Feb. 17, 2007
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KINGSTON, R.I. -- Will Daniels and Jimmy Baron each scored 16 points, leading five players in double digits as the Rams cruised to an 86-69 win over Charlotte at the Ryan Center.
Charlotte got off to a hot start early, connecting from the perimeter for its first three field goals. The 49ers (12-13, 5-7 A-10) led 11-4 early on. But Rhody (17-10, 10-3 A-10) stormed back, thanks to some hot perimeter shooting of its own. Joe Mbang connected on two straight three-pointers, which gave URI its first tie and first lead of the game - at 20-19, with 8:40 to go.
After a Charlotte three with 7:03 left gave them a 23-22 lead, Will Daniels scored on a fast break off a steal, giving the Rams the lead for good, at 24-23 with 6:27 to play in the half. Daniels added a trey with 2:15 left, to give Rhode Island its largest lead of the half - seven points - at 36-29. The Rams led 39-35 at the break.
"I told the team at the half, that the team that rebounded the ball would have the best chance to win." head coach Jim Baron said. "We did a much better job on the glass in the second half." Rhody outrebounded Charlotte in the game, 40-28.
Rhody's offense came out firing on all cylinders. The Rams opened the frame with back-to-back treys from Baron, opening a 20-5 run over the first 6:18. The run was capped by a Daniels basket with 13:42 to go, giving URI a 59-40 lead. Rhody led by as many as 25 points, thanks to 67.9% shooting from the floor in the second half (19-28).
"Jimmy is as good a shooter as there is in the country." said head coach Jim Baron. "He has range and when he gets into that flow, he's tough to stop. He works hard at it - as hard as anyone I've coached."
In addition to his 16 points, Daniels also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and notched two steals. Baron, who tallied 14 of his 16 points in the second 20 minutes, connected on 4-of-5 from the perimeter.
Kahiem Seawright was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, while also pulling down three rebounds and three steals. His solid all-around play won the praises of his head coach.
"I think when you look at his line today, you see what Kahiem brings to this team. He is such a smart player on the defensive end." Baron said. "And on the offensive end of the court, he plays a lot bigger than he is. "
"We're peaking at the right time." said Seawright. "We're working so hard in practice and there's such a focus. It's intense. From one through 12 on this roster, we're all coming together for the win."
Joe Mbang added 15 points (3-5 3FG) and seven boards, while Lamonte Ulmer tallied a career-high 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting.
"On a scale of 1-to-10, we're almost there." Ulmer said. "Our confidence is at a nine. As a team, we're really trying to bond. We work well together, especially in the transition game."
Darrell Harris. continuing his comeback from a high ankle sprain, added seven points and five boards in 13 minutes, while Keith Cothran had five points, five boards, four assists and four steals.
"Once again, we looked to the bench for our spark and they gave it to us. Lamonte, Keith, Joe, Terence and Darrell all stepped up." Baron stated.
"I like coming off the bench, getting into the game when the first team needs a breather." Ulmer added. "My role is to give the team some energy."
For the game, Rhody shot a season-best 61.1% from the floor (33-54), connecting on 12-of-24 from beyond the arc, and 8-of-17 from the charity stripe. They outrebounded the 49ers, 40-28, and dished out 14 assists.
The Rams return to action on Wednesday, when they travel to Cincinnati to take on second-place Xavier at the Cintas Center. Game time is set for 7 p.m. and the contest will be aired locally on Cox Sports Television, with Jonathan Coachman and Steve Wolf calling the action.
Additionally, this and every Rams game will be broadcast live on WHJJ 920 am and 99.3 The Bridge FM. The audio feed will also be live on the internet via Yahoo! Sports. Steve McDonald and URI Hall of Famer Don Kaull will call all the action for the Rhode Island.
Notes: Rhody's 61.1% from the field was it's highest shooting percentage of the season...Additionally, the Rams have shot 50.0% or better in their last six halves of basketball, dating back to the Duquesne game...Jimmy Baron has connected on 13 of his last 16 three-point attempts (81.3%)...Joe Mbang's 15 points extends his double-digit scoring streak to four games...Will Daniels is just 54 points shy of the 1,000 point mark for his career...Baron now has 84 three-pointers this season, good for the second-best single-season mark. Tyson Wheeler, who was in attendance at this afternoon's game, holds Rhody's single-season record with 91...Three of Lamonte Ulmer's career-high 12 points came from beyond the arc. Ulmer connected on his only attempt from the outside. Entering this afternoon's game. he was 1-for-10 on the season...URI tied its best start ever in A-10 play, at 10-3. No Rhode Island team has ever started 11-3 in conference play...The Rams complete their fourth consecutive week of league play with a share of first place.
