Throughout the summer, GoRhody.com will run a weekly feature series introducing the members of the 2025-26 Men's Basketball team. The series will focus on their respective basketball journeys.

KINGSTON, R.I. - Mouhamed knows the thrill of hitting a buzzer beater to win a game for his team.

Two years ago, his offensive putback lifted Saint Peter's to a 62-60 win over top-seeded Quinnipiac in the semifinals of the MAAC Championship. The play sent the Peacocks to the title game, which they won against second-seeded Fairfield, earning the program its second league title and NCAA Championship appearance in three years.

It was clearly a career highlight for the Dakar, Senegal native. But ask Sow about the game-winning play, and he will bring you back a few minutes before the buzzer beater.   

"What I remember first was actually the play before the tip-in," Sow said. "We were up by three, and Quinnipiac ran a play for Matt Balanc, and he hit a 3-pointer on me. I was the person who was contesting his shot. He made the shot, and it was a tie game."

Saint Peter's called timeout with 11 seconds to go, setting up the fateful final possession.

"When he hit the shot my body kind of went numb, I'm not going to lie," said Sow (pronounced So). "But you have to stay in the moment. Now it's a tie game and we still have the ball. When we went to the huddle for the timeout, our coaching staff gave us a boost. Coach Bash (Bashir Mason) talked about moving on to the next play. Our bench gave us a boost. The thought was, 'Let's just execute our game here.' I couldn't be selfish and sit there thinking about the last play that happened. The focus has to be on the next play, otherwise I can't be there for the team."

On the final possession, Sow handed the ball off to guard Roy Clarke and set a high screen outside the paint.

"I had the ball, and I gave it to our point guard and said, 'Go get us one,'" Sow said. "He drove, and I followed down the lane. I had a lot of faith that he was going to make it, but I had a job to do. I was in the right place at the right time. I was able to grab the rebound and make the shot.

"It was a great experience to be able to make a game-winning buzzer beater. To be able to do something for my teammates and give us a chance to play for the championship, it's something you dream of."

It is the kind of play that comes with discipline and maturity. The kind of play Sow himself may not have made earlier in his career, had a critical decision not been made for him during his freshman year.

As a true freshman, Sow was a member of the Saint Peter's team that made a memorable run to the Elite 8. He learned the day before the season opener against VCU that he would be sitting out a redshirt season. In the moment, it was a blow. Over time, Sow has seen the moment from a far different perspective.

"Coach Shaheen (Holloway) called me for a meeting before our first game against VCU. He said, 'Mo, it is my job as the coach to look out for the best for the present and the future of the program. Just know tomorrow you won't play because I am redshirting you,'" Sow said. "My body kind of went numb and I didn't know what to say. So I just said, 'Coach, I got you, okay.' But I was kind of mad.

"Sometimes in life, God brings you good things that in the moment may look a little iffy, you know what I'm saying? But, if you can trust in it, it ends up working out. Now, I think it was the greatest choice anyone has ever made for me. They saw I wasn't ready at the time, but they could see my potential. They were able to see what I'd bring in the future. I was practicing with the team and doing everything they were doing day-to-day, but I really took that year to observe, especially when it came to the little details within my position. They could have played me, and there would be so many little things about the game that maybe I never learn."

Among the moments Sow observed that season came following an 84-70 loss at Siena on Feb. 20. The game dropped Saint Peter's to 12-11 overall and 10-6 in the MAAC.

"Right after that game, the team went back to the locker room and the players said, 'We have to talk about this right now,' Sow said. "From that point on, we won 10 games in a row. We didn't lose again in the regular season. We won three straight at the conference tournament. We beat Kentucky in overtime. We beat Murray State. We beat Purdue. I watched the older guys and observed how they were able to carry the team. Looking back now, I understand so much more about why that was such an important moment for the team after the Siena game."

Sow became a starter the next season and averaged 6.1 points and 5.4 rebounds while blocking 78 shots and recording 75 steals over 88 career games. Last season, he set career highs with 8.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.

Following the 2024-25 season, he entered the portal. He said the process was stressful due to the number of programs he heard from. However, Rhode Island kept sticking out to him. Sow's coaching staff knew the Rhode Island staff and let him know it would be a good fit for him.

"It was an easy conversation with the coaches here at Rhode Island," Sow said. "At this point, I know who I am and what I can bring to a team. At Saint Peter's, everybody knows we were a team that played hard and really worked on the defensive end. I am going to bring that same mentality here. It's who I am, and it is what brought me here to this point. Show up, work hard, play defense, contribute on offense. Hopefully win a title in my last year.

"The biggest thing I've seen in the first few weeks is that these guys compete each day at a really high level. I love these guys. Coach Archie (Miller) is putting us in a position to work hard every day, and that expectation has been established. We all know how hard it is to win a title, no matter what league you play in. This is the time to establish what works means to you. The work in the summer determines what kind of team you will be in March. Coach Archie is doing a good job laying down those expectations, as well as how he wants us to operate on defense and offense."

For Sow, it is a fit. Once again, he feels like he is in the right place at the right time.

Check back on Tuesday, July 15 for a feature on guard Myles Corey. To order tickets for the 2025-26 Men's Basketball Season, click here.


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