Men's Basketball cruise past Fairfield in season opener

Photos courtesy of Chris Cost-Kirkpatrick

Aided by a much-improved showing from the charity stripe and dominance on the glass, Rhode Island’s new-look offense was on full display on Monday in a 96-point showing.

The Rams overcame Fairfield 96-58 in their season opener at the Ryan Center, breaking the 90-point barrier for the second-straight matchup with the Stags and extending their advantage in the all-time record to 5-0.

“I’m really pleased with our guys being able to get the win,” URI Head Coach Archie Miller said. “I thought we had a lot of guys contribute, we also did some things in the game, I think, that translate as we keep going if we have it.”

Boasting a new-look starting five that featured three new faces and the surprise exclusion of Preseason A-10 Third Team selection Jaden House, Rhode Island exploded with a 10-0 run in the opening seven minutes of the first half. Battling out of an early 3-0 hole, the Rams took a 19-11 lead into the under-12 media timeout, fueled by five early points from David Green and a 2-3 start from the field from House, who didn’t skip a beat in his first-ever appearance off the bench for the Rams. 

Rhode Island worked efficiently from the floor as it kept the Stags at an arm’s length throughout the opening half, shooting at a 46% clip and sinking two of their four attempts from distance. Holding Fairfield to a 28% shooting tally in the opening 20 minutes, Rhode Island forced Fairfield outside, where the Stags started 0-9 from downtown, connecting on just four of its 29 total attempts on the night.

The hosts outscored the Stags 44-26 in the paint, where they drew 13 fouls inside the opening 13 minutes, cruising quickly into the double bonus. From the stripe, Miller’s squad made efficient work of their opportunities, dashing a sour trend from last season and cashing in on nearly 83% of their opportunities, shooting 34-41 to help keep their distance from the visitors. After returning to Rhode Island after a breakout season away at Albany, Sebastian Thomas led the charge for the Rams, scoring a floor-best 18 points in the game that were aided by an 8-9 mark from the free-throw line.

“[Free throw shooting] is a big, big reason why things felt funny for us as a team last year,” Miller said. “Going to the line and taking advantage of the opportunities and getting the points, that was a big deal in this game.”

On the other end of the ball, the likes of Javonte Brown and Tyonne Farrell each racked up multiple boards as the Rams dominated the defensive glass 48-36. Farrell and Brown – who both made their Rhode Island debuts as immediate inserts in Archie Miller’s starting five – led the Rams with seven and six rebounds respectively.

“A lot of guys stepped up and I think that’s the truest team element that we have right now,” Miller said. “This team has been specifically assembled in a certain way and it’s to be able to provide instant depth.”

After the Rams entered the break up 45-27 following a lengthy scoring drought for the Stags, the second half showed more of the same as the hosts began to run away with the lead. Despite a combined 56 called fouls and debutant Jamarques Lawrence fouling out with less than 10 minutes to play, the Rams navigated the tight whistle through the late stages, stretching their lead to as much as 30 and never looking back from there. 

In total, six different Rams finished in double-figures as the team shot 53% from the floor. Six players made their URI debuts for the Rams, who scored 44 points off the bench.

Miller’s squad will be back in action on Friday, as it gets set to host Holy Cross in its second non-conference matchup of the season at 7 p.m.