Opposing teams scouting Robert Morris certainly take note of Tony Lee, A.J. Jackson and Jeremy Chappell on the offensive end.

After all, each has 1,000 career points.

Those opponents also might note that guard Jimmy Langhurst can provide a double-figure scoring performance here and there because of his 3-point proficiency.

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Scouting report

• Matchup: St. Francis, N.Y. (5-15, 2-7) vs. Robert Morris (14-6, 5-2), 7 p.m. today, Sewall Center, Moon Township.
• Radio, Internet: WPIT-AM (730), www.sports.yahoo.com
• St. Francis, N.Y.: Is 2-9 on road, including 2-3 in road NEC. ... Lost at St. Francis, Pa., 92-84, in three overtimes Thursday night. Shooting 40.7 percent from field and 32.2 percent from beyond arc. ... Freshman G Ricky Cadell has averaged 15.4 ppg over past five games.
• Robert Morris: Has won seven of its past eight games. ... Forward A.J. Jackson has 1,256 career points, tying him with Aaron Thomas (2000-04) for ninth place on RMU career list. ... G Tony Lee (652) and Jackson (615) rank second and fourth, respectively, on RMU's career rebounding list.
• Hidden stat: Colonials are shooting an NEC-best 78.9 percent at free-throw line in league games.

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They might not, however, take much notice of guard Bateko Francisco, the Colonials' fifth starter. Perhaps they should.

Francisco, a transfer from Fort Scott Junior College in Kansas who played high school ball in Paris, gradually is becoming another offensive force for Robert Morris.

Thursday night, Francisco scored in double figures for the fourth time in seven Northeast Conference games to help Robert Morris stop Central Connecticut State, 84-73.

It's not as if Francisco can't score. Last season, he led the Jayhawk Conference with an average of 19.5 points per game.

It's just that ...

"Bateko's kind of stuck between three 1,000-point scorers," Robert Morris coach Mike Rice said. "Sometimes, he doesn't know when to attack. If he attacks and makes a mistake, now he has three 1,000-point scorers looking at him like he's just stolen their per diem."

That's often a tough feeling for Francisco to get past.

"I can score," he said, "but, when you have those three guys, I mean you have to pass them the ball."

Still, Francisco made his offensive presence felt at three significant junctures Thursday night.

After Central Connecticut State jumped out to a 13-7 lead, he scored seven points in a 90-second burst to help send the Colonials up, 17-15.

His field goal with 7:48 left in the first half started a 10-0 run as Robert Morris broke from a 24-24 tie.

And his field goal 3¹/₂ minutes into the second half boosted Robert Morris to its largest lead at 56-37.

No question Rice wants Francisco to become more aggressive offensively. But until that happens -- which might not occur until next season -- Rice will gladly settle for Francisco's great assistance defensively.

"Our defense starts with that relentless little kid from France," Rice said. "He spearheads our defense. He never stops playing hard. He never takes a possession off. It's like he doesn't even take a pass off.

"Tony can steal the ball. Jeremy can steal the ball. But Bateko is the heart and soul of our defensive effort. He doesn't get enough credit from me. It starts with that man on the ball, and everybody kind of goes from there."

So did Rice know what a defensive presence Francisco could provide when he recruited him?

"I would really like to say yes, but I can't," Rice said. "I brought him in because I knew he was a tremendous athlete and would give us more depth.

"[Fort Scott] never played man-to-man defense. They trapped. They pressed. But, honestly, I never watched him play a possession of man [defense] because they never did it at his junior college."

Defense will be important again tonight for Robert Morris (14-6, 5-2 NEC) when it entertains St. Francis, N.Y. (5-15, 2-7).

The Colonials' past five games against the Terriers have been decided by a total of 14 points. Robert Morris won the first three but dropped the past two in overtime.

That includes the thriller last season at the Sewall Center, which St. Francis won, 102-97, in two overtimes.