March 9, 2010

Box Score

KINGSTON, R.I. - The Rhode Island men's basketball team (22-8) defeated Saint Joseph's 87-76 Tuesday night at the Ryan Center to advance to the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament.

Rhody's win at the Ryan Center marked its 13 victory at home this season, which serves as a single-season record.

Seniors Keith Cothran and Lamonte Ulmer scored 15 points apiece. Ulmer also pulled down six rebounds and had two blocked shots.

During the game, Ulmer recorded his 1,000th career point and 100th career block. Ulmer becomes just the second player in school history to record 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, 100 steals and 100 blocks. Antonio Reynolds-Dean ('99) is the other.

Rhody jumped out to a 5-0 lead, but Saint Joseph's fought back with a 10-0 spurt to take a 10-5 lead at the 15:21 mark. The Rams responded with an 11-2 run over the next four and a half minutes to open up a 16-12 lead.

Saint Joseph's came back to tie the game at 21 apiece at the 8:10 mark after the Hawks outscored the Rams 9-5 during the next three minutes. Junior Ben Eaves quickly gave the Rams the lead once again as he hit a 3-pointer, giving Rhody a 24-21 advantage.

Eaves was one of three Rhody reserves, which scored five points off the bench in the first half. Sixteen of URI's first 31 points came from the bench.

Rhody led for the remainder of the half and took a 37-32 lead into the locker room.

In the second half, the Rams opened up an eight point lead (48-40) with 16:04 to play, but the Hawks would not go away as they cut URI's lead to one (57-56) with just under 10 minutes to go.

URI held off the Hawks over the next seven minutes and opened up a nine-point lead at the 3:14 mark when Marquis Jones hit a 3-pointer to give the Rams a nine-point lead (73-64), which was their largest of the game at the time.

In the final three minutes of the game, Rhody outscored Saint Joseph's 14-12 to secure the win.

Rhody returns to action on Friday at 2:30 as it takes on Saint Louis at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.