March 5, 2011

Box Score

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. -- Marquis Jones scored a career-high 22 points and Delroy James added 19 as Rhode Island's second half comeback bid fell short at St. Bonaventure, 74-68.

Jones was 6-of-12 from the floor - including 4-of-6 from the perimeter - while connecting on 6-of-6 from the foul line. James was 7-of-16, while adding six rebounds, three assists, three blocks and four steals.

The Rams (18-12; 9-7 A-10) dug themselves a hole, falling behind 8-0 just two and a half minutes into the game. St. Bonaventure built a double digit lead - 15-4 - with 13:29 left in the first half and extended it to as many as 13 points. An Andrew Nicholson layup made it 21-8 with 10:53 left in the first half.

Rhody would respond with an 11-1 run over the next six minutes, cutting it to 22-19 with 5:40 to play in the period. SBU would tally eight unanswered over the next three minutes, bringing the URI deficit back into double figures.

A layup by James with 10 seconds to go made it 32-26, but the Bonnies hit a 3-pointer as the first half clock expired, giving them a 35-26 lead at the break. It marked the 13th time in 16 Atlantic 10 contests that Rhode Island trailed at the break.

In the second half, St. Bonaventure raced out with an 11-4 run, as a Nicholson 3-pointer made it 46-30 with 16:33 to go. The Bonnies led by 16 with 11:48 left in regulation, before Rhode Island began its comeback flurry.

Akeem Richmond connected on a deep 3-pointer which began a 22-7 run over the next eight minutes. The sophomore guard had seven points in the run.

A switch from man-to-man to zone on the defensive end also played a big role in the run. A trey from Jones brought Rhody as close as it had been all game - one point - at 58-57 with 3:39 to play. A driving James layup with 2:55 to go made it 60-59, but that was close as the Rams would get.

Richmond finished with 10 points off the bench, while Nikola Malesevic added nine points and four boards. Orion Outerbridge - questionable prior to the game due to a back injury - saw 20 minutes of play, adding six points, two boards, and three blocks.

Rhode Island connected on all 16 of its free throw attempts - which is a program-best but does not count in the school's record book (20 minimum attempts to qualify).

The Rams enter the 2011 Atlantic 10 Championship as the #6 seed and will host Saint Louis at the Thomas M. Ryan Center on Tuesday, March 8 at 7 p.m.

To purchase tickets, visit ExperienceRhody.com, or visit the Ryan Center Box Office.