Losing streak now at six games
Six losses in a row matches the longest losing streak for the men’s basketball team have had since the 2013-14 season. PHOTO CREDIT: Greg Clark | Staff Photographer
Rock bottom continues to sink lower and lower for University of Rhode Island men’s basketball.
After losses against the University of Massachusetts and Virginia Commonwealth University, the Rams losing streak has now extended to six, the longest since the 2013-14 season.
After Saturday’s loss, Head Coach David Cox said that while the team has to work to get on track, the blame is entirely on him for the team’s struggles.
“We have to continue to keep working until we figure this out,” he said. “This rests completely on my shoulders.”
Rhody took on UMass at the Ryan Center Saturday in a rematch of their 81-68 win in Amherst on Jan. 15. After giving up the first basket of the game, the Minutemen quickly jumped out in front, holding a 10-4 lead about four and a half minutes into the game.
URI gained back some ground midway through the first half, regaining the lead at the 9:37 mark when Ishmael Leggett hit a three-point shot in his first points of the game.
Leggett, a freshman in his second year with the team, finished the day with a career-high 21 points. Despite the effort, the Washington D.C. native’s main focus was on the result on the scoreboard.
“It’s definitely a confidence booster,” Leggett said. “But I just feel like it’s not enough. We didn’t get the win.”
After extending their lead to 22-14 with 7:59 left in the first half, Rhody let their foot off of the gas. UMass rallied back with an 11-0 scoring run to go back on top with 3:18 before the break, a lead they held onto the rest of the way.
The Rams were plagued by turnovers in the loss, giving up 12 in the first half and 20 overall. Taking care of the basketball will be one of the main points of emphasis moving forward, according to Cox.
“We’re making some fast decisions that are the wrong decisions, and they’re costing us,” he said. “If we can take care of the ball and put up good shots, I feel good about our offense.”
On the other end, Rhody gave up a career-high 30 points to T.J. Weeks Jr., a Bishop Hendricken alum that grew up in Warwick. While the Rams have been able to rely on their defense to keep them in games, Weeks Jr.’s performance kept them at bay this time around.
“Our defense has pretty much kept us in ballgames,” Cox said. “Even our defense today probably took a little bit of a hit.”
Cox also made an adjustment to the starting lineup in an effort to spark some success. Freshman Sebastian Thomas got the starting nod over Jeremy Sheppard, who had previously started each of his last 43 games since joining the program in 2020. More changes could be made as the season goes on, according to Cox.
“Everything’s on the table at this point,” he said.
The struggles continued when URI went on the road Tuesday to face VCU. The home Rams maintained control throughout, leading by as much as 17 in the second half. The visiting Rams struggled to take care of the ball once again, giving up 21 turnovers.
Makhel Mitchell picked up a double-double for Rhody, collecting 12 points along with 11 rebounds. The team also had three other scorers in double-digits, with Makhi Mitchell and Sheppard each finishing with 11, while Leggett finished with 10.
“Our defense was solid in the first half outside of the turnovers,” Cox said. “I thought our guys fought tremendously hard.”
Next up for Rhody is Davidson on Saturday, who they previously fought down the stretch in a close 72-68 loss on Jan. 8. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the game will be aired on ESPNU.