Donald Sims tallied 23 points to lead four players in double figures as Appalachian State University (ASU) men's basketball remained perfect at home with a slim 71-66 win against defending Northeast Conference champion Robert Morris (RMU) on Saturday, Dec. 18. The senior hauled in four rebounds and was 12-of-14 from the free throw line on the night.
The Mountaineers broke open a one-point game with 11-straight points in the second half, and held a comfortable cushion until the Colonials rallied back in the final minutes.
ASU (4-4) worked up to a 16-point lead with 6:23 remaining before the Colonials (4-6) chopped it to four points with a minute to play and got as close as 69-66 with 33 seconds on the clock.
ASU scored their final nine points of the game from the free throw line, led by four foul shots from Omar Carter. ASU was a shaky 64 percent (9-of-14) at the stripe down the stretch, but hauled in three defensive rebounds on RMU's final four missed shots to solidify the win.
Carter finished with 14 points, three rebounds and a block, and was 8-of-10 from the foul line in the contest.
ASU shot 40.8 percent in the game and sank just 3-of-16 three-point attempts, compared to 48.2 percent shooting from RMU. ASU was 28-of-40 from the free throw line, coming just one foul shot attempt shy of the season high.
Andre Williamson nearly notched a double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds to accompany an assist and a powerful block. Jeremi Booth made his third-straight start and reached 10 points for a third game in a row as he added a season-high six rebounds.
ASU was without assist-leader Mitch Woods and big man Petey Hausley due to injury, but were bolstered by Anthony Breeze, who played 22 minutes off the bench in his season debut.
Breeze provided a spark for the Mountaineers with six points and eight rebounds in his first game since transferring from Coastal Carolina following the 2008-09 campaign.
ASU won the war on the boards with a 39-29 advantage and turned 12 offensive rebounds into 17 second-chance points. RMU scored five second-chance points on five offensive boards.
Russell Johnson led the Colonial offense with 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting in 34 minutes before fouling out. He also grabbed a team-best six rebounds. Johnson was just one of several RMU players to find foul trouble as the visitors committed 28 penalties to ASU's 13.
ASU was held without an assist in the first half and dished out a season-low six in the contest. ASU was also only able to swipe two steals, though RMU turned the ball over 15 times.
The Mountaineers' brief homestand ends as the squad thaws out at the Cancun Governor's Cup next week. ASU tips off the tournament on Wednesday, Dec. 22, with an 8:30 p.m. contest against Colorado State.
