Turnovers trouble Rhody in largest loss of season to VCU

Photo Courtesy of URI Athletics

Rhode Island broke a detrimental 20-year record on Tuesday when it hosted the battle of the Rams, where VCU secured an 81-57 victory in Kingston.

The men in Keaney and white turned the ball over 27 times enroute to their second home defeat, their largest of the season. Rhody has not turned the ball over more than 25 times since a 67-41 loss at Houston on Dec. 27, 2005. 

“I don't think I've ever been in a game that's had 27 turnovers,” URI Head Coach Archie Miller said. “And it doesn't matter who you play, if you turn the ball over 27 times in a game, you're never gonna win. But we just were not ready, weren't prepared.”

These woes were inflicted on the inbound pass multiple times, where VCU pressed the home Rams possession after possession. 

“Our inbounder in general tonight, I would say probably had between six and eight turnovers, which again, that's on me,” Miller said. “I have to teach them how to get open and run better, press offense.”

Rhody kept the first half close at the break where senior guard Sebastian Thomas led all scorers with 15 points, followed by graduate guard Joe Bamisile and his 14 for the southern Rams. The visitors led by 18 at one point, 33-17 with 5:25 to play in the first half, but Thomas sparked a Rhody 19-3 run to cut the halftime deficit to 40-34. 

“I think that everybody would say the resiliency, the togetherness, our ability level to fight [kept us in the game], " Miller said. “[It] showed it in spurts, especially [at the] five minute mark in the half, [it] could have went really different at halftime, but we fought there and kind of worked, but we just weren't good in any area.”

The second half doomed the Ocean State natives, who were outscored 41-23 in the second half, with a post-break shooting percentage of 30.4 percent compared to VCU’s 45.5 percent. 

“It may have been like a two point game, but just mentally, we broke, we fractured, we weren't tough enough tonight,” Miller said. “And we're not getting our team's attention enough in terms of, the game of basketball in January in conference, like you can't give a team 17 fast break points and turn the ball over 15 times at halftime.”

The Keaney men also got into foul trouble, with senior David Green fouling out and Thomas, senior center Javonte Brown and junior guard Jamarques Lawrence all finishing the contest with three or more. The two squads shot the same number of free throws, 21, but VCU’s efficiency of 15 makes to URI’s 11. Miller also gave the visitors two free throws, earning a technical foul at the hands of referee Issac Barnett with 8:28 to play. 

“Tonight, I didn't really try to get a tech, so I really regret not getting the best of that,” Miller said. “I can deliver a technical as well as anybody. And I just get so pissed when I get one for no reason, other than maybe moving my hands or

saying ‘BS’ or something like that.”

Rhody struggled in areas where they had thrived in its last game against Davidson, suffering a fourth conference defeat in seven games.

“We were mentally weak, physically weak, and we got outplayed by a better team tonight in

this building,” Miller said. “And where we go from here is the next most important thing. Our team has to be way, way, way better.”

The Rams will visit Philadelphia over the weekend to take on the La Salle Explorers in the City of Brotherly Love. The game is available to be streamed on ESPN+ with an audio broadcast on The Varsity Network. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.