Big runs help URI secure win
WORCESTER, Mass. — One run gave the University of Rhode Island men’s basketball team control, and the other allowed the Rams to finish when they lost their grip.
Together, the surges represented a pretty good blueprint for this young URI team.
In need of a response after last week’s cold-shooting loss to Providence, Rhody played the brand of basketball it’s looking for and beat Holy Cross 79-63 Saturday afternoon at the DCU Center.
“We spent an entire week after the loss to Providence working on ourselves, working on our offense - things like ball movement, trusting one another and just sharing the game,” URI head coach David Cox said. “I thought we did that today.”
URI improved to 4-3 and notched its first win away from the Ryan Center, though Keaney Blue outnumbered Holy Cross purple in the crowd of 2,312 at the neutral site venue.
“We definitely needed it, one of our first road wins and coming off a loss, it’s always good to get a win,” junior guard Jeff Dowtin said. “It boosts our confidence a lot too.”
The Rams were up by just a point in the first half when they started an 8-0 burst that sent them to the locker room with a 38-29 lead. The run continued after the break, with the Rams stretching it to 17-0 on their way to a 47-29 lead.
Holy Cross erased almost all of that advantage, moving within two points at the 6:14 mark, but URI allowed just one more field goal and outscored the Crusaders 14-4 the rest of the way.
In both cases, the Rams paired the defense that has been a constant all season with improvements on the offensive end. After shooting under 30 percent from the field in three straight games, the Rams hit on 49 percent. Three-point shooting still eluded them – they hit only three of 18 – but the efficiency inside the arc made up for it. URI also hit 24 of 27 free throws.
“I think our defense has been really, really good this year. Our offense has obviously been lacking,” Cox said. “We took a step forward in the offensive department today with our efficiency. I hope that trend continues.”
Dowtin and Fatts Russell made early 3-pointers as URI jumped to a 14-5 edge. Holy Cross slowly worked its way back, eventually taking the lead on an Austin Butler layup with 6:21 left in the first half.
That would be the Crusaders’ last field goal for more than 11 minutes, and URI capitalized.
Cyril Langevine hit a jumper from the elbow, Tyrese Martin slammed home a dunk on the break off a Dowtin steal, Dowtin dished to Langevine for a layup to make it 36-29 and Martin scored inside after four offensive rebounds by the Rams. A defensive stop in the final seconds sent the energized Rams to the locker room with a ninepoint lead, matching their largest to that point.
It would grow quickly in the half, with the Rams scoring nine straight points for a 47-29 lead. Dowtin capped the run with a 3-pointer and a floater in the lane.
“The key to that is sharing the ball and sharing the game,” Cox said. “I thought we did a good job of playing with pace and throwing the ball to the open man. When you do that, it’s amazing how things work out. I thought we executed at a much better clip today. That’s a tough team to play against. You’ve got to guard all of the Princeton stuff and you’ve got to play against a matchup zone that you’re not used to playing against.”
Clayton Le Sann, who had scored one point all season, was the unlikely catalyst for a Holy Cross comeback. He made three three-pointers in a span of less than two minutes. URI’s lead dipped to seven, then tumbled further to two on three different occasions.
Each time, URI found an answer. Dowtin hit a pull-up when it was 5553 and Langevine sank two free throws at 57-55. The most emphatic response came after two Caleb Green free throws made it 59-57. Langevine hit two more free throws, Dowtin drilled a baseline floater and Russell drove for a layup to make it 65-57.
A bucket by Green with 3:36 left was the last field goal for Holy Cross, and a three-point play by Russell started URI’s closing surge. Christion Thompson’s putback – one possession after he blocked a 3-pointer - pushed the lead into double digits with 2:27 left, and the Rams went on to score the final eight points of the game.
“I challenged these guys at the half and told them at some point, they were going to make a run,” Cox said. “We showed some resolve.”
Langevine and Russell led all scorers with 19 points each, and Langevine added 11 rebounds for his sixth consecutive double-double.
“Healthier. Staying focused. Training my body right. And just working,” Langevine said. “Going out there and having fun with the game. As you can see, it will reward you.”
Dowtin added 18 points, and freshman Tyrese Martin scored eight off the bench.
URI will make another short trip next weekend as it travels to Mohegan Sun to face West Virginia.
“This is all part of the process,” Cox said. “I’m not putting too much emphasis on the game one way or another. We won the game. It was a good game. Now we’ve got to prepared for this monster in West Virginia. But more importantly, we have to continue to get better.”