Robert Morris Cruises Past Thiel, 107-47, in 2004-05 Home Opener
 
The Robert Morris University men’s basketball team ran its record to 25-4 all-time in home openers Monday night with a 107-47 victory over Division III Thiel at the Charles L. Sewall Center. The win improves the Colonials to 2-3 overall on the 2004-05 campaign, while the Tomcats fell to 1-3. The 60-point win is the largest margin of victory by RMU in its 29-year Division I history, eclipsing a 96-41 defeat of Carnegie Mellon Nov. 30, 1999.

Thiel jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the first four minutes of action as Daryl Moore hit a jumper for the Tomcats, Percy Sweeting added a layup and Joe Herrmann hit a three-pointer. Robert Morris responded with a 43-12 run over the rest of the first half to take a 46-19 lead into halftime. The Colonials used the press to force Thiel into 20 first-half turnovers, helping Robert Morris take the big advantage.

In the first half senior forward Chaz McCrommon (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Schenley) scored 14 points and senior guard Maurice Carter (Richmond, Va. / Eleanor Roosevelt-Md.) added 12, while freshman guard Tony Lee (Boston, Mass. / Charlestown) came off the bench to score nine points and grab seven rebounds for the Colonials.

The Tomcats scored the first six points of the second half to cut the RMU lead to 46-25, but the Colonials would use a 35-7 spurt to up their lead to 81-32 with 9:37 to play. Robert Morris would hold its largest lead of the game, 105-41, with 1:52 to play after a dunk by senior guard Christopher Gooden (Houston, Texas / Eastfield J.C.).

McCrommon and Carter paced the Colonials with 21 points each, while McCrommon finished with nine rebounds and Carter nine assists. Lee recorded the first double-double of his career with 16 points and 13 rebounds off the bench for RMU, while freshman forward Beau Gibb (Oxford, Miss. / The Hill School-Pa.) added 16 points, seven rebounds, four steals and two assists in his first career start. Gooden added 13 points off the bench for Colonials and added two assists and two steals.

The 107 points by Robert Morris is the first time the Colonials have hit the century mark since a 129-100 loss to Long Island at the Sewall Center Feb. 3, 1997. It’s also the first time RMU scored 100 points and won since a 103-94 win over Long Island Feb. 29, 1992 in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Robert Morris also set a Sewall Center record with 21 steals in the victory over Thiel, while the 32 turnovers by the Tomcats ties the Sewall Center record originally set by Wagner Dec. 10, 1998.

Thiel was paced by Moore, who scored 11 points and added six rebounds, while Sweeting scored nine points and added a team-high seven rebounds and Henry Passerrello finished with six assists.

The Colonials continue their 2004-05 campaign Saturday, Dec. 4, when they welcome Quinnipiac to the Sewall Center for a 7:30 p.m. in the Northeast Conference opener for both clubs.

 
Released: 11/29/2004