March 21, 2008

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - No. 8 seed Robert Morris College (Ill.) opened with a 14-1 run and never looked back to post an 80-64 win against unseeded Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.) Friday in the second round of the 2008 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship at Municipal Auditorium.

Senior forward Othyus Jeffers recorded a tournament-high 31 points in leading the Eagles to their fourth straight NAIA Tournament quarterfinal berth. Jeffers was 17-of-18 from the free throw line and added 11 rebounds as Robert Morris moved to 28-3 on the year. The Eagles will square off with top-seeded Georgetown College (Ky.) Saturday at 6 p.m. CST in the national quarterfinals. Robert Morris and Georgetown last met at the NAIA Tournament in the 2005 quarterfinals, when the Eagles defeated the Tigers, 99-87.

Robert Morris took control in the first five minutes of play with its 14-1 burst. Junior guard Andre White hit a pair of three-pointers during the run, and the Eagles held the Sea Lions without a field goal for nearly five minutes. Point Loma Nazarene rallied near the end of the first half and pulled within 39-37 on a free throw by junior center Craig Austin with 17 seconds remaining in the period. But Jeffers made a shot in the lane on the final possession of the half that sent Robert Morris to the locker room with a 41-37 lead at the intermission.

A 12-2 run to start the second half extended the Eagles' lead to 53-39. Point Loma Nazarene managed to battle back once again and came within four points, but Robert Morris put the game out of reach with 16 consecutive points to grab an 80-62 lead with less than two minutes remaining.

White finished with 15 points, while junior guard Terry Dunlap connected for 14 points and dished out a game-high eight assists for Robert Morris. As a team, the Eagles went 22-of-26 from the free throw line. Robert Morris also forced 22 turnovers by the Sea Lions.

Austin notched a double-double for Point Loma Nazarene with 21 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Senior guard Josh Sanderson added 13 points and a team-leading five assists, while junior forward Brian Ormon posted 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Sea Lions ended their season with an overall record of 24-10.