'Frustrating' home loss to Purdue Fort Wayne for Robert Morris

Jalon Pipkins scored 18 points to lead four Purdue Fort Wayne players in double figures, and the Mastodons beat Robert Morris, 76-70, Sunday at UPMC Events Center, handing the men’s basketball team their fourth consecutive and third Horizon League single-digit setback in a row.

Robert Morris (2-13, 0-6) dropped a four-point decision to Youngstown State on Wednesday and a one-point outcome to Cleveland State on Friday.

Four of the Colonials’ six league losses have come by less than nine points.

“Again, another frustrating game, man,” Robert Morris coach Andy Toole said. “I didn’t think we had the defensive energy at the beginning that we needed or the game asked us to bring. We just weren’t as engaged as we needed to be on both sides of the ball in the first half. I thought we fought in the second half and scrapped our way back into the game, but we weren’t ready at the start. That cost us, for sure.”

Purdue Fort Wayne made eight consecutive free throws in the final 1 minute, 27 seconds to seal the victory.

“There were some slow minds on both sides of the ball, whether it was moving on the flight of the ball or quick decisions on the offensive side of the ball, and it certainly cost us at the end,” Toole said.

Bobby Planutis added 16 points, Jarred Godfrey 15 and RA Kpdei 13 for Purdue Fort Wayne (7-7, 3-3).

Robert Morris trailed at halftime, 39-30, but drew within 65-63 on two free throws by Enoch Cheeks with 2:14 left.

Planutis then scored the next five points to give Purdue Fort Wayne a 70-63 lead and the Mastodons held on to win.

Michael Green III led Robert Morris with 20 points. Cheeks and Kahliel Speers added 13 each for the Colonials, whose season-long, five-game homestand continues on Thursday against Wright State.