Moon Township, Pa. – The Youngstown State men's basketball team used big runs in each half and a lockdown defensive effort enroute to a 72-58 Horizon League-opening win over Robert Morris on Wednesday night at the UPMC Events Center.

The Penguins improve to 4-5 overall and 1-0 in Horizon League play while the Colonials fall to 6-4 overall and 0-1 in the league.

Junior Juwan Maxey led the Penguins with a career-high 16 points with a career-best five 3-pointers. Junior Jason Nelson scored 13 points while Nico Galette and EJ Farmer scored 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Trailing 9-5 early in the game, the Penguins scored 11 straight points as part of a 22-4 run to take a 27-13 lead with just 4:44 left before halftime. Maxey hit two of his three first-half 3-pointers during the run, and he added his third to push give the Penguins a 30-17 lead at the 3:24 mark.

After entering the lockerroom with a 35-21 lead, the Penguins pushed the lead to 19, 43-24, keyed by 3-pointers from Maxey and Farmer.

Robert Morris trimmed the lead down to 11, 43-32, but the Penguins used a 17-6 run over a seven-minute span to take a 60-38 advantage with 5:49 to go. Galette, who scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half, paced the Penguins spurt with eight points.

The Colonials' defensive pressure helped cut the YSU lead back down to 10, 62-52, with just under three minutes remaining, but Youngstown State answered with another 8-0 to seal the game.

Youngstown State shot 50 percent (14-for-28) from the field in the second half, and the Penguins limiting the Colonials to just 34.5 percent for the game and out-rebounded RMU, 39-36.

Youngstown State hosts Oakland Saturday, Dec. 7, at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.