Win the conference tournament. That should be the mantra of every college basketball team in Rhode Island the rest of this season.
Win the conference tournament. An at-large bid to the NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments on Selection Sunday March 16 is unlikely for Rhode Island’s eight Division I programs. Big East, Little East, America East, Ivy League, it makes no difference.
Win the conference tournament. Division III offers a little more reason for optimism. The runner-up might receive a bid — as the UMass Dartmouth women did last year — but don’t count on it.
Win the conference tournament. This year it is everything.
So, who in the Rhode Island hoops delegation has a chance to be dribbling during March Madness? Read on.
DIVISION I MEN
URI is 13-3, 2-2 in the A-10, after its 67-64 overtime victory at Richmond last Saturday. As he has all season, Sebastian Thomas led the way with 23 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 blocked shots and 2 assists. He scored Rhody’s last four points on a turnaround jumper and two free throws.
Thomas is the best story in Kingston so far. He grew up in Rumford, was a star at Bishop Hendricken, went to URI for two years, transferred to Albany, started 32 games and averaged 19.6 points, and then returned to URI for his senior season. And a good thing he did. When the Rams have needed a basket or a defensive stop, he has met the challenge.
Based on results to date, URI may have the best chance of the locals to win the conference tournament. But there’s a long way to go, and they have to keep winning, especially at home. Tonight they are in Chicago to play Loyola.
Providence College, 9-9, 3-4 Big East, seemed to be coming together after an up-and-down start that included a last-second home loss to St. John’s and another brutal one to Marquette in December. The Friars pushed two-time national champ Connecticut hard in Storrs, a good sign, before eventually losing, 87-84. They beat Seton Hall, 91-85, last Sunday thanks to Bensley Joseph’s 28 points off the bench. He buried seven of his nine three-point shots. But they stepped back last night, losing at Creighton, 84-64.
PC is moving on without Bryce Hopkins. He has played only three games this season after tearing his left ACL a year ago and undergoing major surgery. If he can return, even in February, he could be the difference between a Big East tournament run and disappointment.
Brown, 8-6, 0-1 in the Ivy League, won six straight before the holidays. Blowout losses at Kansas and Kentucky — just playing those iconic programs was a win — snapped the streak. The Bears suffered a 79-58 loss to Yale in their Ivy League opener last weekend. The Bulldogs outscored the Bears 45-30 in the second half. Senior Kino Lilly, Jr., is averaging 19.4 points per game.
Brown is hosting Ivy Madness in March. To play before their home crowd the Bears have to finish in the top half of the Ivy League.
Bryant 8-9, 2-0 in the America East, stunned perennial power Vermont, 73-53, Saturday after beating Maine in its AE opener. The Bulldogs have four players averaging double figures. Rafael Pinzon leads with 17.8 ppg and Earl Timberlake is right behind with a 16.4 average.
DIVISION I WOMEN
URI, an Atlantic-10 contender the last two seasons, is struggling. The Rams are 7-10, 2-2 in the A-10. They lost to George Mason, 71-65, at home Sunday and will play at Virginia Commonwealth Wednesday night. Harsimran “Honey” Kaur is the only Ram averaging double figures, 13.0.
Providence, 8-11, 1-5 Big East, lost at DePaul Sunday, 62-56, despite 19 points from Marta Morales Romero and 17 from Gracie Efosa. The Friars are back at it Wednesday night against Xavier.
Brown, 7-8, 1-1 Ivy League, defeated Yale, 77-69, in a see-saw game at the Pizzitola Center Saturday. Grace Arnolie scored 35 points, 20 above her average. The Bears must finish at least fourth to qualify for Ivy Madness on campus in March.
Bryant, 8-8, 1-2 America East, started 7-1 but has lost seven of its last eight games and is fading. The Bulldogs went to Vermont Saturday and got smacked, 74-43. Albany comes to Smithfield Thursday night.
DIVISION III WOMEN
Rhode Island College will have to go on a tear to match last season’s Little East championships and Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament. The Anchorwomen are 10-5, 5-1 in Little East. Last night they routed Western Connecticut, 90-40. Senior Madison Medbury of Scituate put on a show with her first triple double: 15 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
RIC beat Plymouth State, 70-47 last weekend. Medbury had 27 points, 8 rebounds, six assists and three steals. RIC’s only Little East loss was a week ago to UMass Dartmouth, 72-49.
Johnson & Wales, 12-1, 3-0 in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, is 10-1 since losing to D-1 Brown by 57 points.
Roger Williams is 8-5, 5-1 in the Conference of New England. The Hawks only CNE loss was to Western New England. They will host Endicott Wednesday in Bristol.
Salve Regina 7-6, 0-0 NEWMAC, finished the non-conference portion of its schedule Tuesday with a 68-55 triumph over Emmanuel. The Seahawks open conference play Saturday at Mount Holyoke.
UMass Dartmouth is 11-2, 5-0 in the Little East after dominating UMass Boston, 69-46 Tuesday night. Carly Whiteside scored 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting. The Corsairs are receiving votes in the national polls. Their victory over RIC snapped an 11-game losing streak against the Anchorwomen.
DIVISION III MEN
Rhode Island College, 10-4, 6-0, Little East, has won six in a row thanks to local talent. Deyshawn Tengbeh of East Providence scored 20 points and grabbed five rebounds in RIC’s thrilling 74-72 victory over Plymouth State Saturday. Senior Dwayne Robinson-O’Hagan from Woonsocket scored the last four points on a full-court driving layup with a minute to play and another layup with five seconds left. He finished with 17 points. Xavier Mendez of Pawtucket had nine points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Kourouma Ousmane, also from Woonsocket, chipped in nine points.
Roger Williams is 9-4, 4-2 in the Conference of New England, after rolling over the University of New England, 110-77, last Saturday, the third time this season the Hawks have scored 100 points. Graduate student Marc Annus is the Hawks leading scorer with a 20.6 average. RWU will play Endicott Wednesday night at home.
Salve Regina, 5-9, 2-3 NEWMAC, lost to Wheaton, 62-57, Tuesday night. The Seahawks have lost seven of their last nine games.
Johnson & Wales, 3-9, 1-2 GNAC, is struggling. The Wildcats lost to Central Connecticut by 49 on Dec. 29.
UMass Dartmouth is 4-9, 1-4 Little East, after beating UMass Boston, 93-74, Tuesday night and snapping a five-game losing streak. Graduate student Isaac Percy scored 28 points.
JUNIOR COLLEGE
The Community College of Rhode Island women seem determined to return to the NJCAA tournament. The Knights are 12-3, 7-0 in Region 21. Central Maine snapped CCRI’s 12-game winning streak over the weekend.
Angelisse Melendez is CCRI’s top scorer with a 14.5 average.
CCRI men are 6-6, 5-6 in Region 21.
