Robert Morris men's basketball grinds out win vs. Central Conn. St.

It wasn’t the cakewalk Saturday that Robert Morris might have anticipated.

Facing an opponent with an NCAA Net Ranking of 349 out of 353 Division I schools, Robert Morris survived its second meeting with Central Connecticut State for a 64-57 victory at UPMC Events Center, the Colonials’ third in a row and fourth in the past five games.

AJ Bramah scored 11 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season and third in a row, and Yannis Mendy also scored 11 points to lead Robert Morris (12-11, 8-2 Northeast Conference), which went over the .500 mark for the first time this season.

“You’ve always got to expect it to be hard,” Robert Morris coach Andy Toole said, “and if you get surprised that it isn’t, thank your lucky stars (for a victory) and get ready for the next battle.”

The second-place Colonials remained a game behind NEC leader Merrimack, which beat Long Island, 70-59.

Jamir Reed led Central Connecticut (2-22, 1-10) with 19 points and nine rebounds. The Blue Devils, coached by former Connecticut star Donyell Marshall, has one win against a Division I opponent, beating Wagner last week.

Yet, Robert Morris seemed to struggle against the Blue Devils for much of the game before finally taking control.

“It’s conference play, and you can’t take any team lightly,” Bramah said. “They came out with a lot of aggression. They’re an aggressive and physical team.”

Toole said the Colonials were fortunate to win and singled out his players’ defensive effort as a key to the outcome.

“Central Connecticut battles you every night,” he said. “They play fearlessly with a looseness and a freedom, and that’s dangerous for opposing teams. I wasn’t surprised the way the game went. Donyell Marshall and his staff have done a good job. A lot of those guys are young guys. They’re continuing to build for their future. Some of those guys are freshmen. They’re learning on the job.”

Central Connecticut was coming off an 84-77 loss at St. Francis (Pa.) on Thursday in a game the Blue Devils led at halftime by 20 points.

Robert Morris, which held on for an 89-78 decision at Central Connecticut on Jan. 2, erased a five-point, second-half deficit in its latest victory.

Central Connecticut carried a 26-25 lead into halftime after Ola Olamuyiwa’s buzzer-beating reverse layup, and Robert Morris opened up a 41-35 lead with an 11-0 run early in the second half.

But not before Central Connecticut had taken a 35-30 lead at the start.

Siblings Josh and Jon Williams connected on back-to-back 3-pointers during the Colonials flurry. It was the only points for Josh Williams, the team’s leading scorer (14.4 ppg), who was held to 1-of-7 shooting.

“I thought he got some good looks,” Toole said. “He’s tireless in his work and his approach. We’ll go back and watch film, and he’ll make the adjustments.”

Central Connecticut didn’t wilt and regained a 42-41 advantage on Reed’s 3-pointer with 11 minutes, 53 seconds left.

Sayveon McEwen’s 3-pointer nine seconds later put Robert Morris back in front, and the Colonials held on for the win.

“We started the game with good energy and effort on the offensive and defensive side,” Toole said. “But if you exhale a little bit and you expect them not to continue to battle, that’s a mistake.”

The first half featured six lead changes after Robert Morris jumped in front 10-2. But the Colonials made 1 of 12 3-pointers in the first half and found themselves trailing at halftime.

“In the second half, we found some more rhythm and energy to our offense,” Toole said. “Our guys’ attention to detail improved offensively, and usually when you do that, you get higher-percentage shots, and we have enough guys that can make them.”

Junior Jon Williams established a Robert Morris record for consecutive starts with 91. He finished with nine points and five assists.

“He hit some big shots to start the second half,” Toole said. “You can’t leave him alone.”

Seven of eight Robert Morris players scored at least five points. The Colonials registered assists on 17 of 21 field goals.

“Good teams have multiple guys that complement each other, and they’re able to play off each other well,” Toole said. “If we’re going to do anything as we head down the final eight games, that’s the way we’ve got to do it. That’s our recipe for success.”

Robert Morris goes to Wagner on Thursday for the start of a three-game road trip that also includes trips Saturday to Sacred Heart and Feb. 13 to Mount St. Mary’s before returning home Feb. 15 to play Fairleigh Dickinson.