Smithfield, R.I. – The
Robert Morris University men's basketball team opened its final road trip of the 2016-17 regular season Thursday with an 81-73 loss to Bryant at the Chace Athletic Center.
The Colonials (10-18, 6-9 NEC) got off to a hot start, jumping out to a 15-4 lead thanks to the long ball, as sophomore guard
Isaiah Still hit a pair of three-pointers while senior guard
Kavon Stewart converted another.
The Bulldogs responded with an 8-0 surge to close to within 15-11 before a triple from junior guard
Lorenzen Wright, Jr., and a jumper from sophomore guard
Matty McConnell stretched RMU's lead to 20-11 with 9:06 left in the first half.
Freshman forward
Braden Burke drained a jumper from the top of the key at the 7:48 mark of the first half that gave Robert Morris a 22-15 edge, but the Colonials would hit just one field goal the rest of the half. Bryant (10-18, 7-8 NEC) eventually tied it, 23-23, when Adam Grant hit the front end of a pair of free throws at the 4:06 mark of the first half and the Bulldogs eventually owned a five-point lead at the break, 32-27.
Twice in the first 10 minutes of the second half Bryant stretched its lead to nine, and Grant gave the Bulldogs their first double-digit advantage, 58-48, with a three-pointer with 9:21 remaining.
Marcel Pettway hit the front end of a pair at the stripe with 3:13 to play that gave Bryant a 69-59 lead before Robert Morris used a 12-5 surge to close to within 74-71. McConnell hit a three-pointer, freshman guard
Clive Allen converted a jumper and a dunk from redshirt senior forward
Aaron Tate off an offensive rebound made it a one-possession game.
On Bryant's next possession, McConnell looked to pick the pocket of Ikenna Ndugba and was streaking to the basket but tripped and lost control of the ball. Bosko Kostur came up with the loose ball and was fouled. He sank both of his chances at the chalk with 56 seconds left to keep the Colonials at bay. It was part of a 7-for-8 performance by the Bulldogs in the final minute of action.
"We certainly don't do anything to help ourselves," head coach
Andrew Toole said. "We don't put any positive mojo out there. We just hope to get by. We can't do that. You have to be detailed day in and day out in order to do it when it counts. We're not consistent enough. We probably didn't deserve to win but we kept fighting. That group really gave us a spark late. Having said that, I don't know how you don't make the call late."
Still paced Robert Morris with a game-high 22 points and also added seven rebounds. Tate recorded his second double-double of the season with 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds, including nine offensive boards. McConnell also finished in double figures with 10 points for the Colonials.
Thanks to his offensive carom at the 8:36 mark of the second half, Tate joined the Robert Morris 500-Rebound Club. He became the 18th member and owns 502 career rebounds.
"Aaron is so in tune with what we're trying to accomplish and what you need to do in order to be successful," Toole said. "I wish some of our other guys would do the same thing. Aaron is an absolute warrior."
The Colonials conclude the road portion of their 2016-17 regular-season slate Saturday, Feb. 19, with a 3:30 p.m. tip against Central Connecticut State in New Britain, Conn., at Detrick Gymnasium.
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