Albiani’s Take

Positives:

  • The performance of the men’s and women’s track teams at the New England Championships was excellent once again. After winning the Atlantic 10 Indoor Championships, the men furthered their momentum by winning the New England Championships. The performance saw them lead wire-to-wire and have four individual winners. Not to be outdone though, the women had a solid second place finish and were led by a record breaking performance from freshman Nichole Barger. Also notable was junior Dyshelle Pemberton, who won the 500-meter run.
  • The Rhody men’s basketball team beating Dayton was a fantastic win for a program that has had some really bad luck this season. This team has played well in most games, but after injuries have ravaged their depth and playmakers, they have not had the ability to win close games. This was a great showing and a victory the program can really be proud of, as multiple players stepped up their game.

Negatives:

  • The season-ending injury to Hassan Martin caps off what has been just a brutal year for the Rhode Island men’s basketball team. Going into the year this team had two players, Martin and E.C. Matthews, on the preseason Atlantic 10 first team, as well as both being listed as two of the top 100 players in the country on some lists. Unfortunately this year has been filled with bad luck, and the injuries have put a damper on a year that was thought to have so much promise.

Players of the Week:

Dyshelle Pemberton (New England Championships) – Pemberton was crowned champion in the 500-meter race at the New England Championships. She also was part of a 4×400-meter relay team that grabbed second place.

Andre Berry (75-66 win at Dayton) – Berry had a career night at the right time. The big sophomore played just 13 minutes, but went a perfect 7-of-7 from the field, posting 15 points and three rebounds.

Mike DiMambro (New England Championships) – The senior set a New England meet record, as well as a school record by winning the heptathlon. He was one of the four individual event winners for Rhody.

Team of the Week: URI men’s basketball team (75-66 win at Dayton) – The men’s team had a gutty performance in winning at one of the toughest places to play, without their two best players. Great team win.

Off the Record:  The Celtics are first in the NBA in their average margin of defeat, losing by an average of just 7.6 points. They are also fourth in average margin of victory, winning by an average of 12.8 points per game.

 

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