Feb. 8, 2007
Box Score
AMHERST, Mass. (AP) - Jimmy Baron scored 17 points and Joe Mbang registered his first collegiate double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, as Rhode Island dropped a 77-55 decision at Massachusetts.
Baron was 7-of-14 from the floor, to go along with three rebounds in 30 minutes of action. Mbang grabbed eight of his career best 10 boards on the defensive end.
"We've got to keep moving forward." said Jimmy Baron. "Credit UMass for playing well tonight, they did what they had to do. But we didn't get it going on offense, or defense for that matter. Sometimes for us, our defense is what helps spark our offense."
The game was all UMass (17-6, 7-2 A-10) from the start, as the Minutemen raced out to a 12-0 lead through the first 4:40. URI (14-10, 7-3 A-10), which came into the game as the second-best offense in the Atlantic 10, struggled uncharacteristically from the floor, missing its first 11 shots.
Rhode Island tallied its first points of the game at the 15:08 mark, as Keith Cothran connected on two free throws. Rhody's first five points all came from the charity stripe before a Baron layup with just under nine minutes left in the half gave Rhody its first field goal of the contest.
That bucket sparked an 8-0 run, cutting the UMass lead to 10 points - at 23-13 with 7:02 to play - but that was as close as the Rams would come the rest of the way. URI shot just 26.6% from the floor, connecting on 8-of-29 shot attempts, including 0-for-8 from the perimeter.
"They came out focused and physical inside." said head coach Jim Baron. "We came out flat, didn't make any shots early on, and had to play from behind. We'll keep shooting, keep working at practice, and put this one behind us."
In the second half, after a Baron trey made it 41-30, UMass pushed ahead with an 8-2 run, taking a 49-32 lead with 16:50 left in regulation. The Minutemen continued to build on their lead, extending it to as many as 25, as starters Rashaun Freeman and Stephane Lasme tallied buckets with under 4:00 to play in the contest.
For the game, Rhody shot just 26.6% (17-64) from the field, including a 1-for-13 mark from three-point land. They connected on 20-of-27 from the charity stripe (74.1%) and committed just nine turnovers. UMass' Stephane Lasme blocked 11 Rhody shot attempts - the highest mark by an opponent in program history.
"He's a game changer." the younger Baron said. "Every time you go into the lane you've got to check where he is."
The Rams return to action on Sunday, Feb. 11 when they travel to Pittsburgh to take on Duquesne. Tipoff time is set for 2 p.m. 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: Jimmy Baron extended his consecutive three-pointer streak to 33 games, opening the second half with a trey...The nine turnovers was Rhody's second-best total of the season. The Rams had just eight turns against Utah at home...The loss snapped a three-game road winning streak, dating back to the win at Saint Joseph's on Jan. 13, but extended URI's losing streak at the Mullins Center to three games.
