THE BASICS
Rhode Island (6-10, 2-2 A-10) at Massachusetts (10-6, 1-3 A-10)
Tip-Off: Saturday, Jan. 14, 4:30 p.m. EST
Coverage: ESPN+ | Listen | Live Stats | Game Notes
 

RHODE ISLAND VS. MASSACHUSETTS - SERIES NOTES

• Rhode Island and Massachusetts are facing each other for the 161st time Saturday.
• The only opponent the Rams have played more often is Brown (164 times).
• UMass leads the all-time series, 92-68.
• URI is 27-54 as the road team in the series, but the Rams are 5-5 in their last 10 visits to the Mullins Center.
• In the last five meetings between the schools, the road team has won four times.
• Last season the teams split two games, with the road team winning both contests.
• Rhode Island has won eight of the last 12 meetings overall.
• After winning seven of its first eight games this year, Massachusetts is 3-5 over the last eight games.
• Rhode Island is 4-4 over its last games after starting the season 2-6.
• Both teams had tight losses to La Salle in the last week. Rhody fell 77-75 in overtime at La Salle last Saturday and Massachusetts lost at home to the Explorers 78-75 Wednesday night.
• Both schools also faced UMass Lowell during non-conference play. Rhode Island beat the River Hawks 77-75 in overtime on Dec. 13, while the Minutemen lost 85-80 on Dec. 8.
• Archie Miller is 3-3 all-time against Massachusetts, with all six games coming during his time at Dayton.

RAMS HAVING HISTORIC SUCCESS AT THE FREE THROW LINE

• After making 24-of-29 at the free throw line Wednesday night in its win over La Salle, Rhode Island improved its team free throw percentage to .742 for the season.
• This is the highest team percentage at the line in 50 years for the Rams, dating back to the 1972-73 season in which Rhody shot .773 at the stripe.
• It is currently the fourth-highest team free throw percentage in program history, trailing only 1965-66 (.775), 1972-73 (.773) and 1964-65 (.751).
• Rhode Island ranks 23rd nationally in free throws made per game (16.2), 31st in attempts per game (21.8) and 69th in team percentage (.742).
• It is a dramatic improvement from last season, when Rhode Island shot .620 on free throws as a team.
• Guards Ishmael Leggett and Brayon Freeman are URI's most frequent shooters at the line.
• Leggett is shooting .813 (74-of-91) while Freeman is shooting .737 (42-of-57).
• Guards Jalen Carey (24-of-30, .800) and Brandon Weston (25-of-33, .758) are also shooting better than 75 percent at the line. Forward Abdou Samb (17-of-23) is just shy of 75 percent, shooting .739 at the line.

WESTON EARNING MORE PLAYING TIME

• Redshirt freshman Brandon Weston played 22 minutes off the bench in Wednesday's win over St. Bonaventure and he responded with 11 points and five rebounds.
• Over his last five games, Weston is averaging 7.0 points and 2.6 rebounds in 16.6 minutes per game.
• Weston is shooting .524 from the field (11-for-21), including 4-of-6 from 3 point range over the span.
• He had been 9-for-33 (.272) overall and 2-for-10 from deep in his first 11 games.

RAMS CRASHING THE BOARDS OF LATE

• Over its last three games, Rhode Island is +16 on the boards, outrebounding the opposition 129-113.
• URI is +4.2 rebounds per game for the season.
• Despite a physically small roster, the Rams have outrebounded their opponents in 10 of 15 games.
• Guards Malik Martin (6.6 per game) and Ishmael Leggett (6.3) lead the team.
• The Rams have 10 individual double-digit rebounding performances, with Martin and Leggett each providing three games of 10 or more.