Jan. 10, 2009
Box Score
PHILADELPHIA -- Rhode Island opened up its 2008-09 Atlantic 10 schedule with a 92-86 triple-overtime loss to Saint Joseph's at the Palestra.
Jimmy Baron led the Rams with 19 points, while Kahiem Seawright added 17 - including the 1,000th of his career. Seawright finished with six rebounds and five assists before fouling out.
Rhody started off the game connecting on 5-of-8 from the floor, taking an 11-7 lead at the 15:43 mark off a Seawright layup. But the Rams went cold the rest of the way resulting in one of its poorest shooting halves of the season. Saint Joseph's outscored URI, 37-16, holding the Rams to just 13-of-35 shooting from the floor - including 0-for-7 from the perimeter.
But the Rams would return the favor in the second half. After the Hawks went up 19 with 16:17 to go, Rhody's defense kicked into full gear. URI would go on an 18-1 run over the next 6:08, capped by a Keith Cothran jumper, making it 51-49 with 10:05 left in regulation.
Saint Joseph's went back up by six (57-51) with 7:49 left, before a jumper from Lamonte Ulmer and a 3-pointer from Baron on back-to-back possessions made it a one-point game (57-56) with 5:41 left.
Both teams traded baskets the rest of the way and with Rhody down two with 46 seconds left, Baron drew a shooting foul and converted both free throws to tie the game at 64-64. Rhody had a chance to win in regulation, but a turnover with four seconds left set up a desperation shot for SJU that just missed the final buzzer and the game went to overtime.
In the first extra period, URI took a 68-65 lead, after Delroy James knocked down a jumper with 1:55 to play. SJU used a dunk and a free throw on its next two times down the court to tie it at 68-68. The Hawks had several looks under the basket, but were thwarted by Rhody's post defense. Will Martell grabbed the rebound and set up a final look from 3-point land from Marquis Jones that rattled in and out,
SJU's Darrin Govens scored the first five points of the second OT period, But a James layup and a Jones trifecta from the deep right corner provided the game's sixth tie at 75-75 with just over a minute to play. Govins drilled a 3-pointer with just :04 ticks left, but there was still one more chance for Rhode Island. Cothran drove the length of the floor and hit a 25-footer as time expired, forcing a third overtime period.
Rhody never led in the final five minutes. After a layup by SJU's Ahmad Nivins made it 85-81, head coach Jim Baron was whistled for a technical foul with 1:54. Baron hit a trey with 1:22 left, cutting it to two - at 86-84 - but again the URI bench was assessed a technical foul and that was as close as they would come.
Cothran added 14 points, six assists, and four steals, while Will Martell narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. James added nine points and nine boards off the bench, while Lamonte Ulmer had eight points and eight rebounds. Jones chipped in with eight points, six rebounds, two assists and three steals.
It was the first triple-overtime game for the Rams since playing a 55-minute ballgame at home versus West Virginia on Feb. 24, 1994 - a 105-102 victory at Keaney Gym.
Rhode Island shot 41.0% (34-83) from the floor - including 6-of-24 from the outside. The Rams won the battle of the boards, 51-43.
Next up for URI is a Thursday night matchup against Xavier in a nationally televised matchup at the Ryan Center. The Rams and Musketeers will face off on CBS College Sports, beginning at 8 p.m. in the annual Blue Out game. The first 3,000 fans who enter the Ryan Center will receive a Keaney Blue t-shirt, courtesy of Dunkin Donuts and the Rhode Island Lottery.
As always, Steve McDonald and Don Kaull will call the action live on the Rams Radio Network (WHJJ 920 AM; WJZS 99.3 FM), beginning with the Cox Communications pre-game show at 7:30 p.m.
