MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – Sixth-seeded Monmouth University dropped its Northeast Conference Tournament Quarterfinal matchup at No. 3 seed Robert Morris University, 87-68, on Thursday night in the Sewall Center. Monmouth, looking to become the first six-seed to upend a three-seed since 2005, ends its season at 12-20 overall.

Robert Morris, which hit 16-of-29 from three-point range, advances to the NEC Semifinals to face No. 2 Wagner, while the Hawks were led offensively by junior Ed Waite, who registered 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Monmouth, which hit just 3-of-19 from long range, surrendered 14 offensive rebounds to the Colonials, which led to 22 second chance points for RMU.

Joining Waite in double-digits for MU were Jesse Steele, who had 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals, and Mike Myers Keitt, who chipped in 10 points.

RMU's Coron Williams, who connected on 8-for-11 from three-point range, notched a game-high 25 points, while Lucky Jones added 16 points off the bench. Velton Jones (10 assists) and Anthony Myers added 12 points each for the Colonials.

“I am very proud of our kids,” stated head coach King Rice. “This is a very special group and our seniors did an excellent job of leading them. I am proud of the Monmouth fans, the whole community for being a part of what we tried to do this year. Tonight was a tough one. Robert Morris was hot. I thought we came in with a great game plan to get this win, but tonight they just outplayed us. Tonight we got beat by a better team, but I can't say enough about our team, and our kids, and the way they battled. The way they fought through adversity the whole year. It makes you proud to be a coach and I'm thankful that they allowed me to coach them for this year, especially down to the wire tonight.”

The Colonials raced out to an 11-1 lead as RMU connected on a pair of four-point plays from Velton Jones, while Coron Williams trifecta put Robert Morris ahead by double-figures with 16:33 showing.

Monmouth answered with a 7-0 spurt in 1:08, which was ignited by Myers Keitt's three-pointer, and later trailed 16-15 following Will Campbell's free throw at 12:29. The Hawks reclaimed the lead at 11:33, 17-16, on Campbell's drive, but the Colonials responded with a 12-2 run over a 3:37 span to coral a 28-19 advantage with 7:23 left.

Trailing by nine, the Hawks answered with an 11-3 spurt, capped by Waite's dunk and free throw at 3:04, to trim the deficit to 31-30. Not to be outdone, RMU retaliated with an 11-2 streak over 1:50, including nine straight from Lucky Jones, to push its advantage to 42-32 with 1:14 showing.

Jones, who scored the final 11 points of the stanza for the Colonials, put RMU in front 44-34 on his basket with 32 seconds left, but Steele's drive and floater as time expired, allowed the Hawks to climb within 44-36 at the intermission.

The Colonials pushed their lead to 12 twice in the opening 2:10 of the second half, but the Hawks climbed within 53-48 on Myers Keitt's lay-in off a feed from Steele with 15:04 left. RMU followed by hitting its next three three-pointers, including a pair from Anthony Myers, to go ahead 62-50 with 13:18 showing.

RMU inflated its run to 15-2 to nearly six minutes of play, to grab a 68-50 lead, before Marcus Ware's three-point play halted the 6:03 scoreless drought for MU, making the tally 68-53, with 8:19 left.

RMU, which led by 22, 77-55, with 6:35 left, on Williams' eighth trey, held a 85-65 lead with 2:18 remaining until Andrew Nicholas' corner three-pointer made the score 85-68, with 2:07 left.

Ware added nine points for the Hawks, going 5-for-5 from the foul line, while Campbell contributed eight points.