DUKE BEATS URI
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DUKE BEATS URI
This year's loss is another dagger just like the 1988 Rhode Island loss to Duke by one point.
Duke Takes Control in 1st Half
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTURI’s E.C. Matthews knocked down a jump shot with 12:16 to play in the half to give the Rams an 11-10 lead, but from there Duke would take over.
Duke would convert nine straight shots en route to a 23-5 run capped off by a Grayson Allen three and a Marvin Bagley layup to take a 33-16 lead with 6:52 to play.
The Rams would cut the lead to 12, 37-25, on a jump shot by Jeff Dowtin with 4:06 to play, before the Blue Devils would push their lead back up to 15.
Duke would close the half on a three by Trevon Duval as the Blue Devils would take a 45-28 lead into the break.
Duke opened the second half on an 11-5 run to take a 56-33 lead with under 16 minutes to play.
They would cruise to the win.
End of an Era
For Rhode Island, the loss means the college careers of Matthews, Jared Terrell, Stanford Robinson, Jarvis Garrett and Andre Berry come to an end.
Matthews finished off his career by leading URI with 23 points in the game, while Terrell followed up with 10.
The senior class led the Rams to 91 wins, an A-10 Championship, and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.
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.
