MOON TOWNSHIP, PA. - In a game that featured five ties and five lead changes in the first half alone, Robert Morris' 19-5 run to open the second half, powered the Colonials to a 78-67 victory over Monmouth in Northeast Conference action, snapping the Hawks' five-game win streak.
Despite Travis Taylor's seventh career double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds, the loss dropped the Hawks to 8-10 overall and 4-2 in the league, while the Colonials improve to 10-8 and 5-1.
"In the three phases of defense - transition, guarding the ball and rebounding - only rebounding was even tonight," stated head coach Dave Calloway. "They were better than us in the other two."
Ed Waite, who scored Monmouth's first seven points, gave the Hawks a 7-5 edge with 17:14 remaining on a pair of free throws, while Taylor's follow-slam in transition pushed the lead to 9-5. After the Colonials pulled within 9-7, Will Campbell's three-pointer and hoops from both Waite and Taylor gave the Hawks a 16-9 cushion with 13:58 on the clock.
Following two Campbell foul shots, which gave Monmouth an 18-11 lead, consecutive baskets from Russell Johnson trimmed the lead to 18-15 with 11:13 showing.
With Monmouth leading 22-17 on Whitney Coleman's jumper, the Colonials recorded a 9-0 run to grab a 26-22 lead with 7:14 remaining.
The Hawks responded with a quick 5-0 spurt, as James Hett provided all the scoring including a corner three-pointer, to reclaim the lead for the Blue and White, 27-26, with 5:38 left until the break.
After Karon Abraham's trey put the Colonials in front 29-27 on the next trip down the floor, Taylor's dunk off a feed from Hett, knotted the game at 29-29, at 3:58.
In the final 3:26 of the stanza, a pair of free throws from both Campbell and Dutch Gaitley secured a 33-31 edge at the intermission.
Abraham led the Colonials' charge out of the locker room, posting the first seven points, lifting RMU to a 38-33 lead at 18:22, before Justin Sofman's three-pointer stopped the run, making the score 38-36 with 17:55 left in the in the contest.
After a pair of Waite foul shots pulled the Hawks within 40-38, RMU increased its run to 19-5 and take a 50-38 lead with 13:57 remaining, before Gaitley's offensive rebound and putback ended a 10-0 spurt and make the score 50-40 at 13:30.
Monmouth trimmed the RMU advantage to 50-43 on Taylor's three-point play, but the Colonials scored the next five points to reclaim a double-digit lead, 55-43 with 10:55 remaining.
Waite's drive, and Campbell's layup off a turnover pulled the Hawks within 55-47, but RMU claimed its largest lead 60-47 on Johnson's three-pointer with 9:00 on the clock.
Behind three straight baskets from Taylor, Monmouth trimmed the cushion to 61-53 with 5:47 left, but Abraham's five straight points pushed the lead back to 66-53, with just over five minutes to play.
Following two foul shots each from Nick DelTufo and Campbell, Taylor's tip-in pulled Monmouth within 71-62 with 1:07 on the clock, while a Coleman trifecta made the score 73-65 with 52 ticks remaining.
In the game, which featured 49 total fouls, including 32 in the second half alone, the Hawks hit 18-of-20 from the line, while the Colonials went 20-for-32.
Waite added 13 points for the Hawks, while Campbell chipped in 11.
Monmouth returns to action on Thursday, January 21, when the Hawks host Saint Francis University in Northeast Conference play at 7:30 p.m.
