KINGSTON, RI - Rhode Island used an 18-2 run to end the game and a 28-33 performance from the free throw line for the game to defeat Northeastern 80-67.
"We led for most of the game but at the end we succumbed to the pressure. We stopped thinking on defense and took bad shots," said NU coach Rudy Keeling. "Our guys played their hearts out but just didn't do the things they needed to do in the final three minutes."
Ricky Cranford led NU with 17 points. Tyrone Hammick had 14 and Marcus Blossom 11. Tavorris Bell was the game's top scorer with 24 points to go with eight boards and three steals. Zach Marbury had 21 points on 12-13 from the free throw line. Marbury was 9-9 from the line in the first half.
NU led 65-62 with 5:28 left in the game but did not score again until a George Aygar hoop with 30 seconds left in the game. During that span, the Rams reeled off 14 straight points to put the game away. The Rams scored 30 points in the game's last 10 minutes. In that run Dinno Daniels had six points and Marbury five points.
The Huskies trailed 42-39 but then went on a 15-2 run, with Cranford scoring eight points and Blossom five. But the Rams battled back and took the lead for good at 3:36 a Daniels free throw.
Northeastern led 37-35 at the half, as they outshot the Rams 48.6 percent to 31.6. Hammick had 12 first half points.
The Huskies fall to 1-6 while the Rams improve to 3-7. The Huskies are off until Dec. 28 when they travel to take on Indiana in the opening round of the Hoosier Classic.
VISITORS: Northeastern
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
No. N A M E FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
22 Cranford, Charles * 7-15 2-6 1-3 2 3 5 3 17 3 6 1 3 35
23 Francois, Jean * 3-6 0-0 1-1 3 4 7 5 7 0 2 0 3 22
30 Blossom, Marcus * 4-11 0-3 3-5 1 2 3 4 11 2 4 1 1 37
32 Barnes, Dwayne * 2-9 0-2 2-2 3 5 8 0 6 2 1 0 0 30
34 Hammick, Tyrone * 7-10 0-0 0-0 1 3 4 5 14 3 3 0 2 30
01 Amedee, Rubens 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
03 Morris, Cleophus 0-2 0-1 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
04 West, Tim 2-2 0-0 0-0 2 1 3 1 4 0 0 0 0 6
05 Bain, Jean 0-4 0-1 0-0 1 3 4 3 0 3 3 0 0 19
40 Aygar, George 4-6 0-0 0-2 0 3 3 4 8 0 0 2 0 18
TEAM ........................................ 0 2 2
TOTALS 29-65 2-13 7-13 14 26 40 25 67 13 19 4 9 200
TOT-FG 1stH: 0-0 00.0% 2ndH: 29-65 44.6% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 44.6% Deadbl
3pt-FG 1stH: 0-0 00.0% 2ndH: 2-13 15.4% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 15.4% Rebs
FThrow 1stH: 0-0 00.0% 2ndH: 7-13 53.8% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 53.8% 2, 1
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HOME TEAM: Rhode Island
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
No. N A M E FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
02 Daniels, Dinno * 3-13 0-5 6-8 0 2 2 1 12 4 3 0 1 37
14 Bell, Tavorris * 9-18 0-3 6-6 4 4 8 1 24 2 1 0 3 40
21 Scott, Andre * 3-5 0-0 0-0 2 4 6 3 6 1 1 0 0 29
33 Marbury, Zach * 4-14 1-6 12-13 2 5 7 4 21 4 3 1 1 34
54 Evans, Marcus * 0-3 0-0 0-0 3 0 3 2 0 0 2 0 1 12
04 Wafula, Andrew 2-4 0-0 2-4 2 3 5 0 6 0 0 2 0 20
55 Smith, Howard 3-4 3-3 2-2 0 3 3 1 11 4 3 0 4 28
TEAM ........................................ 1 5 6 1
TOTALS 24-61 4-17 28-33 14 26 40 12 80 15 14 3 10 200
TOT-FG 1stH: 0-0 00.0% 2ndH: 24-61 39.3% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 39.3% Deadbl
3pt-FG 1stH: 0-0 00.0% 2ndH: 4-17 23.5% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 23.5% Rebs
FThrow 1stH: 0-0 00.0% 2ndH: 28-33 84.8% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 84.8% 1
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OFFICIALS: Jack Sweeney, Joe Mingle, Carl Bullard
TECHNICAL FOULS:
Northeastern - none
Rhode Island - none
ATTENDANCE: 2385
SCORE BY PERIODS: 1st 2nd OT1 OT2 OT3 OT4 TOTAL
Northeastern 37 30 67
Rhode Island 35 45 80
