Beacons Stop RIC's Two-Game Win Streak

More news about: Rhode Island College

Boston, Mass.--The Rhode Island College men's basketball team dropped an 81-63 decision against UMass Boston in a Little East Conference contest on the road at the Clark Athletic Center on Saturday afternoon.

 

RIC (6-7, 0-3 LEC) sophomore forward Benjamin Vezele (Providence, RI) recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while junior guard Jovel Beckford (Providence, RI) notched 14 points, eight rebounds and three steals for the Anchormen. Sophomore guard Jimmy Fritzson (Sharon, MA) was also in double figures with 10 points, three assists and two boards in the setback.

 

Senior forward Sam Freeman (Boston, MA) paced UMass Boston (9-4, 2-1 LEC) with a double-double, scoring 20 points with 10 rebounds, while senior forward Dan Powers (Westwood, MA) narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and a game-high 14 rebounds for the Beacons. Junior guard Iser Barnes (Boston, MA) and senior guard Careem Kirksey (Dorchester, MA) each had 12 points in the victory.

 

RIC raced out to the early advantage and held a 13-7 lead on a three-pointer by Beckford with 14:49 left in the first half. The two teams battled back and forth with the score tied, 22-22, with just over seven minutes left in the stanza. UMass Boston then went on a 9-0 run, capped by a layup by Kirksey, to lead 31-22 with 4:52 on the clock. That would be the largest advantage for the Beacons in the first half as they took the 39-32 lead heading into the locker room at halftime.

 

The Anchormen chipped away at the lead and closed the gap to three, 46-43, on a free throw by sophomore forward Justin Campbell (New Haven, CT) with 13:31 remaining in the contest. That would be as close as RIC would get, however, as UMass Boston pulled away down the stretch to cruise to the 18-point victory.

 

RIC shot 37.5 percent (24-of-64) from the field, 36.4 percent (4-for-11) from behind the three-point stripe and 61.1 percent (11-of-18) from the free throw line. UMass Boston shot 48.4 percent (30-of-62) from the field, 66.7 percent (8-of-12) from three-point land and 81.3 percent (13-for-16) from the free throw line.

 

In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will continue Little East Conference play at Southern Maine on Wednesday, Jan. 11 (7:30 p.m.).