How It Happened
On the day Xavier Munford reached 1,000 points, it was the Rhode Island defense that carried the Rams to a 66-43 win over Richmond Saturday.

The Rams (13-17, 4-11 A-10) frustrated Richmond's shooters all game, limited the Spiders to 21.4 percent from the floor. The 43 points by the Spiders was their lowest output of the season, as their previous low was 57 points at No. 19 Saint Louis on Jan. 29.

Richmond (18-11, 8-6 A-10) led 9-6 with 15:46 left in the first half. From there, the Rams closed the half on a 25-6 run to head to the break with a 16-point advantage. Rhody then held Richmond without a field goal for more than five points to start the second half. Rhode Island pushed its lead to as many as 28 points as it coasted to the victory. 

Munford, who entered the game needing 15 points to reach 1,000 for his Rhode Island career, hit the mark on a layup with 8:09 remaining in the game. Munford reached 1,000 in his 59th game as a Ram.

Inside the Box Score

• Freshman E.C. Matthews led Rhode Island with 19 points. He also had six rebounds,
• In addition to his 15 points, Munford had four assists, three rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots.
• Junior Gilvydas Biruta recorded his 10th career double-double, and his sixth of the season, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
• Freshman Hassan Martin notched his third career double-double. He scored 10 points and had 13 rebounds. Martin had 10 rebounds by halftime.
• The 15 points scored by Richmond tied the fewest allowed by Rhode Island in a half this season. The Rams also held New Hampshire to 15 points in the opening half on Dec. 22.
• Richmond's previous low in a half also occurred on Dec. 22. The Spiders were held to 19 points in the second half of a game against Ohio.
• The Rams set a Ryan Center record with 11 blocked shots. The mark was one shy of the program record for a single game. The Rams had 12 against Loyola (Md.) on Nov. 23, 2012.
• Richmond shot 19.2 percent (5-for-26) from the floor in the opening half, including 1-for-9 from 3-point range. For the game, the Spiders were 2-of-19 beyond the arc.
• Rhode Island dominated in the paint, outscoring Richmond 42-16 close to the basket.  
• A moment of silence was held before the game in remembrance of longtime URI administrator Leo DiMaio, who died Feb. 20. Known on campus as Mr. D, he co-founded Special Programs for Talent Development and worked at URI for more than 30 years.

Stat of the Day
59 – Senior Xavier Munford needed 59 games to reach 1,000 points for Rhode Island.

What's Next
Rhode Island closes out the regular season with a home game against Fordham Wednesday, March 5. The tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The game can be heard live on University of Rhode Island Radio Network, powered by Belltone Hearing Aid Centers. Tune into B101 to hear Steve McDonald and Don Kaull provide the call.