Moon Township, Pa. - Freshman guard Karon Abraham (Paterson, N.J. / Harp Academy) of the Robert Morris University men's basketball team was tabbed the Choice Hotels Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week for the fourth time this season, the league announced Monday.
It marks the fourth straight league rookie honor overall for Robert Morris, as well, as Abraham earned the honor Jan. 18, 2010, followed by redshirt freshman forward Russell Johnson (Chester, Pa. / Chester) Jan. 25, 2010, and redshirt freshman guard Velton Jones (Philadelphia, Pa. / Northeast Catholic) last week.
Abraham led the Colonials to a pair of wins over Saint Francis (Pa.) as part of the NEC's "Rivalry Week" that pushed RMU's winning streak to nine by averaging 13.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 57.1 percent (8-for-14) from the field, including 55.6 percent (5-for-9) from beyond the arc, and 85.7 percent (6-for-7) from the free-throw line.
In RMU's sixth straight victory over the Red Flash at DeGol Arena (2/4/10) in Loretto, Pa., a school record for consecutive wins on a conference opponent's home court, Abraham led the Colonials with 13 points while grabbing three rebounds and recording a block. Robert Morris closed the game on a 15-4 run to earn the victory, with Abraham scoring seven points to lead the way.
The Colonials concluded "Rivalry Week" with a 75-63 win over Saint Francis (Pa.) at the Charles L. Sewall Center (2/6/10), with Abraham scoring 10 of his team-high 14 points in the first half as RMU jumped out to a 43-32 halftime edge. He also added three rebounds, two assists and a steal in the victory.
By finishing 3-for-4 from beyond the arc against the Red Flash at the Sewall Center, Abraham pushed his season total in three-pointers to 56, tying an RMU freshman record. Former guard Bubba Donnelly (1991-95) originally established the mark in 1991-92.
On the 2009-10 campaign Abraham leads the Colonials in scoring with a 12.9 points per game average and leads the NEC in free-throw percentage (.880 percent) while ranking second in the conference in three-point field goal percentage (.459).
Since Abraham was inserted into the starting lineup in a 73-67 win at Youngstown State (12/30/09), the Colonials own a record of 12-1 (.923), with the 5'9" guard averaging 15.2 points per contest over that span while shooting 48.5 percent (33-for-68) from long range and 87 percent (60-for-69) from the charity stripe.
Robert Morris, led by third-year head coach Mike Rice, opens a three-game road trip Monday night by concluding the non-conference portion of its 2009-10 regular-season schedule with an 8:00 p.m. tip against Pittsburgh at the Petersen Events Center.
