Kent, Ohio – The
Robert Morris University men's basketball team christened its 2018-19 season with an exhibition game at Kent State Sunday afternoon in a game that benefited hurricane relief efforts, with the host Golden Flashes posting an 89-62 victory over the Colonials at the M.A.C Center.
RMU controlled the opening 10 minutes of the contest, with junior forward
Yannis Mendy converting in the paint to spark a 7-0 run that gave the Colonials a 10-5 advantage. Junior guard
Sayveon McEwen connected from beyond the arc, while sophomore forward
Koby Thomas converted a fastbreak layup in the paint.
The Golden Flashes trimmed their deficit to 10-9 after a layup from Mitch Peterson and a pair of free throws by Antonio Williams, but a 7-2 spurt opened up a 17-11 lead for Robert Morris with 11:31 to go before the break. Sophomore guard
Jon Williams scored four points during the run.
Kent State responded by scoring the next 10 points of the contest to grab a 21-17 lead. Three-pointers from CJ Williamson and Jalen Avery were the difference, as the Golden Flashes shot 8-for-21 (38.1%) from deep against the Colonials. Robert Morris hit just five of its 22 attempts (22.7%) from beyond the arc.
Thomas helped RMU pull to within 24-23 with 3:39 left before the break by converting one of his two attempts at the free-throw line after a Kain Harris foul, but KSU used a 13-5 run to grab a 37-28 advantage at halftime.
Kent State shot 55.9 percent (19-for-34) from the field in the second half, turning a nine-point advantage at the break into a 52-30 lead with 15:41 to play. Avery hit a pair of three-pointers during the surge, while the Golden Flashes also got jumpers from Anthony Roberts as well as a fast break layup from DeAndre Gholston.
Robert Morris was led by
Jon Williams, who finished with 14 points, five assists and a steal against just one turnover. Thomas chipped in 12 points, five rebounds, a block and a steal off the bench.
All five Golden Flashes that were members of the starting lineup scored in double figures, led by Avery and Antonio Williams, who each finished with 16. Kent State owned a 44-25 advantage on the glass, including a 14-7 edge in offensive rebounds, and finished 21-for-29 (72.4%) at the free-throw line.
Robert Morris continues practice before officially opening its 2018-19 regular season Tuesday, Nov. 6, at USC in Los Angeles, Calif. The season-opening contest against the Trojans is part of the 2018 National College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic.
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