Rams crush Duquesne
Russell, Dowtin combine for 40 points in blowout
KINGSTON — Duquesne Dukes got off to a 15-2 start this season by being deeper and more talented than their opponents. The Rhode Island Rams found a way to overwhelm the balance of the Dukes on Wednesday, electrifying the Ryan Center crowd in a 77-55 win.
“This is a personal game for us,” guard Jeff Dowtin said. “Coming off of the loss last year where we had the big lead. Our mindset was different, we were just focused on winning the ball game and we did that.”
The credibility of the Dukes record has been routinely questioned, due to their weak non-conference schedule. For 20 minutes, the Dukes looked like they were for real as they built out an eight-point lead.
Then, the second half happened. URI’s defense ceded only 17 points and Fatts Russell ignited the homecourt crowd by scoring 15 of his 23 game-high points.
“Going into the half with an eight-point deficit, an immature team could lose that game by 20,” URI head coach David Cox said. “They came out with the right mindset.”
If the Ryan Center is roaring, Russell probably has something to do with it. The dynamic junior guard, playing in his first game since being named to the Naismith Trophy mid-season Defensive Player of the Year Team, used four steals to help turn the Dukes lead inside out in the span of five game minutes.
“When the crowd starts getting loud, I know we’re doing something good,” Russell said when asked about his awareness of big runs as they happen.
“We fed off the energy, surely,” Cox added. “Once we started making some runs, the crowd really got loud.”
An ill-timed bathroom break on Wednesday might have caused a fan to miss the momentum shift. Entering the second half facing an eightpoint deficit, the Rams were in the lead by 15:01 and didn’t trail for the final 11:48.
An edge on the boards in the first half is what gave the Dukes their early boost. Cyril Langevine logged just 2:18 in the first half thanks to a pair of quick personals.
The Dukes doubled up the Rams on the offensive glass in those first 20 minutes as a result. The initial half-court defense typically held serve for the home team, it was on second-chance opportunities where they struggled. Fourteen of Duqeusne’s first 38 points came off a missed shot.
“There were a few things we needed to tighten up on,” Cox said. “Rebounding, they had 14 second-chance points in the first half. Rebounding was huge for us. Transition, I thought they were getting away in transition a little bit.”
The return of Langevine and his rock-solid rebounding allowed the Rams to up the pace in their own transition offense. Langevine hadn’t practiced at all in the run up to the big Atlantic 10 showdown, after twisting his ankle in URI’s win over La Salle.
“After the first [missed practice], I was saying, ‘OK, he’ll be back tomorrow and that will make me feel better,’” Cox said. “Then he couldn’t practice again and I wasn’t feeling too good.
“The real MVP is our trainer Daniel Anthony. He spent hours and hours with Cyril. Got him ready enough to play.”
Langevine fell short of his average in both points and rebounds. His three rebounds were a season low, and the six points he scored represent his third-lowest total of the season. The leadership of the senior captain was his biggest contribution on Wednesday.
“In the locker room, I spoke to the guys,” Langevine said. “Told them it’s on me, I gotta go out there and play my game. I want to do every little thing I can for my team to win. I just wanna win first, before anything.
“[The ankle is] still banged up. I’ll play through anything. Put me out there against anybody. I’ll try and give it my best fight.”
Cox walked into the lockerroom at halftime and watched as his three captains, Lagevine, Russell and Dowtin addressed the rest of the team.
“We were really poised in there,” Cox said. “When I walked into the locker room, I sat for the first two minutes because those guys were talking to each other. They were trying to figure it out. These guys were leading the conversation.
“I have to rely on these three guys a lot,” he continued, of the three captains. “To lead, to practice, to communicate what I’m trying to articulate to the guys. I can’t stress enough how important these three guys have been as captains and leaders.”
The Rhody win is the first blemish of the season on the Dukes’ conference record. URI has now won a season-high five in a row. Next up is St. Bonaventure, on the road Saturday.
“It’s fun to win,” Cox said. “It’s fun watching these guys continue to grow and develop. There’s just so much more meat on the bone.”