Rhode Island Starters
Williams, Foppossi, Cairns, Elmore, Tahane,

Richmond Starters
Townsend, Squires, Budnik, Lewandowski, Klimkiewicz

How it Happened
Rhode Island bounced back with a strong road victory, knocking off Richmond 69-66 Saturday afternoon.

After seeing its program-record 13-game win streak snapped last time out against Dayton, the Rams (21-4, 11-1 Atlantic 10) got back on track immediately. The only time URI trailed was when Richmond scored the first basket of the game to take a 2-0 14 seconds in. Rhode Island scored the next four points and never trailed again.

The final four minutes of the first half were a critical stretch. Richmond (14-13, 5-9 A-10) closed within six at 34-28 following a Siobhan Ryan layup with 4:17 left in the period. Rhody got 3-pointers from Dolly Cairns and Marie-Paule Foppossi before Dez Elmore hit a jumper at the halftime buzzer to send URI into the break with a 42-31 lead, the largest lead of the half.

Richmond rallied in the third behind the shooting of Emma Squires, who was 4-for-4 from 3-point range in the quarter. A 6-0 run by the Spiders, cut Rhode Island's lead to eight points at 48-40. However, Cairns responded with a 3-pointer to get the lead back to double digits less than a minute later. The Spiders did not go away, getting back-to-back 3-pointers from Squires to get within five points at 51-46 and force Rhode Island to call timeout with 1:36 left in the period.

After an empty URI possession out of the timeout, Richmond's Grace Townsend was fouled while making a layup. She hit the free throw to make it a one-possession game, 51-49. Emmanuelle Tahane briefly slowed the momentum with a jumper, but Squires hit her third 3-pointer of the quarter to make the score 53-52 heading into the fourth quarter.

Neither team scored for the opening 2:22 of the fourth until Chanell Williams hit a layup. A Tahane layup pushed Rhody's lead to 57-52 before Squires struck again with her sixth 3-pointer of the day, making the score 57-55. It was Squires again with a layup to tie the game, 57-57 with 4:46 to go.

The teams traded 3-pointers from Foppossi and Squires to make the score 60-60 before URI got a Tahane free throw and jumper from Foppossi to go up three. Townsend made a layup to make it a one-point game, but Cairns hit a 3-pointer to extend back to a four-point lead.

The teams traded baskets again before Townsend scored on another layup with 22 seconds left to make the score 68-66. Townsend then came up with a steal. Townsend managed to draw a shooting foul with two seconds remaining, but she missed both attempts at the line. Dez Elmore got the rebound and made 1-of-2 to put the game away.  

Inside the Box Score

• The win was Rhode Island's fifth in a row against Richmond.
• The Rams improved to 10-2 on the road this season.
• Redshirt junior Marie-Paule Foppossi finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and two assists.
• It was her sixth double-double of the season.
• Graduate student Dez Elmore returned to the lineup after missing the Dayton game. She made a significant impact, scoring 17 points to go with six boards and three assists.
• Redshirt senior Emmanuelle Tahane added a team-high 18 points, seven rebounds and three steals.
• Sophomore Dolly Cairns was the fourth Ram in double figures with 11 points.
• Rhode Island had a 14-0 edge in second-chance points.
• The Rams took exceptional care of the basketball, committing just seven turnovers, including only two in the opening 20 minutes.
• It helped Rhode Island to a 24-9 edge in points off turnovers.

Up Next
Rhode Island hosts St. Bonaventure on Wednesday, Feb. 23. The game will be the Senior Night, and Rhody players Chanell Williams, Marta Vargas, Dez Elmore, Emmanuelle Tahane and Marie-Paule Foppossi will be honored during the pregame ceremony.