MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. –Monmouth University dropped a 69-51 decision at Robert Morris University in Northeast Conference men's basketball action, on Saturday night, in the Sewall Center. With the loss, Monmouth's fifth straight in league play dating back to last season, the Hawks fall to 0-8 on the year, and 0-2 in the league. Robert Morris improves to 6-2 overall, and 2-0 in NEC action.

In a game that featured a 56 fouls and 58 free throw attempts, the Hawks were led by a career-high 13-poiint effort from Dion Nesmith, who went 8-for-10 from the foul line.

The Hawks, who went 21-of-27 from the line, connected on 35.9% from the field, while the Colonials hit 48.9% from the floor and 22-of-31 from the stripe.

After Mike Myers Keitt's lay-up off a feed from Jesse Steele made the game 3-2 at 17:52, Robert Morris went on a 10-2 run to grab a 13-4 edge following a pair of Lucky Jones free throws with 14:31 showing. Austin Tillotson's short jumper stopped an RMU 6-0 spurt, but the Colonials answered with a 12-0 streak, and completed an 18-2 run on Keith Armstrong's drive at 10:31 to take a 25-6 lead.

Monmouth's 10-4 run, in which Nesmith contributed six points, and Max DiLeo added a traditional three-point play, pulled the Hawks within 36-23 with 2:45 showing on the clock, but the Colonials ended the stanza on a 7-2 spurt, capped by Anthony Myers' offensive putback as time expired, to hold a 43-25 edge at the intermission.

The Hawks opened the second half with the first five points, as Andrew Nicholas drilled a three-pointer to start things for MU, and after six straight from Steele, the Blue and White climbed within 45-34 with 17:42 remaining.

RMU stopped the Hawks' run with the next six points, to retake a 17-point advantage, 51-34, with 14:14 left.

Monmouth climbed within 55-41 when Dion Nesmith drilled a three-pointer in front of the Hawks' bench with 10:15 on the board.

Despite holding RMU to just five free throws over nearly a three-minute span, the Hawks fell behind 62-42 on an Armstrong putback, with 6:42 left.

The Blue and White netted the next six points, on a Myers Keitt jumper, three free throws from Nesmith and a fourth foul shot from Tillotson, to make the tally 62-48, with 4:42 showing.

Monmouth kept RMU scoreless for 3:30 before the Colonials connected with two Myers' free throws and a Myers' drive at 2:39, to make the score 66-48.

The Colonials put four players in double-figures, led by Jones' game-high 15 points.

Steele added 11 points, four assists and two steals for MU.

Monmouth returns to action on Tuesday, December 6 when the Hawks travel to Annapolis, Maryland for a non-conference game at Navy, at 7:00 p.m.