"We're not dead yet" -- Rams win at the buzzer, again

Photo courtesy of Shane Donaldson - gorhody.com

For half an hour, it seemed like Rhode Island’s season was continuing to unravel at the Ryan Center. On the heels of two straight road losses, an ugly first half had Archie Miller’s men down by as much as 12 in a vital Atlantic 10 game. 

That changed down the stretch. After a resilient comeback bid cut the deficit to a single point with 14 seconds to go, junior guard Jamarques Lawrence heaved a three from the right corner to ice the game with three seconds left. The winner completed a career-high 20-point outing for Lawrence, 11 of which came in the second half.

In a theme synonymous with the first half of URI’s season, a late surge erased what was once a concerning start for the Rams. They came out on top of St. Bonaventure 67-64 on Wednesday night, snapping a two-game skid and improving to 12-2 on their home floor.

“[I’m] proud of our guys,” Miller said. “At this time of year, it's very difficult to win and go through the highs and lows. To see us pull this one out tonight was a big, big deal for the morale and just in general. We're not dead yet.”

The teams traded blows early, with the Bonnies setting the tone early and pulling away by as much as 10 points by the under-12 media timeout. Senior guard Melvin Council Jr. knocked down a left-wing triple less than a minute into the game, sparking an early barrage from distance that helped the visitors keep the Rams at an arms’ distance heading into the locker room. 

Rhode Island showed flashes in the first half, but were never able to keep up. An 8-0 run from the visitors kept Rhody scoreless for nearly 3:30 to end the half, and a 12-point deficit was cemented when Lawrence rimmed out a deep jumper with just four seconds left.

The Bonnies – who executed at a 50 percent clip from the field through 20 minutes – were led by a pair of first-half double-figure scorers. Junior forward Lajae Jones and sophomore guard Jonah Hinton combined for more than half of St. Bonaventure's total scoring output, tallying 10 each. At the half, the Bonnies led 37-35.

“We have to get better starts,” Miller said. “Defensively, we were playing that feeling of, ‘here we go again.’ You could almost see it on their faces. Here we go again. Struggling again. Down 10. You know, you've got that feeling…we've been in this thing like 24 games now.”

Although the Bonnies kept control of the game early in the second half, the Rams didn’t go down quietly. Nearing the halfway point in the second half, senior guard Sebastian Thomas sank a layup and a pair of free-throws to bring the game within a single possession for the first time. However, as was the case throughout the game, the Bonnies responded immediately when Hinton drained a pair of back-to-back triples to kill the Rams’ momentum.

Despite the setback, the Rams continued to fight. Lawrence sank another three just minutes later to bring it within three points again, and Thomas nailed a triple from the left corner on the ensuing possession to tie the game with 6:14 left. For the first time, the Rams were truly alive.

Less than three minutes later, Green joined the three-point party, connecting from the right corner to give the Rams the narrow lead for the first time since the early stages. From there, the teams locked into a one-possession dogfight through the remainder, until Lawrence’s late three gave the Rams the final edge. 

“We needed this win for sure,” said Thomas, who had the critical assist to set up Lawrence’s game-winner. “This week was important for us, preparing. We had nonsense going on in the locker room, so we just [tried] to come together as a team. [Our] coaching staff did a good job keeping us focused, telling us how important this game was for us.”

Along with Lawrence’s 20, two other Rams finished in double figures – Thomas scored all 15 of his points in the second half, while Green added 18.

The Rams return home on Saturday when they welcome La Salle for a 4 p.m. tip. The Explorers handed the Rams a tough road loss in late January, setting up a valuable chance for revenge as the conference slate reached its climax.

Saturday’s game is the second of a URI basketball doubleheader, and will stream on ESPN+ with audio broadcasts available on RIU2.org and The Varsity Network.