Pittsburgh, Pa. – The
Robert Morris University men's basketball team stayed perfect at PPG Paints Arena Sunday and concluded a two-game homestand by posting a wire-to-wire victory over Drexel, 74-60.
In notching their sixth win in the last seven games, the Colonials (6-4) also improved to 4-0 at PPG Paints Arena dating back to last season by jumping out to its first double-digit lead of the contest, 16-6, just four minutes into the game.
Sophomore guard
Dachon Burke was the main offensive catalyst, as he knocked down a pair of three-pointers, provided a dunk off a steal and went 1-for-2 at the free-throw line in the opening flurry.
Drexel called timeout after falling behind by 10 and was able to trim its deficit to 18-14 with an 8-2 run. The Dragons also made it a one-possession game, 20-18, with 10:23 to go before the break. However, the Dragons could never grab the lead, as RMU posted a 13-5 run to again get its lead to double digits, 33-21, with 4:07 left before halftime.
Junior guard
Matty McConnell drilled a pair of three-pointers to help bolster Robert Morris, while Burke again connected from deep and freshman forward
Koby Thomas provided a dunk.
The Colonials eventually entered halftime with a 42-27 advantage as Burke scored 15 points in the first half, while Thomas added 12.
Burke, who finished with a game-high 25 points, gave the Colonials their biggest lead of the contest, 59-39, after knocking down his fifth triple of the game with 10:25 remaining. The sophomore guard finished 6-for-8 from beyond the arc, a career high in three-pointers.
LINKS: Boxscore (PDF) | Photo Gallery
RMU held Drexel to a shooting percentage of 42.6 percent (23-for-54), and the Dragons were just 4-for-16 (25%) from beyond the arc. Kurk Lee paced Drexel with 15 points, three assists and three steals and was one of three Dragons to finish in double figures. Tramaine Isabell scored 12 points off the bench, while Sammy Mojica scored 11.
"I thought today was one of our most complete performances of the year," head coach
Andrew Toole said. "We played for each other, and I thought we really did a good job of moving the ball on offense and then moving our feet on defense. To the credit of our guys, they've been knocking down open shots when they've had them in recent weeks."
For the second straight game and third time overall this season RMU finished with 11 three-pointers, a season high. It also marks the fifth time in the last six games as well as the sixth time overall this season the Colonials have recorded at least 10 three-pointers in a game.
Thomas eclipsed the 20-point plateau for the second consecutive game for Robert Morris, finishing with 21 points and a team-high six rebounds. He finished 10-for-18 from the floor, including 1-for-3 from deep.
McConnell registered his second career double-double with 10 points and a career-high 11 assists. He also notched three steals. Burke added four rebounds, two assists and five steals to go along with his game-high honors in scoring, the third time in the last four games he has eclipsed the 20-point plateau.
Robert Morris now has a week off before opening a two-game road swing. The Colonials travel to Buffalo, N.Y., Saturday, Dec. 16, for a 2:00 p.m. tip at the University of Buffalo and will also visit N.C. State Tuesday, Dec. 19, in Raleigh, N.C.
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