MOON TOWNSHIP— Robert Morris (4-6, 2-3 Horizon) was back in action for the first time in over two weeks when they took on red-hot Cleveland State (9-2, 4-1).

Robert Morris started off slow but gained control of the game and came out with a 63-55 victory.

Both teams started off struggling from the get-go as each made just one basket in the first four and a half minutes of the first quarter.

At the media timeout, the Colonials held a slim two-point lead.

RMU played really strong defensively, forcing turnovers left and right along with three blocks. That allowed the Colonial offense to flow.

Esther Castedo knocked down the first three-point field goal for either team and Natalie Villaflor followed that up with a mid-range jumper of her own.

By the end of the first quarter, Robert Morris held a six-point lead.

RMU continued to keep up the defensive pressure but they sent the Vikings to the line three times which allowed them to chip away at the Colonial lead, but the Colonials regained control as they took a nine-point advantage into the media timeout.

RMU and Cleveland State traded baskets for the last couple of minutes of the first half. Phoenix Gedeon capped off the Colonial scoring for the half with a nice runner.

At the half, the Colonials shot the ball extremely well, shooting at a 45-percent clip. That was not the same for the Vikings as they shot just 30-percent from the field.

Castedo led the way for the Colonials in points with 12 while Destiny Leo and Nadia Dumas led CSU with seven apiece.

Not much went on for either side to start the third quarter, but Cleveland State knotted the game up for a brief period of time.

Robert Morris regained the lead a few moments later and took a three-point lead into the third quarter media timeout.

Right out of the timeout, Castedo nailed yet another three-point jumper. She controlled the Robert Morris scoring in the third quarter as she laid one in to flush Robert Morris out to an 8-0 run.

RMU continued to push the envelope as they took a 10 point lead into the fourth quarter.

The Colonials continued to keep up the pressure down the stretch as they kept the Vikings in check offensively as they coasted to the end of the game.

Overall, the Colonials shot the ball at a 43-percent clip and held CSU to just 34-percent from the field.

Castedo led RMU in points with 18. For the Vikings, Leo led the team with 22.

RMU is back in action Saturday as they take on Purdue Fort Wayne in a New Year’s Day showdown at 1:30 p.m. at the UPMC Events Center.