January 25, 2009 | AP Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Jimmy Baron and Lamonte Ulmer scored 18 points apiece, and Rhode Island hit six consecutive free throws in the final 38 seconds to outlast George Washington 94-89 in double overtime on Sunday.

Delroy James scored seven of his 16 points in the second overtime, including a floater with 1:01 remaining to give the Rams (13-7, 2-3 Atlantic 10 Conference) the lead for good at 88-86.

Marquis Jones hit two free throws to put the Rams up by four in the final frame, but the Colonials’ (6-11, 0-5) Noel Wilmore was fouled shooting a 3-pointer. He converted his shots to trim the lead to 90-89 with 30.8 seconds remaining.

But Jones hit two more from the line, and Ulmer added two foul shots to seal the win with 9 seconds left after blocking Wilmore’s late 3-point attempt.

Wilmore and Rob Diggs scored 20 apiece to lead the Colonials.

January 21, 2009 | AP Press

RICHMOND, VA — Francis-Cedric Martel’s short jumper gave Richmond a 77-75 lead with 16.3 seconds left, and the Spiders held on to edge Rhode Island 78-75 on Wednesday night.

Following Martel’s basket, the Rams (12-7, 1-3 Atlantic 10 Conference) had a turnover on a bad pass from Marquis Jones to Jimmy Baron. Kevin Anderson hit 1 of 2 free throws with 0.7 seconds left to seal the win for the Spiders (10-8, 2-1).

Justin Harper led the Spiders with a career-high 28 points. His only assist of the game set up Martel for the game-winner. Anderson and David Gonzalves added 15 points each, and Jarhon Giddings had 10 for the Spiders, who shot 56.4 percent from the floor (31 of 55).

Kahiem Seawright led the Rams with 18 points. Ben Eaves had 11 and Jones added 10. Baron was held below double figures for the first time this year with nine points.

January 18, 2009 | AP Press

KINGSTON, R.I. — Jimmy Baron scored 20 points and Rhode Island set a seasonal high record in points scored in a 98-67 win over Fordham on Saturday.

Rhode Island (12-6, 1-2 Atlantic 10 Conference) snapped a two-game losing streak as Fordham (2-14, 0-4 A-10) fell for the seventh consecutive time.

Rhode Island took a 55-32 lead into halftime. Lamonte Ulmer finished with 12 points and eight rebounds, Keith Cothran added 12 points and Ben Eaves had 11 for the Rams.

Alberto Estwick led Fordham with 19 points. Jio Fontan had 17 points and seven assists, while Trey Blue added points.

Rhode Island never trailed in the contest. They took their first double digit lead at 17-7 with 13:25 on a lay up by Cothran, and doubled the advantage to 20 points at 43-23 following a three-point shot by Eaves.

January 15, 2009 | AP Press

KINGSTON, R.I. — Xavier (No. 16 ESPN/USA Today, No. 15 AP) hung on to avoid an upset at the hands of Rhode Island for one simple reason.

“We are a really good defensive team, that’s why we were able to win this game,” coach Sean Miller said after the Musketeers hung on for a 67-65 win Thursday night.

Derrick Brown had 12 points and eight rebounds for the Musketeers (14-2, 3-0 Atlantic 10), and C.J. Anderson had 11 points and seven rebounds.

“We were fortunate to win the game,” Miller said. “URI took us out of our rhythm.”

Xavier shot 38.9 percent from the field, its lowest since a 36.4 percentage in a 76-66 win over Cincinnati on Dec. 13.

The Musketeers, who held their last five opponents under 40 percent shooting from the floor, kept Rhode Island (11-6, 0-2) to 37.1 percent and out-rebounded the Rams 48-36.

“It’s tough to win a game like this when you are outrebounded,” said the Rams’ Jimmy Baron, who scored 19 points in Rhode Island’s first home loss this season. After finishing 0-for-7 from the field against Xavier last February, he was 7-17, including 5-11 from 3-point range.

Baron’s jumper with 3:51 to go gave the Rams their final lead of the night at 61-59, and Dante Jackson’s 3-pointer with 1:45 remaining put Xavier in front the rest of the way.

“Down the stretch it’s going to come down to a half-court game and we need to find guys in right position at the right time to score the basketball,” Baron said.

Kahiem Seawright’s jumper for Rhode Island with one minute to go in the first half sent the teams into intermission tied at 34.

Anderson’s surge put Xavier back in front 43-36.

Rhode Island regained the edge 50-48 on Delroy James’ 3-point shot from the corner with 9:54 remaining. Then Terrell Holloway hit a pair of free throws that tied it again at 50. Xavier’s biggest lead of the game at nine points came with 15:27 left in the second half.

James had 14 points for Rhode Island, and Keith Cothran added 11.

Rhode Island hasn’t beaten a nationally ranked opponent since a 70-63 win over No. 25 Utah on Dec. 2, 1998. Thursday’s loss was the Rams’ 15th consecutive defeat against ranked teams.

“We fought hard and fought long,” Rams coach Jimmy Baron said.

January 10, 2009 | AP Press

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Ahmad Nivins had 28 points and a career-high 20 rebounds, Darrin Govens added 21 points and Saint Joseph’s outlasted Rhode Island 92-86 in triple overtime Saturday in the Atlantic 10 opener for both teams.

Tasheed Carr scored 14 points and Idris Hilliard 13 for the Hawks (7-7), who won consecutive games for the first time this season. Nivins had the first 20-point, 20-rebound game of his career.

Jimmy Baron scored 19 points, Kahiem Seawright 17 and Keith Cothran 14 for the Rams (11-5), who had their three-game winning streak snapped. Seawright surpassed the 1,000-point mark, becoming the 47th Rhode Island player to reach the milestone.

It was the longest game for Saint Joseph’s since a 127-120, four-overtime win over Utah in the consolation round of the NCAA tournament in March 1961.

Govens hit a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left in the second overtime to give the Hawks an 80-77 lead. But Cothran hit a 3-pointer from the wing at the buzzer to force a third extra period. The officials reviewed the shot on replay and ruled the shot good.

In the third overtime, Nivins hit a layup to give Saint Joseph’s an 85-81 advantage with 2:03 left. Nine seconds later, Rhode Island coach Jim Baron was whistled for a technical foul. But Nivins missed both free throws. He came back just a few seconds later and hit 1 of 2 from the line to give the Hawks a five-point lead, 86-81, with 1:40 remaining.

Baron’s third 3-pointer of the game cut the lead to 86-84 with 1:23 remaining. At that point, the Rhode Island coach called for a timeout, but the Rams didn’t have any remaining and were whistled for a technical foul.

Carr made one of the two free throws and Nivins followed with a layup with 54.9 seconds left to give the Hawks an 89-84 lead.

January 6, 2009 | AP Press

TOLEDO, Ohio — Kahiem Seawright had 16 points and went 4-for-4 on free throws as Rhode Island beat Toledo 86-77 Tuesday night at Savage Arena.

The Rockets and the Rams had 32 field goals each, including eight three pointers per team. Toledo lost the game on free throws, hitting just 5-of-18 to Rhode Island’s 14-of-22. It was the 10th straight game during which Toledo made 10 or fewer free throws.

Rhode Island (11-4) also scored 24 points off turnovers to Toledo’s eight. The Rams had a five-point lead at the break, and pulled ahead by as many as 13 points in the second half.

Jimmy Baron added another 16 points for the Rams, Keith Cothran scored 15 and Will Martell had 12. Toledo (2-12) was led by Tyrone Kent’s 29 points, Jonathan Amos added 13 and Anthony Byrd scored 11; Mohamed Lo had 17 rebounds.

It was the Rockets’ seventh consecutive loss. Rhode Island leads the series 3-1, with Toledo’s only win over the Rams in 1942.

January 3, 2009 | AP Press

KINGSTON, R.I. — Delroy James and Keith Cothran scored 16 points and added five assists apiece to lead Rhode Island to a 79-50 victory over Akron on Saturday.

Jimmy Baron chipped in with 14 points and four assists to help Rhode Island (10-4) extend its home win streak to 13 against non-conference opponents.

Akron (8-5) played tough defense in stretches, but the Rhode Island offense was too explosive, riding an 18-7 first-half run to an 11-point lead at the break.

Akron closed to within six points in the second half, but James re-entered the game at the 18-minute mark and sparked Rhode Island to a 13-0 run.

Jimmy Conyers led Akron with eight points and 10 rebounds. Nate Linhart, Darryl Roberts and Brett McKnight added seven points apiece.

Rhode Island played strong defense, holding Akron to 35 percent (21-for-60) from the floor and forcing 16 turnovers. The Rams also outrebounded the Zips 40-28.

December 30, 2008 | AP Press

HACKENSACK, N.J. — Keith Cothran scored 20 points and Will Martell added 18 as Rhode Island defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 95-80 Tuesday night.

The teams played on even terms through much of the first half, and a jumper by John Galvin gave FDU a 22-21 lead with 7:17 to play. Rhode Island (9-4) then went on an 8-0 run, fueled by a pair of dunks by Lamonte Ulmer, to take a 29-22 lead with 5:45 left.

FDU (1-10) closed to 29-25 on a 3-pointer by Cameron Tyler. But Rhode Island pulled away with a 9-0 run and eventually increased its lead to 47-31 at the half.

Martell had a perfect shooting night for the Rams, going 7-for-7 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line.

Tyler had a game-high 25 points and eight assists to lead the Knights, and Terence Grier scored 21.

December 20, 2008 | AP Press

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – James Anderson scored a career-high 33 points and Byron Eaton had all 22 of his points in the second half as Oklahoma State beat Rhode Island 86-82 Saturday night in the All-College Classic.

The tandem of former McDonald’s All-Americans provided nearly all of the Cowboys’ offense in the second half, and Eaton’s two free throws with 3:29 left gave Oklahoma State (8-3) the lead for good.

Anderson set up Anthony Brown’s jumper with a steal and then added a pair of free throws of his own to push the lead to six, and that was enough of a cushion for the Cowboys to protect down the stretch.

Kahiem Seawright led the Rams (8-4) with 17 points but was blocked inside in the final minute to help thwart any hopes of a comeback. Jimmy Baron added 16 points, Marquis Jones scored 15 and Keith Cothran had 14 for Rhode Island.

December 13, 2008 | AP Press

KINGSTON, R.I. — Kahiem Seawright scored career-high 26 points and Jimmy Baron added 22, leading Rhode Island to a 77-69 win over Central Connecticut on Saturday.

Central Connecticut (4-5) was paced by Ken Horton, who finished with 23 points. David Simmons and Robby Ptacek added 13 apiece.

Central Connecticut shot 50 percent from the field, compared with Rhode Island’s 51.7 percent.

Rhode Island (8-3) trailed by as many as six with 15:25 remaining in the second half. Baron, however, regained the advantage for his team less than a minute later, at 43-42, when he hit the first of consecutive 3-point shots.

Central Connecticut retook the lead at 60-59 on a Marcus Palmer three-point field goal with 6:15 left. But Will Martells’ lay-up with under six minutes to go gave Rhode Island a 61-60 edge that they would not surrender.

Lamonte Ulmer and Delroy James scored 10 each for Rhode Island.