading into the break when freshman guard
Dachon Burke converted a pair at the free-throw line with 7.5 seconds before halftime, but Julian Batts went the length of the court and converted a layup as time expired to push the lead for the Blackbirds back to five.
In addition to the performances from Frink and Zanna, Agosto and Fleming each finished in double figures for the Blackbirds with 11 points each.
The Colonials were led by
Dachon Burke, who scored 13 points off the bench and added five rebounds, an assist and four steals. Freshman forward
Braden Burke added 10 points and five rebounds for RMU, also off the bench. The reserves for Robert Morris shot 59.1 percent (13-for-22) from the field.
RMU continues a three-game homestand Saturday, Jan. 7, with a 4:00 p.m. tip against St. Francis Brooklyn.
Stat of The Night
23 – Rebounding margin for LIU Brooklyn against Robert Morris, the highest discrepancy the Colonials have been outrebounded in 2016-17
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