Men's Basketball 1/10/2013 12:00:00 AM

Rams Host Charlotte in A-10 Home Opener on Saturday Afternoon

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Gamenotes: Rhode Island/Charlotte (pdf)

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RHODE ISLAND VERSUS CHARLOTTE

RHODE ISLAND IN THE ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE

Since its inaugural season in the conference during the 1980-81 season, Rhode Island has posted a 232-281 all-time record in Atlantic 10 play.
The Rams dropped their A-10 opener, 64-61, at Richmond on Jan. 9.
Last season, Rhody finished with a 4-12 mark in conference play, putting them in 13th place in the league standings.
On Jan. 18, 2012 - at Fordham - Rhode Island played its 500th Atlantic 10 game all-time.

RHODE ISLAND AT THE THOMAS M. RYAN CENTER

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Ryan Center - the home of URI men's and women's basketball.
URI holds a 105-56 regular season record in the Ryan Center since the arena opened for play on Nov. 26, 2002 with a 73-71 victory over USC.
Last season's victory over Hofstra on Nov. 25, 2011 was the 100th on the Ryan Center floor.
The Rams have won 11 or more home games on five occasions - including a program-record 15 in 2009-10.

LAST TIME OUT - RICHMOND 64, RHODE ISLAND 61 - JANUARY 9

Xavier Munford led all scorers with 25 points. The second-leading scorer in the A-10 poured in 17 of his 25 in the second half.
During Rhody's 17-0 run, Munford scored 11 points. He buried three consecutive 3-pointers and a deep two with :30 ticks left.
Mike Aaman registered his first collegiate double-double - and the first of the season for the Rams.
The freshman post player registered 13 points on 6-of-9 field goals and a career-best 12 rebounds. He also blocked two shots in 20 minutes of action.
Nikola Malesevic added nine rebounds, while struggling offensively for the third straight game. The senior forward scored six points and was just 2-of-6 from the floor and 1-of-3 from the line.
Outside of Munford (8-15 FG; 4-8 3FG), Rhody starters shot just 6-of-28 from the floor and 1-of-10 from the perimeter.
Two Rhody reserves gave the team a much-needed lift off the bench. T.J. Buchanan and Alwayne Bigby combined to play 28 minutes and provided defense and key rebounding for the Rams.
Rhody outrebounded Richmond, 45-33, and held the Spiders to just 42.0% shooting from the floor and 22.2% from the perimeter - both well below their season averages (46.0%; 39.9% respectively).
Richmond blocked seven Rhody shots - the most by an opponent this season.
The Rams committed just four turnovers in the second half and 11 for the game.

TODAY'S RHODE ISLAND BASKETBALL FACT(S) YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT

Today's Theme: More Trends, More Numbers.
Two Rhode Island players have converted four-point plays this season - Mike Powell (vs. Seton Hall) and Xavier Munford (vs. Georgia State).
Powell registered his first career blocked shot against Richmond on Jan. 9. The 5-11 point guard blocked the shot of Richmond's Kendall Anthony.
The last Rhody player under 6-feet to block a shot was Stevie Mejia (5-8), who swatted Brown's Peter Sullivan on Nov. 18, 2009.
Over his last three games, Nikola Malesevic is shooting just 3-of-22 from the floor and 2-of-8 from the perimeter.
Xavier Munford's 18.0 points per game average through 14 games is the highest since the 2010-11 season, when Delroy James logged 19.4 ppg through the Rams' first 14 contests of the season.

AAMAN SHINES AGAINST RICHMOND

Mike Aaman put forth his best effort in his young Rhody career at Richmond on Jan. 9, registering his first collegiate double-double.
The 6-8 freshman forward scored 13 points and grabbed a career-best 12 rebounds against the Spiders.
Aaman connected on 6-of-9 from the floor and converted his lone free throw attempt.
He also blocked two shots in 20 minutes of play off the bench.
It was the first double-double of the season by a Rhody player.

MUNFORD RANKS SECOND IN ATLANTIC 10 IN SCORING

Junior guard Xavier Munford ranks second in scoring in the Atlantic 10 (through games of Jan.11).
The Hillside, N.J. native checks in at 18.0 points per game, which also ranks him among the top 75 players nationally.
He has registered six of Rhody's top seven scoring performances this season, including a 33-point effort at Auburn.

MUNFORD'S SECOND HALF SCORING

Xavier Munford has scored in double figures in the second half of the last five - and 10 overall - games for Rhode Island.
Last time out at Richmond, he poured in 17 of his 25 points during the second half.
It was the second time Munford had at least 17 second half points - he did so against Georgia State on Dec. 22, pouring in 12 straight points during a key 2:40 stretch.
Munford also had 16 second half points at Virginia Tech and 15 at Auburn.
For the season, 60.0% of Munford's scoring comes in the second half (10.8 of 18.0 points per game).

THE DEFENSE DOES NOT REST

Rhody put forth one of the best team defensive efforts in several seasons against Brown on Jan. 4.
The Rams held the Bears to 47 points - a season-low for an opponent and the lowest point total by an opponent since the 2009-10 season (47 vs. Saint Louis, March 12, 2010).
URI held Brown to just 30.2% (16-53) shooting from the floor - the lowest single-game field goal percentage since it held Boston University to just 28.0% (14-50) on Nov. 29, 2005.
Brown's 14 first-half points was the lowest point total by an opponent since that same BU game on Nov. 29, 2005.