Dec. 29, 2009

Box Score

HANOVER, N.H. - Four different Rams scored in double figures as the Rhode Island women's basketball team outlasted Dartmouth, 58-57, in the opening round of the Blue Sky Classic on Tuesday night.

Freshman Ashley Rivera led all Rhody scorers with 14 points while classmate Anisha Wilson added 11. Senior Lindsay Harris and junior Megan Shoniker finished with 10 apiece. Harris also pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds while recording four assists and four steals in 40 minutes on the floor.

As a team, Rhode Island held a 43-39 advantage on the boards and forced the Big Green into 22 turnovers.

Rhody (6-6) opened the game with a 9-0 run over the first three minutes and extended its lead to 16 points (21-5) when Wilson converted a steal into a fast-break basket with 13:25 remaining in the half.

Dartmouth (3-7) rallied back, outscoring Rhody, 16-6, over the next eight minutes to cut the Rams lead to 27-21 with five minutes to go. URI, however, limited the Big Green to just two free throws the rest of the way to take a 35-23 lead into the break.

For the half, the Rams held Dartmouth to just 7-of-28 shooting (25%) while matching their season best with 35 first-half points. Rivera led all scorers at the half-way mark with 10 points.

After the break, a Harris jumper put Rhody back in front by 16 (44-28) at the 16:21 mark but Dartmouth responded with a 15-4 run to make it a five-point game (48-43) with under eight minutes to go.

Dartmouth went on to trim the URI advantage to just two after a jumper by Faziah Steen but Rhody came back with five straight points to go back on top by seven (55-48) with 3:52 left to play.

An 8-3 push would get the Big Green back to within two (58-56) with just over a minute left on the clock before a Rhody foul sent Dartmouth's Brittney Smith to the line with 18 seconds remaining. Smith connected on her first attempt but missed the second to keep URI in front by one (58-57).

Rhode Island was unable to extend its lead on the ensuing possession, but fortunately for the Rams, Steen's three-point attempt with :05 on the clock was no good and Harris grabbed the rebound to keep Rhody on top 58-57.

Smith led the way for Dartmouth, netting a game-high 17 points while also recording 14 rebounds on the night.

The Rams return to the Blue Sky Classic tomorrow evening when they take on the 9-2 Vermont Catamounts at 5 p.m.