Rhode Island Starters
Samb, Freeman, Carey, Leggett, Martin

St. Bonaventure Starters
Evans, Luc, Farell, Banks III, Venning

How it Happened
Rhode Island built a double-digit lead then held on in the final moments to defeat St. Bonaventure 68-67 Wednesday night.

The Rams (6-10, 2-2 Atlantic 10) led by 11 points with 5:08 to go after an Ishmael Leggett 3-point shot went down. However, the visiting Bonnies (8-9, 2-2 A-10) went on a 14-2 run to take the lead with 33 seconds remaining. Guards Daryl Banks III and Kyrell Luc spurred the run, combining for three 3-pointers before Banks capped the run with an old-fashioned three-point play that gave the Bonnies a 67-66 lead.

Needing a basket, the Rams got Ishmael Leggett to the line with 17 seconds to go. He calmly sank both free throws to give Rhode Island the lead. St. Bonaventure managed to get a flurry of shots off in the final seconds, but each one fell off the rim and the Rams held on for the victory.

Inside the Box Score

• URI has won its last four games at home. Archie Miller is now 9-2 in his career versus St. Bonaventure.
• The Rams led for nearly 36 minutes, compared to just 1:14 for the Bonnies.  
• Redshirt senior Malik Martin scored his 1,000th career point. He finished the night with seven points and six rebounds. 
• Sophomore Ishmael Leggett had his second double-double in a row and third of the season. He ended the game with 23 points and 14 rebounds. 
• The 14 rebounds are a career high for Leggett.
• The Rams excelled at the free throw line going 24-for-29 as a team. This was led by Leggett (10-for-11) and redshirt junior Jalen Carey (7-for-8). 
• Carey put up nine points with three rebounds and three assists. 
• Led by Carey, the Rams held Daryl Banks III to 12 points, which is below his season average of 16.4 points per game. 
• Redshirt freshman Brandon Weston had a big game off the bench, finishing with 11 points and five rebounds in 22 minutes. He had two huge 3-point shots to provide a spark. 
• Sophomore Brayon Freeman had nine points, six rebounds and five assists. 
• The Rams scored 20 of their 68 points on the fastbreak.

What's Next
Rhode Island heads to Massachusetts Saturday, Jan. 14 for a 4:30 p.m. tip time.