Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. – The
Robert Morris University men's basketball team wrapped up a four-game road trip Saturday by sprinting to a 78-54 victory over St. Francis Brooklyn at the Pope P.E. Center.
RMU took control in the contest with a 20-5 run late in the first half that featured a balanced attack offensively, as six different Colonials scored.
Rasheem Dunn had given the Terriers (4-21, 2-10 NEC) a 21-20 advantage at the 6:28 mark of the first half after picking the pocket of sophomore guard
Isaiah Still and racing down court to convert a fastbreak layup. Dunn was fouled in the act by senior guard
Kavon Stewart, and he converted the three-point play to give SFC a one-point lead.
Robert Morris responded on its next possession, with Stewart driving into the lane and converting a layup. The bucket ignited RMU's surge that featured layups from freshman forward
Braden Burke and Still as well as three-pointers from sophomore guard
Matty McConnell and freshman guard
Dachon Burke.
Freshman guard
Clive Allen contributed an old-fashioned three-point play, while redshirt senior forward
Aaron Tate went 1-for-2 at the stripe. The Colonials eventually entered halftime with a 44-31 advantage.
St. Francis Brooklyn trimmed RMU's lead to 47-39 in the first four minutes of the second half, but the Colonials stiffened on defense, allowing just one field goal over a 10 and-a-half minute span. In the process Robert Morris stretched its lead to its largest of the game, 71-43, after junior guard
Lorenzen Wright, Jr., converted a pair at the free-throw line.
"I thought we probably put forth our best defensive effort of the season tonight," head coach
Andrew Toole said. "We were extremely active on defense, and we also took care of the glass. One of the big keys of the game coming in was we wanted to limit their second-chance points. We were able to accomplish that."
Robert Morris held St. Francis Brooklyn to just 24 percent (6-for-25) shooting in the second half, including 1-for-11 (9.1 percent) from beyond the arc. Overall the Terriers shot 29.1 percent (16-for-55) from the field and 12 percent (3-for-25) from deep.
It marks the best defensive effort by RMU since holding Mount St. Mary's to just 25 percent (13-for-52) shooting in a 70-45 victory at the Charles L. Sewall Center Jan. 3, 2015.
"I told our guys in the locker room after the game that this is where we have to stay," Toole said. "We're learning what it takes to play well. If we continue to stay locked in on the defensive end, then success is going to follow."
Still paced the Colonials with his first career double-double, finishing with 18 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. He shot 5-for-10 from the field and 8-for-12 at the free-throw line.
Dachon Burke added 14 points and five rebounds, while McConnell contributed 10 points.
Dunn paced St. Francis Brooklyn with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Glenn Sanabria finished with 12 points.
Robert Morris returns home to the Sewall Center for its next two games, beginning Thursday, Feb. 9, with a 7:00 p.m. tip against Mount St. Mary's.
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