Boston, Mass.-Senior center Mike Akinrola (Woonsocket, RI) posted 19 points and 11 rebounds as the Rhode Island College men's basketball team topped UMass Boston, 75-51, at the Clark Athletic Center in Little East Conference action on Saturday.
 
"It was great to see us get back to defending the way we are capable of," Head Coach Bob Walsh said. "When you hold a team to 36 percent shooting you should be able to win the game. Mason Choice and Mike Akinrola really stepped up for us today."
 
After heading into the halftime break with a 29-20 lead, RIC (16-4, 7-3 LEC) outscored UMass Boston, 46-31, in the second stanza en route to the victory. The Anchormen led by as many as 33 in the second half after a layup from freshman guard Brandon Hill (Bronx, NY) put RIC ahead, 68-35, with 4:04 left to play. 
 
Rhode Island College pulled away from the Beacons thanks to a lights out shooting effort. The Anchormen hit 53 percent (29-for-55) of their shots on the afternoon, which included 44 percent shooting (8-for-18) from three. On the other hand, UMass Boston shot just 36 percent (19-for-53) from the floor and also committed 17 turnovers. The Anchormen outrebounded the Beacons, 36-27, while also dishing out 17 assists as a team.
 
Senior forward Mason Choice (Newport, RI) finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists for RIC, while junior guard Tahrike Carter (Brooklyn, NY) added 13 points and five boards. Sophomore guard Tom DeCiantis (North Kingstown, RI) chipped in with nine points, while freshman forward Chris Burton (New Rochelle, NY) recorded eight points.
 
Freshman guard Mike Caceres (Opa-Locka, FL) led the Beacons with 15 points. Freshman guard Quadry Allen (White Castle, LA) added seven points, while freshman forward Rob Mascher (Sandy Hook, CT) contributed with six points and a team-high five rebounds. Freshman guard Erving Morales (Miami, FL) also recorded six points to go along with four assists and three steals.
 
In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will continue Little East Conference action at UMass Dartmouth on Tuesday, Feb. 7 (7:30 p.m.).