North Dartmouth, Mass.-The Rhode Island College men's basketball team dropped an 84-66 decision against UMass Dartmouth in a Little East conference contest played at The Tripp Center on Wednesday evening.

RIC (8-8, 2-4 LEC) was led by sophomore forward Benjamin Vezele (Providence, RI) with 18 points, five rebounds and four assists. Senior forward Domonique Bull (Worcester, MA) was also in double figures with 14 points and six boards, while sophomore forward Justin Campbell (New Haven, CT) rounded out the double figure scorers with 16 points and seven rebounds.

Senior guard Chris Mendes (Somerset, MA) paced UMass Dartmouth (11-5, 5-1 LEC) with 17 points, nine assists and five rebounds. Senior forward Abi Akanni (Fitchburg, MA) notched 20 points, six assists and five rebounds in the victory for the Corsairs.

RIC jumped out to the early lead and held a 10-4 advantage after a layup by Vezele with 16:53 left in the first half. The two teams then battled back and forth with UMD holding a 19-18 lead midway through the first half. The Corsairs then used a 15-0 run, capped by a three pointer by Mendes, for the 34-18 advantage with 7:28 remaining in the stanza. UMD continued to build in its lead and went up by as many as 24 points before taking a 47-27 lead heading into the locker room at halftime.

The Corsairs extended their lead to 32 on a jumper by Mendes, making the score 67-35 with 12:56 remaining in the contest. UMass Dartmouth then cruised to the 84-66 victory.

RIC shot 45.0 percent (27-of-60) from the field, 21.4 percent (3-for-14) from behind the three-point stripe and 60.0 percent (9-of-15) from the free throw line. UMass Dartmouth shot 50.0 percent (37-of-74) from the field, 24.0 percent (6-of-25) from three-point land and 66.7 percent (4-for-6) from the free throw line.

In upcoming action, Rhode Island College continue Little East Conference play at Plymouth State on Saturday, Jan. 21 ( p.m.).