THE BASICS
Massachusetts (11-4, 2-1 A-10) at Rhode Island (8-7, 2-0 A-10)
Tip-Off: Thursday, Jan. 13, 2:02 p.m. EST
Coverage: Watch: ESPN+ | International Stream | Listen: Varsity Network | Live Stats | Game Notes
 

RHODE ISLAND VS. MASSACHUSETTS - SERIES NOTES

• Saturdays game will be the 163rd all time between Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
• The Minutemen lead the series, 94-68.
• The only school Rhode Island has played more often than UMass is Brown (165 meetings).
• Massachusetts has won the last three meetings and five of the last six overall.
• Before that current stretch, Rhode Island had won seven of eight head-to-head match-ups from 2017-20.
• The Rams are 41-34 when hosting Massachusetts.
• Both sides enter the weekend playing well. UMass comes to Kingston winners of five of its last six games, including an 81-65 win over La Salle Wednesday. The lone loss was a 64-60 defeat at first-place Dayton,
• Rhode Island has won three straight games and is one of three teams still undefeated in Atlantic 10 play. The others are Dayton (2-0) and Richmond (2-0).
• UMass is one of the top ball-handling teams in the country. The Minutemen are 28th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.53:1 as a team. UMass also is 27th in the country with 17.2 assists per game.
• Both teams are effective at getting to the free throw line. Massachusetts averages 24.0 attempts per game, which is 24th in the country, while Rhode Island averages 21.8 per game, 73rd nationally.
• UMass shoots 68.5 percent at the line, while the Rams shoot 61.5 percent from the stripe.
• Massachusetts leads the Atlantic 10 and is 23rd nationally with 9.1 steals per game. 

FUCHS PILING UP DOUBLE-DOUBLES

• Freshman forward David Fuchs has recorded a double-double in each of his last three games and is up to four on the season.
• He has a double-double in each game since he returned to the lineup following three missed contests due to concussion protocols.
• Fuchs had 10 points and 12 rebounds against Northeastern (12/30), 13 points and 10 boards against Saint Jospeh's (1/3) and 10 points and 11 rebounds at Davidson (1/9).
• Through his first 12 career games, Fuchs has four double-doubles and has 10 or more rebounds five times.
• Here is how that compares to the freshman years of Cyril Langevine and Hassan Martin. Langevine had one double-double and five games with 10 or more rebounds over 35 games in 2016-17, while Martin had four double-doubles and five times with 10 or more rebounds in 32 games in 2013-14. 
• Lamar Odom had a program-record 19 double-doubles in his lone season in 1998-99.

RAMS LOOKING FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT WIN

• A win Saturday would be URI's fourth in a row.
• That would be the longest for the program since a 10-game win streak during the 2019-20 season.
• Including the current run, URI has had six three-game win streaks over the last four seasons.