Rhode Island tops VCU, 70-63, in Atlantic-10 championship

Matthews finished with 19 points, including a decisive runner with 55 seconds to play that lifted Rhode Island to a 70-63 victory over the Rams to secure the A-10’s automatic bid and leave Sunday night’s selection show as a time of celebration instead of worry.

This is the crowning achievement for head coach Dan Hurley.

He still finished with a team-high 17 points, but Rhode Island floated to a 84-60 win, handing the Wildcats (17-15) their biggest margin of defeat all season.

URI shot 50% from the field in the first half and 46% from three, connecting on six of 13 three-point attempts.

For the first time in decades, the URI Rams and Providence College Friars are going dancing in the same season. The Rams extended their lead to six at 26-20 but again the Bonnies responded against the A-10’s top defense, pulling back to 27-24.

“We needed a win like this”, Hurley said. “But we are a resilient team, we have dealt with a lot of stuff the whole year”. After desposing of St. Bonaventure and Davidson in their first two games, only VCU stood between them and their first tournament berth since 1999. Offensively, Rhode Island has been led by E.C. Matthews (14.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.4 apg), Hassan Martin (14.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.6 bpg), Jared Terrell (12.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.9 apg), and Kuran Iverson (9.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.7 apg). Here’s how we got there. That really hurt us because when you don’t hit open shots, they can pressure you even more.

“It’s like pushing a boulder uphill all game” said Wade. The junior guard now has 195 3’s in his career.

VCU would get back within ten, 31-21, after a free throw from Jordan Burgess went down but the Rams hot shooting would continue. “We get great crowds, and we’re deserving of playing in the NIT”.

“They play a real physical brand of basketball”, Adams said. “Today they weren’t falling and they beat us up and they got one today”.

Though it was no surprise when that school’s name popped into the NCAA Tournament bracket, it was a reminder that, yes, this is March Madness – that time of year when anything can happen.

“We tried to trick them”, he said. “That’s an elite program with one of the best young coaches in the country”.

Schmidt thinks his team is good enough to be invited to the NIT. It was also the third straight year of reaching the Atlantic 10 quarterfinals.