Dec. 22, 2010
Box Score
KINGSTON, R.I. -- For 38 minutes Lafayette battled with one of the Atlantic 10's top teams. Jim Mower's three-pointer at 2:32 tied the game, 62-62, for the sixth and final time. Rhode Island closed the deal with an 11-3 run to win 73-65 on Wednesday night.
Junior forward Ryan Willen led the way for the Leopards with 21 points that included four three-pointers in the first half. Rhode Island center Will Martell and the Rams' defense defended Lafayette's top scorer, Jared Mintz, very well, holding him to nine points while keeping the 84 percent free throw shooter from the free throw line. The nine-point effort snapped an 11-game streak in which Mintz had reached double figures. He added nine boards and three assists.
For Rhode Island (8-4), Akeem Richmond scored 16 of his 25 points in the second half. He hit 7-of-11 three-pointers for the Rams who shot 52 percent from long range.
In the first half, the Leopards were buoyed by a 52 percent shooting effort. Willen had 12 in the session, as Lafayette led 37-31 against a Rams' squad which returned four starters from a 26-win team in 2009-10.
Lafayette stretched its first-half margin to eight points three minutes in to the second half when Darion Benbow drilled a jumper. The Leopards held the lead through the 9:32 mark when the game was tied for a third time.
With seven and half minutes left, Lafayette produced an 8-0 run. Willen's drive to the hoop was followed by a Rob Delaney steal and Tony Johnson putback to tie the game at 54-54. Another Willen layup and a pair of Johnson free throws put Lafayette ahead 58-54 with 5:51 left.
The game was tied for the final time at 62 with 2:32 left. A driving layup and subsequent three by Nikola Malesevic kicked off the decisive 11-3 Rams' spurt. Marquis Jones and Akeem Richmond each hit a pair of free throws to ice the game for Rhode Island.
Lafayette shot just 9-of -25 from the field in the second half. The Leopards, who were averaging 18 free throw attempts per game coming in were limited to just 7-of-11 from the stripe and were outrebounded 38-29. Lafayette turned it over 12 times, its second-lowest total of the season. The Leopards reached double figures in three-point makes for the fourth time this season, connecting for 10.
Lafayette will take a break for the holidays and will return to action on Dec. 29 at Gonzaga.
