What It Means:
Rhody dropped its first game of the 2013-14 season, 89-58, at SMU.  The 31-point loss was the worst for the Rams since Feb. 6, 2013 - a 28-point loss to UMass.

Inside the Box Score and Beyond:
* E.C. Matthews was the lone Rhody player in double figures, with 15 points.  The freshman guard was 5-of-12 from the floor and added three rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal in 27 minutes.

* Poor shooting plagued the Rams, as the team managed just 30.8% shooting from the floor (20-65).  It was the lowest single game FG% shooting performance since shooting just 29.0% in a blowout loss at Saint Joseph's last season.

* The starting backcourt of Mike Powell (0-4) and Xavier Munford (1-11) managed just three points.  It was Munford's lowest-scoring game as a Ram.

* The Rams missed their first 13 attempts from beyond the arc before freshman Matthew Butler connected on two deep jumpers late in the contest.  Dating back to the season opener vs. Maine on Nov. 8, Rhody had misfired on 27 straight from the perimeter before Butler's two treys.

* Both Ifeanyi Onyekaba (9 pts./7 reb.) and Gilvydas Biruta (9 pts./4 reb.) fouled out.

* The Rams were outrebounded, 45-40, and committed 20 turnovers.  SMU converted those 20 turns into 19 points.  

* 54 of SMU's 89 points came in the paint - close to 61%.  The Mustangs added 42 points off the bench.

Quotable from Coach Hurley:
"We were non-competitive.  They took it to us physically out there.  SMU was good, especially on offense.  They're a well-rounded team right now.  We are obviously not."
 
"In the first half, we had some clean looks.  Xavier (Munford) went 1-for-11 and I think eight of those were open looks that we expect him to make."
 
"This game will allow us to examine and take account of what we are doing.  Style-istically and personnel-wise, there will be changes."

What's Next:
Rhode Island returns home on Friday, Nov. 15 to face North Carolina A&T at 7 p.m. at the Alex and Ani Court at the Thomas M. Ryan Center.  The game can be seen live on OSN  - only on Cox (ch. 5 / 1005 HD).

The game will also be available on the University of Rhode Island Radio Network, powered by Beltone Hearing Aid Centers.  Steve McDonald and Don Kaull will provide the broadcast call live on B101 (101.5 FM).  The pre-game show starts at 6:30 p.m.  This - and all Rhody games on radio - can be heard on the internet or your smartphone device through iheart.com or the iHeartRadio app.