Youngstown -- Robert Morris went on an 11-2 run to close out the game and counter a 15-point run by Youngstown State in a 72-67 win on Wednesday at Beeghly Center.

The Penguins had rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit behind an intense defensive effort, but Robert Morris weathered the storm and scored the final seven points of the game to improve to 5-7. YSU, playing its last game of 2009, drops to 5-7.

Karon Abraham had 20 points to lead Robert Morris, and Russell Johnson and Dallas Green both had double-doubles. Kelvin Bright scored 14 points to lead YSU, and Sirlester Martin had 12. Ashen Ward added a career-high 11 points.

YSU outscored the Colonials 33-17 off turnovers, including 24-3 in the second half. The Penguins committed just four turnovers in the second half while the Colonials had 12. Two of those Penguins turnovers, however, came in the final 40 seconds. Robert Morris held scoring edges of 32-22 in the paint and 20-7 in second-chance points.

Robert Morris led 54-39 when YSU went on a 7-1 run to get the margin to single digits for only the second time of the half at 55-46. The Colonials rebounded to go up 60-47, and they led 61-50 on a Velton Jones free throw. That's when YSU scored 15 straight points to take a 65-61 lead on two Bright free throws with 5:22 remaining.

Bright started the run with a fast-break dunk, and he had six points during the stretch. Martin's free throw at the 4:10 mark tied the score, and he hit two more from the stripe with 3:34 remaining to give the Penguins their first lead since there were seven minutes remaining in the first half.

Dallas Green ended the drought for Robert Morris with a dunk at the 2:50 mark, and Mezie Nwigwe's layup tied the score with 2:24 left. Martin hit a jumper on YSU's next possession to put the Penguins back up 67-65, but that was the Penguins' last bucket.

Gary Wallace tied the score on RMU's next trip down the floor, and Abraham gave the Colonials the lead on a make following a steal. Another turnover gave the Colonials the ball back, and Wallace hit a free throw to make the score 70-67.

Vytas Sulskis missed a well-defended 3-point attempt with just over 10 seconds remaining, and Robert Morris was able to come up with the loose-ball rebound off of two missed free throws once the Penguins fouled. Abraham hit two free throws with six seconds left for the final margin.

The first half was a back-and-forth, physical battle through the first 15 minutes before Robert Morris scored 12 straight points en route to a 38-29 lead at the break. RMU had 10 offensive rebounds in the first 20 minutes, which it turned into an 11-0 edge in second-chance points. The teams combined for 22 turnovers in the opening period - 12 by YSU and 10 by Robert Morris.

Robert Morris led 4-0 on a four-point-play by Abraham, but YSU scored five straight points to take its first lead of the half. Neither team led by more than four until Robert Morris went up by five with four minutes left during its 12-point run.

YSU led 15-11 on two Sulskis free throws with 10:36 remaining, but Robert Morris scored the next seven points with buckets on three straight possessions to go ahead 18-15.

The Colonials held the lead until Eddie D'Haiti's fast-break lay-up at the 7:20 mark, but YSU's 21-20 advantage was short lived as Abraham hit two free throws on Robert Morris' next trip down the floor. Sulskis tied the score at 23 with 5:18 left, but Robert Morris scored 12 straight points over the next 3:30 to go ahead 35-23. During that run, RMU went 4-for-7 from the field and had four offensive boards.

Vance Cooksey scored three straight points, and Ward hit his second triple of the half to cut the deficit to six with 20 seconds left. Abraham beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer to extend RMU's lead back to 38-29 at the break.

The Penguins will host Cleveland State in their Horizon League home opener on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. It will be the second game of a doubleheader with the YSU women's basketball team.