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RHODE ISLAND VS. VIRGINIA TECH
* The Runnin' Rams host Virginia Tech for the first time since Feb. 12, 2000 when the Hokies were a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
*URI holds an 6-4 lead in the all-time series.
*Rhode Island won the last meeting at Virginia Tech, 79-72, in the 2010 NIT Quarterfinals (March 24, 2010)
*Head coach Jim Baron is 3-4 all-time against Virginia Tech
RHODE ISLAND IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
* Since joining the Eastern 8 in the 1980-81 season, URI has posted a 245-194 mark in non-conference play
* Dating back to the 2006-07 season, the Rams have posted a 62-32 record versus out-of-conference opponents.
* Today's game marks the first of two ACC opponents during the 2011-12 non-conference slate (Boston College, Jan. 2)
RHODE ISLAND VS. ACC OPPONENTS
* URI has compiled an 8-18 record, all-time, versus Atlantic Coast Conference opponents.
* Last season, URI downed Boston College, 67-65, on Dec. 29, 2010.
* Over the last two seasons, Rhody is 3-1 versus ACC teams
* During the 2009-10 season, the Runnin' Rams beat Boston College (80-69; Dec. 13, 2009) and Virginia Tech (79-72; March 24, 2010) before falling to North Carolina, 68-67, in overtime in the semifinals of the NIT on March 30.
RHODE ISLAND AT THE THOMAS M. RYAN CENTER
* URI holds a 100-44 (.694) regular season record in the Ryan Center since the arena opened for play on Nov. 26, 2002 with a 73-71 victory over USC.
* Rhody's victory on Nov. 25 over Hofstra was the 100th on the Ryan Center floor.
* The Rams have won 11 or more home games over the last five seasons - including a program-record 15 in 2009-10.
* Prior to its loss to Boston University on Nov. 26, Rhode Island had captured its last 32 non-conference games at the Thomas M. Ryan Center, dating back to the 2006-07 season.
WILSON MAKING MOST OF CHANCE ON THE COURT
* Senior guard Jamal Wilson is setting his most significant action on the floor for Rhode Island
* Wilson ranks first on the Rams - and second in the A-10 - in scoring, at 18.0 points per game
* Through eight games, Wilson has scored 144 points. He totalled 159 points as a sophomore and junior (45 games)
* Has 10 3-pointers made this year; nine career treys entering this season
* Has scored in double figures in six of eight games, including a career-high 38 in the season opener at George Mason
* Posted a double-double - 19 points and a career-high 11 rebounds - last time out versus Maine
TODAY'S RUNNIN' RAM FACT(S) YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT
* Rhode Island has played in two overtime games through the first eight contests - the most since 1983-84.
* That year, Rhody opened the season with an overtime loss at Canisius while dropping a decision at home to Rutgers in the fourth game.
* This year, in both OT contests, a freshman tied the game with a 3-pointer at the end of regulation (Jonathan Holton at George Mason; Mike Powell vs. Maine)
LAST TIME OUT - MAINE 76, RHODE ISLAND 74 (OT) - (DEC. 4)
* Jamal Wilson (19 points/11 rebounds) and Orion Outerbridge (14 points/10 rebounds) each tallied a double-double in the ballgame. The last time two Rhody players registered a double-double in the same game was against George Washington on March 2, 2011 (Wilson 13p/11r, Delroy James 12p/11r).
* For the fourth time this season, at least four of the Rams' five starters reached double-figures in scoring. Wilson and Nikola Malesevic led the way with 19 points apiece, while Outerbridge and Jonathan Holton each had 14 points.
* With Maine showing primarily zone defense, Rhode Island attempted 34 3-pointers, tying a team record. URI last attempted 34 treys at home against Charlotte on Feb. 12, 2011.
* Malesevic led the team with 14 3-point attempts - the most since Akeem Richmond chucked it up 15 times in that Charlotte game a season ago.
* The Rams grabbed a season-high 27 offensive rebounds, leading to 22 second-chance points.
HOLTON NAMED ATLANTIC 10 ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
* On Nov. 28, the Atlantic 10 selected Jonathan Holton as its Rookie of the Week
* The 6-9 forward averaged 12.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.0 blocked shots in a 1-2 weekend for the Rams
* Against Hofstra, Holton recorded a season-best 20 points (8-13 FG), while adding six rebounds and two blocks
* The Miami, Fla. native added nine points and seven boards against Boston University, while chipping in with seven points and six rebounds against Cleveland State.
NOW TRENDING: ASSIST/TURNOVER RATIO
* Through the Runnin' Rams first eight games, they have posted more assists than turnovers once - the lone win vs. Hofstra on Nov. 25.
* Last season, in games with a positive assist/turnover ratio, Rhody was 12-3.
* URI is averaging 16.5 turnovers, while dishing out 11.8 assists per game.
DEFENSIVE WOES
* The Runnin' Rams rank tied for 327th out of 339 in scoring defense, allowing 78.3 points per game.
* Rhode Island is also 332nd in defensive field goal percentage, allowing opponents to shoot 49.3% from the floor
FRESHMEN MAKING AN IMPACT
* Jonathan Holton ranks 10th among all frosh nationally in rebounding, pulling down 7.1 boards per game
* Mike Powell is 23rd among all frosh in assists per game (3.6).
* Rhody's newcomers account for 34% of the team's scoring, 36% of rebounding, and 47% of assist totals.
MALHOIT "THE MICROWAVE"
* Senior Anthony Malhoit made an impact off the bench in his first action of the season vs. Hofstra on Nov. 25.
* The 6-3 guard had a career-high seven points in 12 minutes, connecting on his first career 3-pointer.
* The senior guard also added five rebounds and two steals against the Pride.
* Versus Cleveland State (Nov. 27), Malhoit had a career-high six rebounds in 17 minutes of play.
HEY, MR. WILSON - JAMAL'S 38 PT. GAME AT GEORGE MASON
* Senior Jamal Wilson poured in a career-high 38 points (13-22 FG; 11-12 FT) at George Mason on Nov. 11.
* Wilson had nine in the first half, 20 in the second half, and nine in the overtime period.
* He bested his previous career-high of 14 points - set twice.
* It took Wilson, who missed the first 14 games of the 2010-11 season with a broken foot, 10 games to register 38 points last year.
* It was the highest point total by a Rhode Island player since Zach Marbury had 38 vs. La Salle on Jan. 27, 2001.
JAMAL WILSON NAMED ATLANTIC 10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
* After his 38-point performance at George Mason on Nov. 11, Wilson earned his first career A-10 honor on Nov. 14.
* Senior guard was 13-22 from the floor and 11-12 from the foul line, while also grabbing seven boards.
* Wilson's 38-point game is the second highest single-game scoring total in the nation, as of Dec. 3.
THE FRANTIC FIVE - RHODY'S FIVE FRESHMEN
* Rhody's five-player freshman class had its regular season debut on Nov. 11 at George Mason.
* Kevin McNamara of the Providence Journal dubbed them the "Frantic Five" due to the Runnin' Rams uptempo style
* Jonathan Holton and Mike Powell each cracked the starting lineup, while TJ Buchanan, Rayvon Harris, and Dominique McKoy all saw action off the bench.
* Powell became the first true freshman to start for the Rams as a pure point guard since Tyson Wheeler in 1994-95.
* Holton's 14 boards tied the highest rebounding total in a URI debut since Lamar Odom had 14 vs. TCU (Nov. 9, 1998)
* Additionally, Holton and Odom are the only two Rhody players to record a double-double in points and rebounds in their Rhody debuts. Holton had 12 points and 14 boards; Odom 19 points and 14 rebounds.
* The last time Rhody had two freshmen in its starting lineup was Feb. 23, 2005 when Parfait Bitee and Will Daniels were among the first five at UMass.
NEXT UP: GEORGIA STATE (DEC. 10)
* Rhody will travel to Atlanta - home of Rhody frosh Dominique McKoy and junior transfer Andre Malone - to face Georgia State
* It will mark the first time that URI and GSU will meet on the hardwood
* The game is the third of four non-conference matchups against an opponent from the CAA.
* Rhody fans can listen to the game live on the Beltone Hearing Aid Centers Rams Radio Network (WHJJ - 920 AM), with Steve McDonald and Don Kaull. This - and all Rhody games on radio - can be heard on the internet or your iPhone/Blackberry/Android device with the iHeartRadio app. Download the app at: iHeart.com
