How it Happened
Trailing by one at the half, Rhode Island (11-13, 2-7) pulled back in front when freshman E.C. Matthews' bucket gave the Rams a 47-46 advantage just over four minutes into the second frame. A 15-9 Rhode Island run then gave the Rams a seven-point cushion (62-55) with 8:35 left to play but Massachusetts (19-4, 6-3) outscored URI, 18-6, the rest of the way to take home the win.

The first half featured seven ties and eight lead changes. Midway through, the score was knotted at 20-20 before the Rams used a 9-2 push to move in front by seven (29-22). However, the Minutemen stormed back with a 14-6 run to take a 36-35 lead into the break.

Inside the Box Score

• The loss is Rhode Island's fourth in a row to the Minutemen, dating back to the 2012 season. Rhody and UMass will face one another again on Feb. 26 at the Mullins Center in Amherst, Mass.
• Freshman E.C. Matthews picked up his fourth 20+ point game of the season, netting a game- and career-high 24 points for the Rams. He connected of 8-of-9 attempts from the line and was 7-of-15 from the field.  
• Freshman Hassan Martin finished with five blocks, marking his 13th game with multiple swats and his eighth time recording four or more. 
• Martin also grabbed a team-best five rebounds for the Rams, who were outrebounded by a 36-27 margin. 
• Senior Xavier Munford scored 19 points on the night. He has now reached double figures in 47 of his 53 games at Rhode Island. Munford also added two steals and an assist in 39 minutes on the floor.
• UMass finished with three double-digit scorers: Chaz Williams (21), Raphiael Putney (11) and Derrick Gordon (11). Williams also dished out a game-best seven assists while Gordon grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.
• The Minutemen held a 19-4 advantage in fast break points and outscored URI 43-28 in the paint.

What's Next
The Rams are back in action on Wednesday night when they travel to Dayton for a 7 p.m. tipoff at UD Arena.