What It Means:
Rhody outscored Metro State by 13 in the second half to pull away with a 66-63 victory.  The Division II runners-up from a year ago led the Rams, 40-30 at the half.

But a combination of a strong defensive effort and the best perimeter shooting performance of the season propelled URI into the second round of the NIT Season Tipoff.  

URI trailed by as many as 14 points - 40-26 with 2:11 left in the first half - before it outscored Metro State 19-7 over the next 10:50.  A layup by Xavier Munford gave the Rams their first lead of the game (47-45, 11:36 to play).

Tied at 59-59 with 2:46 to play in regulation, Gilvydas Biruta put Rhody ahead for good with a tip-in with 2:12 to go.

Inside the Box Score and Beyond:
* For the third straight game, E.C. Matthews led the Rams in scoring.  He, along with backcourt mate Xavier Munford, each tallied 16 points.

* Matthews - the second-leading scoring freshman in the Atlantic 10 - connected on 3-of-5 from the perimeter.  He also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three assists.

* Munford had his highest single-game scoring performance of the season.  The senior guard also added seven boards and dished out a team-best five assists.

* Biggie Minnis played his best game of the season, tallying eight points (3-4 FG; 2-2 3FG) to go along with five boards and five dimes.

* Rhode Island connected on 8-of-17 from beyond the arc - including 4-of-7 in the second half.  One of the biggest trifectas of the night came from the hands of Mike Powell.  The junior guard tied the ballgame at 45-45 with 12:39 to play.

* After playing just 13 minutes due to foul trouble, Gilvydas Biruta had eight points and four rebounds in eight minutes in the second half.

* Jarelle Reischel had an efficient night, connecting on 4-of-5 from the floor, good for nine points in 23 minutes.

* The Rams outrebounded the Roadrunners, 42-27, including an 11-1 edge on the offensive glass.

Quotable:

E.C. Matthews: "We knew they were a great team with talented players.  At halftime, Coach told us that we needed to defend better and get early stops."

Xavier Munford:  "Our team did not underestimate them.  We knew we would be in for a fight.  In the second half, we locked down and concentrated more on defense.  Those first few possessions of the second half were key."

Head coach Dan Hurley:  "This was a gritty, gutsy performance.  When we were finally told who our first round opponent was, we knew they were good.   We have worried about this game for three months.  Hopefully this game was a breakthrough moment for this team that will pay off later in the season."

"To start the second half, we went a little smaller and quicker.  We did a better job defensively on their scorers."

"There's always pressure when you play in a game.  But tomorrow night, I expect us to go out there and play with great passion."

What's Next:
Rhode Island will likely face #5 ranked Arizona in the second round of the NIT Season Tipoff in Tucson, Ariz.  The game will air live on ESPNU, with Dave Flemming and Sean Farnham on the call.  Tipoff is set for 11 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. MT (local).

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 10:30 p.m. ET.  This - and all Rhody games on radio - can be heard on the internet or your smartphone device through iheart.com or the iHeartRadio app.