Rhode Island Starters
Jeremy Sheppard, Antwan Walker, Ishmael Leggett, Malik Martin, Ishmael El-Amin
 
Duquesne Starters
Tyson Acuff, Primo Spears, Davis Larson, Kevin Easley, Mounir Hima

How it Happened
The 11th-seeded Rhode Island men's basketball team edged out 14th-seeded Duquesne in the opening round of the 2022 Atlantic 10 Championship Wednesday night at Capital One Arena. Rhody will now advance to take on sixth-seeded Richmond in the second round of the league's postseason tournament, Thursday at 8:30 p.m.
 
Duquesne established control early on in the first half, and held onto the lead until a jumper by Ishmael El-Amin put Rhody back on top (47-46) with 16:27 remaining in the second half. The basket by El-Amin came amid a 14-3 run that the Rams used to open the second half.
 
The Dukes hung close, and eventually evened the score at 63 apiece after five straight points by Primo Spears. However, Rhody reclaimed the lead for good on its next possession as a Makhi Mitchell 3-pointer sparked a 9-4 push that gave the Rams a seven-point cushion (72-65) with 1:59 left to play.
 
After a trey from Kevin Easley cut URI's lead to four (72-68), the Dukes began fouling Rhode Island with a minute and a half remaining, hoping to capitalize on the Rams' struggles at the free-throw line. The strategy proved effective as URI was just 7-for-12 from the charity stripe down the stretch. Meanwhile, Duquesne steadily clawed its way back, making it a 78-77 game with 11 seconds remaining in regulation.
 
The Dukes then sent Jeremy Sheppard to the line – where he made the first, but missed the second. A defensive rebound by Davis Larson then gave Duquesne the final possession of the game, however a desperation half-court shot fell short as time expired, allowing Rhody to escape with the 79-77 victory.

Inside the Box

• Five different Rams scored in double figured for the first time since Dec. 7.
• Antwan Walker led the team in scoring with 17 points and a season-high 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the season, and fifth of his career. He was 3-of-3 from long range and also had two blocks, one steal and one assist.
• Jeremy Sheppard added 15 points and dished out a game-best six assists.
• Ishmael Leggett scored 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers. He also grabbed seven rebounds and had one steal.
• Makhi Mitchell registered 10 points and eight rebounds. All of his scoring came in the second half.
• Makhel Mitchell also finished with 10 points, while adding four rebounds and three blocks.
• Malik Martin added eight points, four rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
• Sebastian Thomas and Jalen Carey each had three assists. Thomas also recorded a pair of steals
• Ishmael El-Amin ended the night with five points, two rebounds and two assists.

Up Next
The Rams return to Capital One Arena to take on sixth-seeded Richmond tomorrow at 8:30 p.m.