Robert Morris will be heading to the big dance for the eighth time in program history after pulling out a tough 66-63 victory over St. Francis Brooklyn.
Robert Morris wins 2015 Northeast Conference basketball tournament
Following 40 minutes of its toughest game all postseason, Robert Morris will head back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010.
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The Colonials made their biggest run in the middle of the second half. They forced multiple turnovers and held the Terriers scoreless for nearly five minutes, going on a 16-3 run to quiet the crowd at the Pope Athletic Center in Brooklyn Heights. Robert Morris’ zone defense stifled the Terriers and allowed for the Colonials to break loose in transition for easy buckets.
The Colonials handed the No. 1 seeded Terriers their only other home loss of the season. That was a two-point win in January and the teams played to the final possession again this time around. For the majority of the contest, it was Rodney Pryor that paced Robert Morris on its way to the NCAA Tournament, making its fist appearance since 2010. Pryor had 17 points to lead the Colonials.
This marks their first conference tournament championship since 2010, but it wasn’t simple. St. Francis held Robert Morris scoreless for 3:35 of the final five minutes of the game, allowing them to inch within the lead. The run came up short, however, in part due to some missed free throws in the final seconds.
Robert Morris could now find itself as a No. 16 seed in the West starting out of Pittsburgh.
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