Women's basketball soars over River Hawks in 40+ point victory

Photo courtesy of Michaela Benford

In need of a rebound performance after back-to-back home losses, Rhode Island cruised to victory at UMass Lowell on Wednesday with a season-high 81-35 win. 

“It was really great to get a chance to go on the road and get a big win, a team win,” URI Head Coach Tammi Reiss said postgame. “I was really pleased with everyone who played in the game, and really playing with a sense of urgency to make up for our last two games.”

Fueled by a career-high 13 points from freshman Ayanna Franks, who registered the first double-figure performance of her collegiate career in her sixth appearance, three URI players finished in double-figures as Tammi Reiss’ team eclipsed the 80-point mark for the first time since Feb. 13. 

“When [Franks] got in the game, she made her impact,” Reiss said. “Getting to the rim, finishing, out-transition finishing, getting into people defensively, she was just a beast off the bench.”

Alongside Franks, Sophie Phillips led the charge with 14 – her highest-scoring game since a 15-point performance in the Rams’ season-opening win since Stonehill. Ines Debroise added 11 points as the third Ram in double-figures.

Phillips broke the single-season record with 89 made three-pointers last season, but struggled to start 2024, connecting on just five of her 30 attempts through five games coming into the contest. This time around, her 14-point total on Wednesday included a season-high three makes from distance. 

Phillips and Franks combined early, scoring on back-to-back plays at the end of the first quarter to give the Rams a 19-10 lead after 10 minutes. By halftime, the Rams had 45 – their highest halftime total this season. Along with Phillips’ eight points and Franks’ seven points through the first 20 minutes, Palmire Mbu continued her strong start to life in Keaney Blue with nine first-half points to lead the Rams. 

Coming out of the locker room in a 21-point hole, the River Hawks did little to disrupt Rhode Island’s rediscovered offensive flow. The Rams held the hosts to just 11 total second-half points, including just two in the fourth quarter, outscoring UML 36-11 in the final 20 minutes to take full control of the game. 

Defensively, the Rams also cleaned up the glass 43-21. Anaelle Dutat led the floor with 13, while no River Hawk collected more than four.

Franks’ 13 points added to URI’s 34 total bench points, as all but two players who saw the floor made at least two field goals.

“Everyone who took the floor today contributed in a big way,” Reiss said. “They did their role and they did their jobs…they executed, they were confident, they really gave [us] a spark.”

Up next, the Rams will return home on Saturday to face in-state rivals Brown, in search of a first home win since their season-opener on Nov. 4. The game, which tips off at 1 p.m., will be streamed on ESPN+ and MeTV, with radio calls available on The Varsity Network and RIU2.org.