URI Beats La Salle 74-62, Moves to 2-0 in A-10 Play
Joe Calabro, GoLocalProv Sports Team
URI Beats La Salle 74-62, Moves to 2-0 in A-10 Play
EC for THREEEEE!!! pic.twitter.com/aXzLeYCApo
— Rhody MBB (@RhodyMBB) January 4, 2018
“Tonight showed that these next few weeks are going to be a grind. We’re at the point now where, with every team we face, the teams know each other well. The coaches have coached against each other and the players all know one another. We need to refocus our efforts as we continue to move forward in conference play," said URI head coach Dan Hurley in his post-game press conference.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe win improves URI to 10-3 overall and 2-0 in the A-10.
URI is now 9-0 at home the season.
Rams Cruise Past La Salle in 2nd Half
URI led 47-40 with 14:55 to play in the game before La Salle went on a quick 5-1 run to cut the Rams lead to 48-45 after a Tony Washington jump shot went down with 12:45 to go.
Then the Rams took over.
Sparked by an E.C. Matthews jumper, URI went on an 8-0 run capped off by a Jeff Dowtin jump shot to take a 56-45 with 10:01 to go.
Matthews led the Rams with 24 points on 10 of 17 shooting from the field.
The Rams would extend their lead to 13, 60-47, after two free throws from Fatts Russell with 9:11 to go.
La Salle would not get closer than nine points the rest of the way.
Next up
The Rams return to action Saturday, January 6 when they visit George Washington.
Game time is set for 4 p.m.
URI Rams Basketball 2017-18 Projected Starting Lineup
Guard
E.C. Matthews - Redshirt Senior
E.C. Matthews returns for his redshirt senior season, now two years removed from ACL surgery. The Rams will need him to regain his form.
Matthews missed a couple of weeks during the preseason with knee tendinitis, but has since returned to practice and did play in URI's "secret scrimmage" against Harvard last week.
Prior to the start of this season, Matthews was named to the first preseason All-Atlantic 10 team during A-10 Media Day. He is also on the John Wooden Award Watch List.
Last season, Matthews averaged 15 points per game on 42% shooting from the field. In the A-10 Tournament, Matthews carried the Rams offense scoring 20, 19 and 19 points respectively in the three games to get the Rams the title.
Guard
Jared Terrell - Senior
Jared Terrell was named to second preseason All-Atlantic 10 team during A-10 Media Day.
He returns to the Rams after averaging 13 points, three rebounds and one steal per game in 2016-17.
Terrell will look to build off last season in which he shot 42 % from the field - the highest of his career.
Guard
Jeff Dowtin - Sophomore
Jeff Dowtin is coming off a freshman season in which he started the final 19 games, including both NCAA Tournament games.
He averaged six points and two assists in 22 minutes of action per game last season while also recording 17 steals on the year.
In URI's NCAA Tournament game against Creighton, Dowtin poured in a career-high 23 points on 6 of 8 shooting from the field.
Forward
Andre Berry - Senior
In two seasons with the Rams, Andre Berry has played in 30 games, but hasn't started any.
For his career, Berry has averaged 2.4 points and 1.6 rebounds in an averaged of six minutes per game.
Center
Cyril Langevine - Sophomore
Cyril Langevine will make the start at one of the forward positions as the Rams will try to replace Hassan Martin, who they lost to graduation.
Last season, Langevine played in 35 games and started five games for URI averaging three point, five rebounds, and one block.
In URI's NCAA game against Oregon, Langevine had a near double-double with nine rebounds and nine points. He also had three steals.
