Rams Fall To UMass In Finale
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Another close, tough game. Another loss for URI.
The pattern that seemed to be a recurring theme all season long played itself out once again Saturday at the Ryan Center as the Rams fell to UMass 75-66 in their final game of the 2012-2013 season.
URI was in it most of the way but could not get over the hump for the win.
“I thought the game was very typical of the way the season has gone for us,” said Rams coach Dan Hurley. “We played well enough to be in the game late.”
Once again, however, Hurley admitted that Rhody’s inability to rebound (UMass enjoyed a 40-26 advantage on the glass) and make free throws (URI went 11-19) hurt his team’s chances.
The loss finishes the season for URI which will not take part in the A-10 Tournament this week in Brooklyn. The Rams finished (8-21) overall and (3-13) in the Atlantic Ten in Hurley’s first season at the helm. However, the coach believes that better days are ahead for his program.
“I look at it like we have a major responsibility here to make this a great, great program,” he said. “I view us as an important program in this league moving forward.”
It’s hard to argue with Hurley given the transfers and ineligible players he has had sitting out this year and with the solid recruiting class he has put together for next season.
NOTES:
-It was “Senior Day” at URI where Nikola Malesevic, Ryan Brooks and Andre Malone were honored before the game. Malone went out by scoring a career-best 19 points while Melesevic netted 11 in his final game. Brooks managed to score 2 points in 11 minutes of action.
-As has been the case for most of the season, Xavier Munford led the Rams in scoring with 21 points (8-16 FG).
-With Xavier’s loss to Butler, UMass (19-10, 9-7) finishes as the 6th seed in the A-10 Tourney and will take on 11th-seeded George Washington in opening round action of the A-10 Tourney.
-Ironically, one of URI’s three conference wins came against the regular season A-10 Champs at St. Louis.
Comments:
joe adamowicz
6:32am on Friday, March 15, 2013
“I look at it like we have a major responsibility here to make this a great, great program,” he said. “I view us as an important program in this league moving forward.”
I think this is just talk. After the A-10 is ravaged next year with the defections of Butler, Xavier, etc. what really is left but a shell of the old Yankee Conference. Hurley is good at the coach speak like all coaches but the realty is the same: 8 wins and only 3 in conference. I say show me the wins, coach. We've had enough of the coach speak and losing. Very, very disappointing year and the way money is ruling college sports these days, I see URI playing in some glorified high school league in the years to come. Sad, sad indeed.
joe adamowicz
6:44am on Friday, March 15, 2013
Feeling a little bit envious as old Coach B and former Ram, Billy, looking pretty good right now. And they are headed to post-season play, I believe the CRI tournament or something like that.
Canisius is 18-13 overall and the team went 11-7 in MAAC play under Baron, who will be taking a team to the national postseason for the 12th time in his 26-year head coaching career. The team earned a first-round bye in last week's MAAC Tournament for just the second time since 2000 and the team's No. 5 seed in the conference's postseason event was the highest for the program since 1999. In the latest NCAA RPI release, the Griffs are No. 114 and the team's strength of schedule ranks 100 out of 345 teams at the Division I level.
The Griffs are led by junior guard Billy Baron, who was named All-MAAC First Team last week. Pretty impressive..
joe adamowicz
6:55am on Friday, March 15, 2013
My bad, it's the CIT tournament, not the CRI. For Canisius participation in the 2013 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) will end the program's 17-year postseason drought.
joe adamowicz
9:08am on Friday, March 15, 2013
Scott, what's the rumor about The URI AD jumping ship for Xavier.And do you think Hurley has his eye on the Seton Hall job?