Robert Morris Rallies to Beat North Florida; Setup Showdown with Duke
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Jupiterimages/Thinkstock(DAYTON, Ohio) — Robert Morris wanted to dance a little longer.
The Colonials overcame a 13-point second half deficit to knock off North Florida 81-77 in the first-round of the Men’s NCAA Tournament Wednesday.
Robert Morris (20-14) advances to take on top-seeded Duke in second round play on Friday in Charlotte.
The Colonials had three players that scored more than 19 points in the win, including Lucky Jones, who had 21 points, seven rebounds, and five steals.
Robert Morris was able to overcome a 42-31 rebounding margin that favored North Florida by forcing the Ospreys into 19 turnovers that led to 21 points for the Colonials.
Beau Beach scored a game-high 28 points for North Florida (23-12) who were the champions of the Atlantic Sun Tournament.
Robert Morris hasn’t been in the tournament since 2010 when, as a No. 15 seed, they almost eliminated the No. 2 seed Villanova in the first round. Robert Morris lost that game 73-70 in overtime.
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