Robert Morris pushes past Bulldogs, 72-59

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – Junior SaBastian Townes (Chesapeake, Va.) and freshman Joe Kasperzyk (New Haven, Conn.) scored 14 points each and redshirt-senior Byron Hawkins (Fort Washington, Md.) added 13, but a late charge lifted Robert Morris past the Bryant University men's basketball team, 72-59, Thursday night at the North Athletic Complex.

GAME INFORMATION
Robert Morris 72, Bryant 59
Records: Bryant (8-14, 5-6 NEC), Robert Morris (13-11, 8-3 NEC)
Location: North Athletic Complex (Moon Township, Pa.)

KEY MOMENTS

• An 8-0 run midway through the first half opened up a nine-point advantage at 16-7.
• Robert Morris used a 12-0 run to pull ahead by eight at 55-47 with six minutes remaining in the contest.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• A pair of Hawkins three-pointers, with the second banked in at the shot clock buzzer, put Bryant ahead 6-0 to open the game.
• An 8-0 run with a three from junior Adam Grant (Franklin, Va.) and five points from Kasperzyk pushed the lead to 16-7 midway through the first half.
• Robert Morris cut the Bryant lead to 20-18, but a three-point play from junior Juan Cardenas (Medellin, Colombia) and layup by freshman Nino Hernandez (Gardner, Mass.) opened up a seven-point advantage with 3:26 to play in the half.
• Bryant took a 31-24 lead into the locker room, holding RMU to 8-for-28 (28.6 percent) from the field in the opening half.
• After cutting the Bryant lead to one earlier in the half, Robert Morris took its first lead with 10:52 to play at 43-41.
• A 12-0 Colonials run gave RMU its largest lead of the night at 55-47, prompting a Bulldog timeout with 6:05 to play.
• RMU extended its lead to 60-48 before five straight points from Kasperzyk cut the lead to seven with 3:10 remaining.
• Bryant would trim the deficit to eight twice in the closing minutes before RMU finished off the game at the free throw line.

STATS

• Townes scored all 14 of his points in the second half.
• Kasperzyk tallied eight of his 14 points at the free throw line and added three steals and a block.
• Hawkins was 3-for-6 from beyond the arc to aid in his 13-point performance.
• Cardenas added eight points and six rebounds, all in the first half.
• Bryant shot 39.1 percent (9-for-23) in both halves, while Robert Morris shot 28.6 percent in the first half and 63.3 percent out of the break for a 46.6 percent mark on the night.
• The Colonials outrebounded the Bulldogs, 43-26.

GAME NOTES

• Grant moved to within 17 points of Frankie Dobbs for third in Bryant's Division I era in scoring.
• Bryant dropped to 4-16 all-time against Robert Morris.
• Thursday's game was the first Bryant played at the North Athletic Complex, which is serving as Robert Morris' home during construction of its new arena.
  

UP NEXT
Bryant closes out the weekend trip to Pennsylvania Saturday at Saint Francis U. The 7 p.m. tip in Loretto can be seen on NEC Front Row.

Tickets for home games at the Chace Athletic Center are available by clicking HERE or calling (401) 319-TIXX.

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