What It Means:
Rhode Island fought for 40 minutes with long-time rival Massachusetts, falling just short, 70-67.  Both regular season matchups between the Rams and Minutemen were decided by a total of eight points.

Rhody (12-17; 3-11 A-10) jumped out to a 21-8 lead after a Gilvydas Biruta layup with 8:01 to play.  But UMass (22-5; 9-4 A-10) closed out the half strong, outscoring URI 23-9 down the stretch and taking a 31-30 halftime lead.

The second half began with eight unanswered points by the Minutemen, as they took a 39-30 lead with 18:10 left in regulation.  But Rhody would chip away at the lead.  Back-to-back 3-pointers by E.C. Matthews and a Biruta drive-and-dunk cut it to one - 46-45 - with 11:52 to go.

UMass would go back up by six (51-45) before a 15-5 Rhody run, capped by a Jarelle Reischel traditional 3-point play - gave the Rams a 60-54 lead with 4:40 to play.  There were three ties and three lead changes down the stretch.  The Minutemen would score 10 of their last 14 points from the free throw line.

Inside the Box Score and Beyond:
* Four Rhody players tallied double figures, led by 17 points (7-15 FG) from Gilvydas Biruta.  The junior forward had a full stat line, adding eight reboundsm five assists and two blocked shots in 33 minutes.

* Xavier Munford added 16 points, five rebounds, two assists, a blocked shot, and two steals while playing all 40 minutes.  He now has 980 points in his URI career.

* E.C. Matthews scored 11 of his 14 points in the second half.  The front-runner for A-10 Rookie of the Year was 5-of-9 from the floor and 2-of-4 from 3-point land, while registering five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal in 35 minutes.

* Hassan Martin made 6-of-9 shots, good for 13 points.  Nine of his 13 came in the first half.  

* The Rams shot 50.0% from the floor (26-52).  It is the fourth time in the last five games URI has made at least 50.0% of its shots.

* Rhody dished out a season-best 20 assists.  It marked the first time the Rams had at least 20 assists in a game since March 16, 2011 vs. Miami (Ohio).

* Despite UMass' size advantage inside, Rhody dominated points in the paint, 44-26.  Included in that total were three dunks - two by Martin, one from Biruta.

Stats of the Day:
76.9% - Rhode Island's assist rate on the night, as the team dished out 20 assists on its 26 made field goals.

6 - Rhody managed just six offensive rebounds, while UMass corralled 18.  The Minutemen held an 18-6 advantage in second-chance points.

Quotable:
"Their physicality and maturity, dominating the backboard, and their advantage at the free throw line hurt us tonight."

We are two programs at different stages.  Derek's built his; we are building.

There are a bunch of fighters in my locker room.  They are a joy to coach.  It is a pleasure to watch them continue to grow and improve and fight.

Last year, these types of games would get away from us.  It was a 30-point game here last year.  Even when UMass made their runs, we responded."
-- head coach Dan Hurley

What's Next:
The Rams and Spiders face off in their lone regular season meeting on Saturday.  The game will tip off at 2 p.m. and can be seen live locally on OSN.  
The game will also air live on SNY throughout the tri-state region and Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic.  Eric Frede and Vin Parise will provide the broadcast call.

This - and every Rhody game - can be heard live on the radio, on iHeart.com or via the iHeartRadio app for your smartphone.  Tune into NewsRadio 920 (920 AM) to hear Steve McDonald and Don Kaull provide the call.  The pre-game show begins at 1:30 p.m.