Home at last, Colonials crush Knights
By David Golebiewski | Thu, 01/13/2011 - 23:08
Robert Morris 83 - Fairleigh Dickinson 65
Charles L. Sewall Center, Coraopolis, PA
Following a six-game road trip through North Carolina, Arizona, Maryland (twice), Ohio and New York, the Robert Morris Colonials donned home whites at the Sewall Center Thursday night for the first time in over a month. Karon Abraham wasted little time testing the Chuck's brand new score board, showing deadly accuracy from three-point range as RMU downed Fairleigh Dickinson 83-65 to stay unbeaten at home.
Abraham scored a game-high 24 points for the Colonials (7-9, 3-2 Northeast Conference), drilling six of seven three-point attempts. The sophomore guard, who served a four-game suspension earlier this season for a violation of team rules related to a DUI incident, also went four-for-four from the foul line and blocked two shots.
Fairleigh Dickinson (3-11, 2-3 NEC) got 23 points from Terence Grier, including four makes from beyond the arc. However, Grier and Briahn Smith, who added 11, were the only Knights to net double-digit scoring efforts. Mike Scott, the team's leading scorer this year, was limited to nine points and turned the ball over six times against RMU. While the Knights shot 10-for-19 on three-pointers, they had trouble converting opportunities closer to the basket. Overall, Fairleigh Dickinson made 21 of 54 shots (38.9 percent).
RMU, meanwhile improved to 4-0 at home by shooting 28-of-55 (50.9 percent) from the field and making free throw attempts count. The Colonials made 18 out of 22 freebies, good for an 81.8 percent success rate that bested the Knights' 13-for-21 (61.9 percent) showing. Velton Jones made just 2 of 8 shots on the night, but he added seven from the line to finish with 12 points. Lijah Thompson also scored in double figures with 10 points, while Russell Johnson just missed a double-double with nine points and boards apiece.
The Colonials' bench played a prominent role in the win, as Coron Williams, Yann Charles, Gary Wallace and Lawrence Bridges combined for 23 points. By contrast, the Knights received 9 points from their non-starters.
TEAM STATS
FG%: RMU 50.9, FDU 38.9
FT%: RMU 81.8, FDU 61.9
3-PT: RMU 47.4, FDU 52.6
RBS: RMU 32, FDU 25
LEADERS
Scoring: RMU- Abraham 24; FDU- Grier 23
Rebounds: RMU- Johnson 9; FDU- Galvin 9
Assists: RMU- Myers 5; FDU- FDU- Scott 4
Blocks: RMU- Abraham 2; FDU- Smith 1
NEXT UP
RMU plays its second of four straight home games on Saturday, hosting Monmouth at 7 p.m. The Knights will try to snap an eight-game losing streak while taking on the St. Francis (PA) Red Flash during a 7 p.m road game Saturday.
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