Rams continue skid with 12 point loss to Princeton

Photo courtesy of Michaela Benford

The losing skid for Rhode Island women’s basketball continued on Wednesday night, as the Rams dropped their fifth straight contest with a 66-54 loss to Princeton.

The winning drought is the longest for the Rams in non-conference play since the 2018-19 season. The early season slippage is also the longest regular season losing streak under Tammi Reiss, marking a rare sign of struggle underneath the leader of the revolutionized program.

“I’m disappointed in losing and losing five in a row,” URI Head Coach Tammi Reiss said. “It never feels good to lose.”

Rhode Island failed to hold a lead throughout the entirety of the game, as Princeton’s initial 6-0 advantage from the first three minutes of the game never ceased.

The Rams stayed in contention for a majority of the game though, as Princeton did not see its lead move higher than the final separation mark of 12 points. However, Rhody was burdened by offensive inefficiencies, which kept it at arm's length and prevented a full comeback.

“Our margin of error is so very small, because we’re so offensively challenged at times, that we can play a great game and then have three bad possessions and you’re down 12,” Reiss said.

The offensive struggles for Rhody were not new on Wednesday night, as the Rams currently possess the second worst offense in the Atlantic 10, averaging 58.9 points per game. 

“[Our team] really has to value the keys to the game,” Reiss said. “For us it is taking care of the ball, it’s rebounding and it’s trying to execute our game plan. For most of the game we did that, but towards the end our breakdowns in the fourth quarter and an inability to get shot and turn the ball over really affects us.”

The Rams have trailed in the fourth quarter in all but two games this season, with the most recent winning of the final quadrant coming back on Nov. 20, at UMass Lowell. Since that game, the Rams have a record of 1-5 and when they trail in the fourth quarter overall t

his season their record stands at 2-8.

Rhode Island is back in action when they take on Saint Francis in a matinee clash for Education Day at the Ryan Center. The game tips-off at 11 a.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+ with radio broadcasts available on RIU2.org and the Varsity Network.