Rhode Island Starters
Jeremy Sheppard, Ishmael Leggett, Makhi Mitchell, Makhel Mitchell, Ishmael El-Amin
 
Dayton Starters
Toumani Camara, Malachi Smith, DaRon Holmes II, R.J. Blakney, Kobe Elvis

How it Happened
Rhode Island rallied back from a 12-point second-half deficit, but it was Dayton leaving the Ryan Center with a 63-57 victory Monday night.
 
URI and UD kept it close early on as neither team led by more than three points until a 9-0 Rhody run put the Rams up by six (17-11) with 7:51 left in the first half. The Flyers held Rhode Island to 2-of-8 shooting through the remainder of the period however, and used a trio of 3-pointers to get back in it and level the score at 24 apiece heading into the break.
 
An Ishmael Leggett jumper put Rhody back on top 15 seconds into the second half, but the Flyers responded with five straight points and never trailed again. After another basket by Leggett tied the score at 34-34, Dayton went on a 14-2 run that featured four consecutive treys. That stretch put the visitors up 48-36.
 
Rhode Island continued to battle as seven different Rams scored during an 18-6 push that evened the game at 54-54. That was as close as Rhody would get however, as UD's Mustapha Amzil then connected on Dayton's 11th trey of the game and the Flyers combined to hit six free throws down the stretch for the eventual 63-57 victory.
 
The loss drops URI to 13-11 (4-8 Atlantic 10) while Dayton improves to 18-8 (10-3 Atlantic 10).
 
Inside the Box

• For the first time this season, no player scored in double figures for Rhode Island.
• Jeremy Sheppard, Ishmael Leggett and Antwan Walker each had nine points for the Rams.
• Sheppard added four assists while Leggett had four rebounds and two assists. Both players had one steal.
• Walker also had four rebounds, as well as two assists and one block.
• Makhi Mitchell recorded a game-high 11 rebounds and three blocks. He also scored seven points.
• Makhel Mitchell finished with eight points, eight rebounds, one block and one assist.
• Jalen Carey added eight points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal.
• Rhode Island had the better field goal percentage, connecting at a 38.2-percent clip compared to Dayton's 33.3-percent showing. The difference came at the perimeter however, as UD outscored URI 33-12 from long range.

Up Next
Rhode Island returns to action on Saturday evening, when it travels to the nation's capital for a 6 p.m. meeting with George Washington.