Dec. 6, 2003

Box Score

KINGSTON, R.I. - Dustin Hellenga and Dawan Robinson each scored 26 points as the University of Rhode Island men's basketball team defeated Providence College 89-79 Saturday at the Ryan Center.

Despite blizzard conditions, a sellout crowd of 7,657 fans made the trek to Kingston for the Friars first visit in over 30 years. They saw a beauty with 10 ties (7 in the first half) and six lead changes, but the Rams pulled away in the end, leading by 10 with 2:15 to play and as many as 12 on a dunk by Dawan Robinson with 1:09 remaining.

It was the Rams' fourth win in its last six meetings with a Big East opponent over the past two years. The Rams defeated Providence and Seton Hall last year and defeated Miami and the Frirars this season, with the only losses coming to then-No. 2 ranked Pittsburgh last season and defending national champion Syracuse by four points in the Carrier Dome last Sunday.

Rhode Island beat Providence at its own game Saturday, setting a school record for 3-point shooting percentage, connecting on 10-of-14 for 71.4-percent. The Rams had shot 1-of-22 from behind-the-arc in a loss to Syracuse last Sunday and 3-of-16 from 3-point land in a win over Brown on Wednesday. Providence connected on 12-of-31 from the arc and shot 45-percent for the game, but couldn't keep up with the Rams' hot shooting. Rhode Island finished the game shooting 57-percent from the field.

"You have to take shots to make shots and we stepped up and made them," said URI's Baron. "It's a fragile thing. It was a great team effort and we came together. Tonight we played as well as we've played since I've been here."

Hellenga hit 5-of-9 from behind the arc to score a season-high 26 points, to go with six assists, five rebounds and four steals. Robinson connected on 3-of-3 from downtown to tie a season-high with 26 points, along with dishing out six assists and grabbing five rebounds.

Brian Woodward hit both of his 3-point attempts on his way to 19 points and he dished out four assists as the Rams (5-2) handed the Friars (3-1) their first loss of the season.

Chris Holm scored seven points and grabbed five rebounds in 19 minutes and Terrence Mack also scored seven points.

Ryan Gomes led Providence with 25 points. Rob Sanders and Donnie McGrath each had 13 and Tuukka Kotti added 12.

The game was tied at 42 at the half after Rhode Island overcame an eight-point deficit in the final 3:53 of the half. Rhode Island led by eight early in the second half, but Providence came back to take a two-point lead with 13:09 remaing on a lay-up by Kottie.

Providence took a one-point lead with 10:17 left on two free throws by Sanders. With seven seconds on the shot clock, Hellenga answered with a 35-foot 3-pointer from the top of the key to put the Rams up 61-59, sending the crowd into an uproar.

"The bench was yelling, 'Shot clock, shot clock,' and I saw Kabba playing off," Hellenga said. "I was feeling it a little bit so I thought I'd give it a shot. If I missed, I'd probably come out of the game, but luckily it went down."

And the Rams would never trail again. The Friars didn't score on their next trip down and Woodward converted a lay-up and the foul to put the Rams up five. Woodward then hit a fade-away 3-pointer off the dribble from the left corner and Robinson followed with another 3-pointer to put the Rams up 59-52.

The Rams continued to roll, taking a 73-67 lead when Hellenga found Holm on a back-door cut and Mack banked in a turnaround jumper from the right elbow to give the Rams a 77-69 advantage with 3:13 to play. That lead reached 12 on a steal and dunk by Robinson with 1:09 left and the Hellenga and Robinson combined to hit 6-of-8 from the foul line in the closing minute.

Hellenga opened the game with a 3-pointer, and despite PC hitting three consecutive 3-pointers and five consecutive field goals, the Rams hung tough in the first half, connecting on 5-of-6 from three.

The Friars opened up a 28-21 lead on a 3-point play by Kotti, but the Rams promptly scored the next seven in a row. PC answered with a Gomes trey, layups by Kotti and Sanders and a McGrath 3-pointer to make it 38-30 but the Rams ripped off 10 straight points over the next 2:15 to take a 40-38 lead. Rhode Island took a 42-40 lead on a driving lay-up by Robinson, but Providence's Sheiku Kabba hit a jumper at the halftime buzzer to knot the game at 42-42.

The Rams have a week off before playing at Kent State on Sunday at 1 p.m. Listen to the game live here at GoRhody.com with Steve McDonald and Don Kaull.