Rhode Island Starters
Tahane, Foppossi, Vargas, Muzet, Hendley
Massachusetts Starters
Taylor, Mayo, Sims, Philoxy, Breen
How it Happened
The Rams battled back from a 13-point deficit with a 48-47 victory over Massachusetts at the Mullins Center Tuesday.
Rhode Island (2-4, 2-1 A-10) kept up with Massachusetts in the first quarter, after Kassondra Brown completed a classic three-point play to put the Rams on top 9-8 at 4:14. Rhody forced six turnovers in the first quarter for the Minutewomen, scoring five points off those miscues. Massachusetts (6-2, 2-1 A-10) held a 15-12 lead after the first behind a second chance layup by Angelique Ngalakulondi at the buzzer.
The Rams struggled offensively in the second period, going just 1-of-10 from the floor. The Minutewomen started with the same struggle on offense, however gained momentum in the final minutes of the quarter using a 12-0 run to take the 27-16 lead going into the locker room.
After the break, the Rams kept fighting, scoring three straight buckets behind Marta Vargas, Johanna Muzet, and Emmanuelle Tahane to make it 29-22. Rhody kept its rhythm, using a 6-0 run capped by a Catherine Cairns jumper to end the third down four, 39-35.
Massachusetts opened the fourth with a Destiney Philoxy 3-pointer, but Vargas answered with a 3-ball of her own to keep the Rams within reach, 42-38. The Rams got within one after a layup by Marie-Paule Foppossi. With 1:11 remaining, Emmanuelle Tahane hit a layup to put the Rams up, 48-47. A stingy Minutewomen defense helped wind down the shot clock and force the Rams into a team turnover. A shot by Ber'Nyah Mayo could not fall in the final seconds, and Rhody escaped with its second straight victory.
Inside the Box Score
- Senior Marta Vargas had a team-high 14 points. She added three steals, two assists, and two rebounds.
- Johanna Muzet was limited on offense, scoring two points. The graduate senior made up for it defensively, grabbing 10 rebounds and four steals.
- Sophomore Kassondra Brown had a productive game, scoring eight points and grabbing three rebounds in 14 minutes.
- Redshirt junior Emmanuelle Tahane had eight points to go with five rebounds and two assists.
- After shooting just 10 percent from the floor in the second quarter (1-10), the Rams came out of the locker room shooting 75 percent (9-12) in the third.
- Massachusetts entered Tuesday's game on a five-game winning streak. It's the second time in four meetings the Rams have halted a win streak for the Minutewomen.
- UMass' Destiney Philoxy had a game high 20 points on 7-8 shooting, and a perfect 4-4 from beyond the arc.
Up Next
The Rams return home to host Fordham this Friday, Jan. 8. Game time is set for 4:00 p.m. on ESPN+ with Stone Freeman and Jack O'Marra on the call.