Pittsburgh, Pa. – Wagner shot 64 percent (16-for-25) from the field in the second half, including 54.5 percent (6-for-11) from beyond the arc, and erased a 10-point halftime deficit to earn a 77-64 win over the
Robert Morris University men's basketball team Sunday at PPG Paints Arena.
The Colonials owned a 42-32 advantage at the break after shooting 60 percent (15-for-25) from the field in the first 20 minutes of action, but the Seahawks scored the first 10 points of the second half to tie the game, 42-42. Blake Francis nailed a pair of three-pointers, while Shack Scott converted a pair of baskets in the paint.
Junior guard
Matty McConnell stemmed the tide and gave RMU (13-10, 7-3 NEC) the lead back, 51-48, with a three-pointer, but Francis answered with his own triple to again tie the score. McConnell missed from deep on the next possession for Robert Morris, and Francis continued his hot shooting, burying his fourth triple in the first five minutes of the half to give Wagner a 48-45 lead.
The hot shooting from downtown continued, as McConnell again hit a three-pointer to tie the game for the final time, 48-48.
The Seahawks (15-6, 8-2 NEC) responded with an 11-0 run to open up a 59-48 cushion with 9:03 remaining. AJ Sumbry converted in the lane to ignite the surge and contributed five points, while Francis capped it with a jumper.
Freshman guard
Leondre Washington snapped RMU's offensive drought with a three-pointer with 7:28 to go, which pulled the Colonials to within 59-51. Romone Saunders answered with a triple of his own to get the lead back to double digits for Wagner, 62-51.
"A tale of two halves," head coach
Andrew Toole said. "I thought we managed the game and played really well in the first half. We had poise and urgency. Give credit to Wagner. They played a tremendous second half. We weren't able to sustain 40 minutes of the way you need to play in order to beat a team like that."
Robert Morris made one last charge, closing to within 65-57 with four and-a-half minutes left on a 5-0 spurt that featured a three-pointer from Washington and a layup from graduate transfer
Ronnie Gombe.
JoJo Cooper would snuff out the comeback, however, with a jumper in the lane to again give the Seahawks a double-digit lead, 67-57.
In the first half, RMU built a 16-8 lead at the 12:59 mark courtesy of an 8-0 surge that featured a pair of three-pointers from Washington and a jumper by sophomore guard
Dachon Burke. The Colonials had their first double-digit lead, 26-16, with 6:25 left before halftime after another triple from Washington.
The Seahawks trimmed their deficit to 33-31 with their own 8-0 run, but Robert Morris was able to get its lead back to 10 at the break courtesy of a dunk and two free throws from freshman forward
Koby Thomas and a jumper in the lane from Washington.
Francis scored 17 of his game-high 21 points in the second half, going 5-for-7 from deep after the break. Cooper added 17 points and nine assists for Wagner, while Scott scored 10.
Washington paced Robert Morris with a career-high 20 points, finishing 7-for-12 from the floor, including 5-for-7 from beyond the arc. McConnell added 19 points, nine rebounds and four steals.
The Colonials continue a four-game homestand at PPG Paints Arena Thursday, Feb. 1, with a 7:00 p.m. tip against Mount St. Mary's.
Follow The Colonials: Twitter | Instagram
