URI WINS

Friday, March 16, 2018

GoLocalProv Sports Team

 

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E.C. Matthews

The URI Rams are on to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. 

E.C. Matthews hit two threes in the overtime period as the Rams edged tenth-seeded Oklahoma 83-78 in an overtime thriller on Friday afternoon in Pittsburgh to advance to the second round for the second straight year.

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Matthews Wins it in OT

Oklahoma scored the first three points of the overtime period to take a 72-69 lead with 3:42 to play.

From there, URI went on a 7-0 run to take control of the game. 

The Rams got within one, 72-71, after a Cyril Langevine layup with 3:24 to play in extra time.

Rhode Island still trailed by one when E.C. Matthews knocked down a three to give Rhode Island a 74-72 lead with 1:52 to play. 

Langevine would knock down two free throws to push URI's lead to 76-72 with 1:03 to play. 

The Sooners would get back within two, 76-74, on a jump shot by Kameron McGusty with 56 seconds left. 

On URI's next possession, Matthews knocked down a straightaway three 

Russell Sparks URI in 2nd Half

After trailing by as much as eight points in the second half, the Rams trailed 50-45 with just under 13 minutes to play in the game.

From that point, the Rams went on a 10-0 run capped off by back-to-back threes from Matthews and Fatts Russell to take a 55-50 lead with 8:54 to play.

After a Jarvis Garrett free throw made it 56-52, Russell hit another three to push the Rams lead to 59-52.

After Oklahoma cut URI’s lead to 59-55, Russell hit another three to push the Rams lead to 62-55.

After the Sooners got within four, 64-60, Russell and Oklahoma’s Trae Young traded layups to put URI up 66-62 with 2:58 to play.

The Sooners would rally to take a 67-66 lead with 1:35 to go before the Rams got a three-point play from E.C. Matthews to take a 69-67 lead.

On Oklahoma's ensuing possession, Stanford Robinson drew a charge to give Rhode Island the ball back with 48 seconds to play.

After Russell air-balled a three, Young would race down the court and get to the free throw line to tie the game at 69 with 15 seconds left. 

On URI's final possession of the game, Jeff Dowtin missed a layup and Stanford Robinson was unable to convert the put-back, sending the game to overtime. 

Russell finished the game with 13 points off the bench for Rhode Island, including three of four shooting from three. 

Next up

URI will now await the winner of the game between second-seeded Duke and 15th-seeded Iona.

 

Related Slideshow: URI Rams Basketball 2017-18 Projected Starting Lineup

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

 

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