Chicopee, Mass.--Sophomore forward Benjamin Vezele (Providence, RI) notched a double-double with 23 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Rhode Island College men's basketball team to a 94-84 win over Elms on Thursday night.

RIC (6-6) junior guard Jovel Beckford (Providence, RI) added 21 points, seven rebounds and four rebounds, while sophomore forward Justin Campbell (New Haven, CT) was also in double figures with 15 points and seven boards for the Anchormen.

Senior guard Symon Smith (Oklahoma City, OK) led the way for Elms (1-8) with 21 points, while senior forward Conny Ihearahu (Largo, MD) contributed a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds in the loss for the Blazers.

RIC led throughout the first half and took its largest lead of the stanza when a pair of free throws by Vezele made the score 45-34 with 1:51 left in the half. The Anchormen then closed the half on a 7-0 run and took a 52-34 lead heading into the locker room at halftime. RIC shot an impressive 62.1 percent from the field in the first half.

The Anchormen pushed the lead to as many as 22 points several times early in the second half before Elms chipped away at the advantage. The host Blazers closed the gap to just three points on a layup from freshman guard DeAngelo Cousar (Bowie, MD), making the score 80-77 with 4:27 left on the clock. That would be as close as the Blazers would get, however, as RIC hit 7-of-9 from the free throw line in the final two minutes to seal the victory.

RIC shot 56.4 percent (31-of-55) from the field, 47.4 percent (9-for-19) from behind the three-point stripe and 82.1 percent (23-of-28) from the free throw line. Elms shot 38.2 percent (29-of-76) from the field, 25.0 percent (8-of-32) from three-point land and 75.0 percent (18-for-24) from the free throw line.

In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will resume Little East Conference play at UMass Boston on Saturday, Jan. 7 (3 p.m.).