Rhode Island Starters
Jeremy Sheppard, Ishmael Leggett, Makhi Mitchell, Makhel Mitchell, Ishmael El-Amin
 
George Washington Starters
Joe Bamisile, Brayon Freeman, James Bishop, Hunter Dean, Qwanzi Samuels

How it Happened
A sub-par performance at the free-throw line doomed Rhode Island in a 72-61 loss at George Washington Saturday night. The Rams converted just 8 of their 18 attempts from the charity stripe, while also being outscored by the Colonials, 33-9, from long range.
 
Rhode Island led 4-3 early in the first half but George Washington took over from there and never let the Rams get back on top. A Jeremy Sheppard 3-pointer got Rhody within two (26-24) with 9:41 left in the period, but the Colonials doubled the Rams up down the stretch, outscoring URI 18-9 to take a 44-30 lead into the break.
 
Rhode Island opened the second half on a 10-3 run that cut the deficit to seven (47-40) after three and a half minutes of play. A Hunter Dean jumper put GW back up by 10 (61-51) with nine minutes to go however, and the Colonials led by double figures the rest of the way, eventually pushing the advantage to as many as 15 (70-55). Rhody held George Washington to just one basket over the final 3:30, but was unable to close the gap, falling 72-61.

Inside the Box

• Makhi Mitchell double-doubled for the Rams, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds. He also had a pair of assists.
• Makhel Mitchell scored a team-high 15 points and added eight rebounds, one assist and one block.
• Malik Martin was the third player to score in double-figures for URI, finishing with 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting. He also pulled down nine rebounds, narrowly missing the double-double.
• Jeremy Sheppard added eight points, six assists and three steals for the Rams.
• Ishmael Leggett recorded seven points, two rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot.
• Jalen Carey contributed four points, two blocks, one assist and one rebound in 14 minutes off the bench.
• The Colonials connected on 11-of-32 from the perimeter, compared to their 4-for-12 showing from long range when the teams met back on Jan 22.

Up Next
Rhode Island returns to action Tuesday night at St. Bonaventure. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.