Jan. 13, 2011
Box Score
UNIV. OF RICHMOND, Va. -- Nikola Malesevic registered his first career double-double as Rhode Island used a hot shooting touch from the outside to earn a 78-74 victory at Richmond.
Malesevic posted career-highs of 24 points and 12 rebounds in 32 minutes of action. The sophomore connected on 9-of-13 shots from the floor, including 6-of-8 from the perimeter.
Three of Rhody's (10-6; 1-1 A10) first four field goals came from beyond the arc as the Rams took a 13-8 lead just six minutes into the game.
Richmond would respond with a 14-2 run over the next 3:11, capped by a 3-pointer from Darien Brothers, which made it 22-15 Spiders with 10:41 left in the half.
The Rams would answer with eight unanswered, after a traditional 3-point play by Orion Outerbridge and five Malesevic points gave them a 23-22 lead with 8:26 left in the period. There were three lead changes and three ties over the remainder of the half as Richmond took a 36-32 lead into the break.
In the second half, Rhody would chip away at the lead, thanks to long-range shooting by Malesevic. He connected on 3-pointers on three consecutive URI possessions, giving the Rams a 46-45 lead with 15:45 left in regulation. Another jumper by Malesevic put Rhody up by five - at 52-47 with 13:44 to go.
The Spiders would make a final push, going on a 14-4 run over the next 4:44, capped by a traditional 3-point play from Kevin Anderson, which gave the home team a 61-56 advantage with 9:00 to go.
But the Rams would not go away, putting forth a 12-3 run over the next 3:02 - keyed by two deep jumpers by Akeem Richmond. The sophomore sharpshooter's trey with 6:39 to go gave Rhode Island the lead for good.
Marquis Jones came up with two big baskets down the stretch to help seal the victory. After Richmond made it a one-point ballgame - 72-71 with 1:40 left - the senior point guard drove the lane for a big layup. His 3-pointer with :21 seconds to go was the dagger, putting Rhody up by two possessions.
Outerbridge posted a career-high of 18 points, while Richmond added 12 points - nine in the second half. Jones added nine points and four assists, while Delroy James had seven. Daniel West contributed five assists off the bench.
For the game, Rhode Island connected on 27-of-56 from the floor and 12-of-27 from beyond the arc. The Rams also hit 12-of-16 from the charity stripe, while outrebounding the Spiders, 37-32.
The Rams return to action on Sunday, Jan. 16 when they host St. Bonaventure in a game that will air locally on Cox Sports Television in a CBS College Sports regional broadcast. Tip off is set for 4 p.m. and tickets are available by visiting ExperienceRhody.com. The first 2,000 fans will receive a free Will Martell bobblehead doll, courtesy of SuperCuts.
