URI Downs UMass In Overtime 81-78

URI Downs UMass In Overtime 81-78

URI is a young team that has taken more than its share of lumps this season. But, through it all, the Rams have continued to put in the time and effort to improve as a basketball team. Those improvements are beginning to show as the team managed to put its first 2-game winning streak together Wednesday night. Following their win at Dayton over the weekend, Rhody defeated UMass 81-78 in overtime last night at the Ryan Center.

Senior Orion Outerbridge played a big role in Wednesday’s win by scoring a career high 29 points. Outerbridge also pulled down 11 rebounds.

With URI down by two 69-67, Outerbridge hit the game-tying shot with :29 seconds to play in regulation sending the game to overtime.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

In the overtime session, URI did something that they haven’t done well until recently – make free throws. The Rams drained 7 of their 8 attempts from the charity stripe in OT after making only 7 of their 15 free throws in regulation.

Nikola Malesevic finished with 19 points on just 5 of 20 shooting from the field. Dominique McKoy was the only other Ram in double figures with 10 points and 7 rebounds. Billy Baron had 9 points, Mike Powell 8, TJ Buchanan 5. Fab freshman Jonathan Holton had a rare quiet night statistically scoring just 1 point and pulling down 4 rebounds in his 24 minutes of play.

URI did not shoot well finishing just 40% (29-73) from the field, 32% (8-25) from three and 65% (15-23) from the free throw line. But the Rams did dominate the glass outrebounding the Minutemen 41-27. Of those 41 rebounds, 16 came on the offensive glass.

Rhode Island (5-18, 2-6) hopes to have a good crowd at the Ryan Center Saturday at 2pm when the Temple Owls come to town. All fans attending the game receive a free Rhody blue t-shirt.

NOTES:

-Ram fans looking to talk or hear a little local college basketball can tune into GoLocal Sports on 103.7 FM this Saturday and every Saturday morning from 7-9am.  Scott Cordischi and John Rooke will co-host the show bringing local sports talk back to Rhode Island.  The show has already contacted URI to have men's basketball coach Jim Baron as a guest on an upcoming show.