What It Means:
Rhody won its second straight game, 67-62 over Duquesne, thanks to some key defensive stops late in the ballgame.  URI closed on a 14-5 run over the final 4:06, holding Duquesne to just one field goal as it earned a 67-62 win on the road.  

Rhody took an eight-point lead at the 16:17 mark of the second half, as a Mike Powell fast break pull-up made it 41-33.  The Dukes rallied back with a 14-2 run, taking a four point edge with 11:12 to play.  The game featured seven ties and five lead changes.

Inside the Box Score and Beyond:
* Nikola Malesevic had 19 points and seven rebounds in 27 minutes.  Again, the senior from Serbia stepped up and knocked down 8-of-13 from the floor - including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.

* Malesevic's 3-pointer with 3:03 left was a turning point shot and his layup with just under a minute to play gave the Rams the lead for good.

* Xavier Munford was hounded by Duquesne defenders all night, but added 14 points and a career-best six assists.  The junior guard knocked down all seven of his free throw attempts.

* After a first half in which he played just six minutes, Jordan Hare finished with nine points and five rebounds in 16 second half minutes.

* Rhode Island committed 10 second half turnovers.

* T.J. Buchanan was the first half MVP, getting the Rams going offensively.  He connected on all three of his shot attempts - including two 3-pointers.  

* Andre Malone struggled from the floor, but drained four free throws over the final 18 seconds to seal the victory for Rhode Island.

* Rhode Island has won six straight games at the A.J. Palumbo Center.

* This marked the fifth time that Dan Hurley and Jim Ferry-coached teams met on the hardwood.  The two coaches met as leaders of Wagner and LIU, respectively, in Northeast Conference play.

* Alwayne Bigby made solid contributions off the bench, with four rebounds and two steals in 14 minutes of play.

* The Rams dominated in the paint, outscoring the Dukes, 28-16, inside.

What's Next:
The seventh Annual Pink Out Game is Wednesday, Feb. 20 when Rhody hosts Xavier at 7 p.m. at the Thomas M. Ryan Center.

The game be seen live on OSN (Cox ch. 5 / 1005 HD) with Eric Frede and Abu Bakr.  

Steve McDonald and Don Kaull also bring you the radio call on the Beltone Hearing Aid Centers Rams Radio Network (B101 101.5 FM).  

This - and all Rhody games on radio - can be heard on the internet or your smartphone device through iheart.com or the iHeartRadio app.

For tickets, visit ExperienceRhody.com or stop by the Ryan Center box office.  For more information, call (401) 874-RAMS.