Rams Edged Out by Brown, 55-51

Rhody Starters:
Melendez, Whittaker, Cloutier, Thomas, Gaspar

Brown Starters:
Clarke, Beutel, Bikofsky, Dixon, Nickel

Rhody Leaders:
Points: Melendez (18)
Rebounds: Tabakman (9)
Assists: Melendez (3), Cloutier (3), Whittaker (3)
Steals: Straumann (3)
Blocked Shots: Tabakman (2)
Minutes Played: Tabakman (34)

Brown Leaders:
Points: Dixon (22)
Rebounds: Dixon (13)
Assists: Beutel (2), Clarke (2), Dixon (2), Nickel (2), Weledji (2)
Steals: Dixon (5)
Blocked Shots: Bikofsky (1)
Minutes Played: Dixon (37)

How it Happened:
After a fairly even first half where Brown took a 24-22 lead into the break, the Bears returned from the locker room and pushed their advantage to 10 (39-29) over the first eight minutes of the second frame. Rhode Island began to chip away at the lead, however, and finally moved back on top after a jumper by junior Emilie Cloutier made it 47-46 URI with just under five minutes to go. Cloutier then netted a pair of attempts from the line to give the Rams a 49-46 advantage, but Brown closed things out with a 9-2 run to escape with the victory. 

Inside the Box Score:

• With the loss, Rhody drops to 2-2 while Brown improves to 2-2.
• The Rams hit a season-high 19 free throws on the night. Freshman Tayra Melendez and junior Kerry Wallack were both a perfect 4-for-4 from the line while freshman Samantha Tabakman led all players with six makes.
• Melendez was the Rams' top scorer, matching her career high with 18 points. She also added three assists and was 2-of-4 from long range.
• Tabakman also scored in double figures, recording 10 points and nine rebounds to nearly miss a double-double performance.
• Junior Emilie Cloutier finished with eight points, seven rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal.
• Brown held a slight rebounding advantage, 41-39, and connected on six three-pointers compared to Rhody's two.
• For the third game in a row, Rhode Island's freshmen accounted for more than half of the team's scoring (30 of 51 points): Melendez-18, Tabakman-10, Brianna Thomas-2.
• The game featured five lead changes and five ties.
• Sheila Dixon registered a game-high 22 points and 13 rebounds for Brown.

What's Next:
Rhody hits the road for the first time this season to face Quinnipiac in a Saturday afternoon tilt. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. at TD Bank Sports Center. Rhode Island is 0-3 in the all-time series vs. the Bobcats. The last time the teams met - on Dec. 10, 2011 - Quinnipiac posted a 72-67 overtime win in Kingston, R.I.