RHODE ISLAND VS. MASSACHUSETTS - SERIES NOTES

• Saturday's game against Massachusetts is the 158th meeting between the schools, including the second meeting this season.
• UMass is the school Rhode Island has faced the second most in program history. Only in-state rival Brown (163 games) has played URI more often.
• Massachusetts won the first meeting of the year, 80-78, in overtime on Jan. 13.
• That game snapped a three-game win streak in the series for the Rams.
• Rhode Island has won seven of the last 10 games between the schools.
• Rhody has won each of the last five games against UMass played in the Ryan Center.
• The Rams are 41-31 all time at home in the series.
• The last time Massachusetts won in Kingston was Feb. 9, 2014, a 73-68 victory.
• Rhode Island head coach David Cox is 3-2 in his career against UMass.
• The series dates back to Jan. 11, 1908, a 32-14 win for Massachusetts.

LEGGETT HAVING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE FLOOR

• Freshman guard Ishmael Leggett is coming off a career-high 17 points in Wednesday's loss to VCU.
• Leggett made his second start in the game and played a career-high 35 minutes in place of injured senior Fatts Russell, who missed the game with an ankle injury.
• Leggett and redshirt junior D.J. Johnson are tied for fourth on URI in plus-minus with a +30 for the year.
• Since making his first career start on Jan. 24 against Fordham, Leggett has seen his playing time increase.
• Over the last four games, he has averaged 24.5 minutes per game.
• In the first 15 games of the year, Leggett played more than 16 minutes just once, when he logged a career-best 25:25 against Seton Hall.
• An efficient player, Leggett shoots .517 from the field, .400 from 3-point range and .754 at the free throw line.
• He was the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week for the week of Dec. 7.

MAKHEL MITCHELL LEADS RHODY BLOCK PARTY

• Sophomore center Makhel Mitchell ranks 28th in the country with 33 blocked shots.
• His 1.74 blocked shots per game ranks fourth in the Atlantic 10.
• On Wednesday against VCU, he had three blocks, the fifth time this season he has had at least three in one game
• As a team, Rhode Island has 90 blocked shots, which ranks seventh in the country and second in the Atlantic 10.
• In addition to Mitchell's work protecting the rim, redshirt junior Antwan Walker has 15 blocked shots, junior Malik Martin has 12 and redshirt junior D.J. Johnson has 11.
• Rhode Island averages 4.7 blocked shots per game, which is second best in the A-10 and 27th in the country.