Dec. 1, 2007
Box Score |
Photo Gallery 
KINGSTON, R.I. -- The Rhode Island women's basketball dropped a 64-55 decision to in-state rival Providence College on Saturday afternoon at the Ryan Center. Senior Whitney Hollis (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led all Rhody scorers with a season-high 12 points. The loss evens URI's record at 4-4 while the Friars improve to 6-2 overall.
Providence opened the game connecting on four of their first five shot attempts to take a 10-6 lead five minutes into the action. Rhode Island responded with an 8-0 run to take a 14-10 lead with 12:17 remaining in the half. The Rams maintained the lead the rest of the way and led by as many as six points on three occasions.
PC managed to cut the lead to one (24-23) with 2:31 left in the opening half, but freshman Megan Shoniker (Rochester, N.Y.) sank two free throws to push the lead to three (26-23) with 55 seconds on the clock. Shantee Darrian answered with a lay-up to get PC back within one, but it proved to be the final basket of the half for both teams as URI headed into the locker room with a 26-25 advantage.
Providence came out of the gate in the second half to outscore the Rams, 18-6, and take an 11-point lead (43-32) through the first seven minutes of play. Shoniker then capped a 13-4 Rhody run with a three-point field goal that got the Rams within two (47-45) with 6:27 remaining in the game, but URI was unable to keep the momentum going. Providence pushed its lead back to 11 (59-48) with 1:02 left and never looked back, holding on for the 64-55 victory.
The Rams held a 36-27 advantage on the boards and were a perfect 10-for-10 from the line.
Junior Amanda McGrew (Santa Monica, Calif.) contributed 11 point in the loss while senior Safi Mojidi (Silver Spring, Md.) rounded out the double-figure scoring for URI with 10 points. Redshirt junior Crystal Bellinger (New York, N.Y.) dished out a game-high seven assists and also recorded a block and a steal.
The Rams are back in action on Wednesday, Dec. 5, when they return to the Ryan Center for a 7 p.m. game against Tulane. The contest will be televised locally, as well as in New Orleans, on Cox Sports.
