Final Score: (25) Pittsburgh 77, Robert Morris 53

Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Ashton Gibbs scored a game-high 20 points, and 25th-ranked Pittsburgh crushed non-conference foe Robert Morris, 77-53, at Petersen Events Center.

Jermaine Dixon added 18 points for the Panthers (18-6), who had lost four of six and resume conference play on Friday against rival West Virginia. Brad Wanamaker had 12 points and 10 rebounds in the win for Pitt, which is a perfect 28-0 against Robert Morris in its history.

"They had a great first half, they came out and made shots and I think that we were surprised with the quickness of their guards and with their ability to shoot," Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. "Being a Big East team, we typically don't see too many small guards, but we got better as the game went on. We moved the ball better and played better defensively in the second half. We held them to 25 percent shooting."

Karon Abraham led the Colonials (16-9) with 16 points, but Robert Morris' nine-game win streak came to a screeching halt. Russell Johnson added 11 points, while Velton Jones and Mezie Nwigwe had 10 each in the setback.

"We were competition for them, but we physically weren't able to stick with them the whole 40 minutes," Robert Morris coach Mike Rice said. "Our team is tough though. We have to score points in the paint, and they did a good job of containing us. We had trouble shooting in the paint."

The Colonials held an early 16-11 lead after a Jones three, but Gibbs quickly tied the game at 21-all on a triple with nine minutes to go, and a long distance shot from Dixon gave Pittsburgh a 30-26 edge moments later.

Robert Morris fought back to tie the game, 32-32, on another Jones three, but Pittsburgh scored seven of the half's final eight points, and a Gilbert Brown layup made it 39-33 at halftime in favor of the Panthers.

The hosts then scored the first eight points of the second half, with Dixon's jumper providing a 14-point lead for Pittsburgh. A Wanamaker layup with just under 13 minutes left increased the margin to 57-37, and the outcome was never in doubt down the stretch.

Game Notes

Pitt is 66-0 against opponents from the Northeast Conference...Robert Morris, which has the best NEC record at 11-1, will resume its conference schedule against Central Connecticut State on Thursday...The Panthers went 23-of-31 from the free throw line, compared to 10-of-17 for the Colonials.

02/09 00:33:32 ET