Late rally lifts Rams to victory

Late rally lifts Rams to victory

The Rams are beginning to find their groove in Atlantic 10 play, albeit by the skin of their teeth.

Marquis Jones sank two free throws in the closing second Sunday as the Rhode Island men’s basketball team rallied to beat St. Bonaventure, 56-55, at the Ryan Center for its second consecutive conference victory.

The Rams (11-6, 2-1 A-10) trailed by seven points with 5:31 remaining before closing the game on a 8-0 run to stun the Bonnies (9-7, 1-2 A-10), who missed their final eight shots and turned the ball over three times in the closing minutes.

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Delroy James scored the first four points of the rally, followed by Jones, who hit a layup with 55 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to one and then hit his game-winning free throws with seven seconds to go on the ensuing possession.

Orion Outerbridge continued to be a difference-maker since his return to the lineup, leading the Rams with 15 points off the bench, while Jones and James finished with 12 apiece.

Rhode Island, which has now won back-to-back games since losing its A-10 opener to Xavier, will play at St. Joseph’s (5-12, 0-4 A-10) on Wednesday.