MOON TOWNSHIP, PA. ? Robert Morris' 24-3 run in the second half, which included a 16-0 spurt over a 5:37 span, helped the Colonials rally from an eight point deficit and capture a 59-44 win over Monmouth in Northeast Conference action, on Thursday night.
Monmouth falls to 3-11 on the season and 0-2 in NEC play. Robert Morris, selected second in the NEC preseason poll, improves to 9-5 overall and 1-1 in league play.
Monmouth held the league's highest-scoring offense (77.3 ppg) to 59 points, while forcing 19 turnovers.
Trailing by four points, 29-25, at the break, Monmouth opened the second half with consecutive three-pointers from Whitney Coleman and Jhamar Youngblood to grab a 31-29 lead, and pushed the edge to 35-31 on Alex Nunner's fast break layup with 15:59 left.
The Colonials answered with a 16-0 run, as Monmouth went scoreless for 6:39 and opened a 47-35 cushion with 9:23 showing. RMU increased the lead to 17 points, 55-38, with 6:39 remaining.
Monmouth enjoyed an early cushion, as the Hawks mounted an 8-0 lead at the 17:46 mark. Jhamar Youngblood and Whitney Coleman drained back-to-back three-pointers to open the scoring, and Youngblood's back door layup gave the Hawks an eight point lead.
Youngblood's step-back trey with 16:02 showing put the Hawks ahead 13-5, before the Colonials put together a 9-2 run over the next five-plus minutes to pull within 15-14.
Monmouth held a 22-19 edge with 5:46 left, when Youngblood drained his third trifecta of the half, before the Colonials rattled off a 10-3 run to end the stanza. Yaniv Simpson's trifecta was the only Hawks' basket in the run, as RMU held a 29-25 lead at the break, grabbing its first lead, 23-22, with 3:09 remaining.
Youngblood led all scorers, netting 18 points, including a career-high tying four three-pointers made. Coleman added 10 points for the Hawks. Jeremy Chappell led four Colonials in double-figures with 16 points. Tony Lee added 12 points, while both Jackson and Bateko Francisco chipped in 10 points apiece.
RMU, which outrebounded the Hawks 37-23, connected on 46.7% from the field and 12-for-12 from the foul line. Monmouth hit 32.1% from the floor and 2-for-2 from the charity stripe.
Monmouth returns to action on Saturday, January 5, when the Hawks travel to Saint Francis University for an NEC contest at 7 p.m.
