Archie Miller picks up first win as Head Coach
Third-year guard Ishmael Leggett totaled 39 points over the two-game stretch. PHOTO CREDIT: gorhody.com
After a loss to Texas State to bring them to 0-2, the first win of the Archie Miller era in Rhody men’s basketball finally came this Tuesday when the team faced Stony Brook at home.
Against Texas State, the University of Rhode Island men’s basketball team showed improvement from their opener against Quinnipiac, but fell short to Texas State 70-66 despite the late comeback bid.
“It was a disappointing first half,” Miller, the head coach of the team, said. “What saved us is, guys really buckled down and got to the foul line.”
The Rams struggled offensively throughout the first half, only shooting 26% from the field while committing 15 turnovers through the first 20 minutes. One of Rhody’s lone bright spots was sophomore Ishmael Leggett, who put 11 points on the board in the first half, including 7 makes from the free-throw line. The Prince George’s County, Maryland native also had two first-half steals, helping put his team within striking distance following the intermission.
“[Leggett] is very important to what we’re doing,” Miller said. “He’s a winner, he’s a tough kid, he’s logged a lot of minutes for us tonight.”
After trailing by nine points at halftime, the second half saw two lead changes and eight total ties as both teams traded buckets late. The Bobcats led by as much as 11 within the first three minutes out of the locker room, but the Rams began to slowly chip away at the lead. At the 13:06 mark, Leggett drilled a three-pointer — Rhody’s only make from deep all game — to cut the deficit to 44-37. Later, a string of nine-straight free-throw makes, including five from Leggett, suddenly made it a one-point game at 52-51.
According to Leggett, the difference-maker in the second half was the energy and intensity the Rams brought over the final 20 minutes.
“We just had to be tougher,” he said. “Toughness is a big part of the reason we came back.”
After a free throw by Texas State’s Mason Harrell, Rhody tied it for the first time at 53 apiece with a jumper from redshirt junior Jalen Carey. URI’s long-awaited first lead came with 3:30 left to go when senior Malik Martin drove to the basket and laid it in to give the Rams a 61-59 advantage.
The Bobcats tied it once more with a Martin score of their own, as Nate Martin got his own layup before adding a beautiful assist to Harrell to put Texas State back on top 63-61. Rhody tied it one last time with 2:14 left on a layup from Providence native Sebastian Thomas, but the Bobcats closed out the final two minutes to secure the win.
A controversial offensive interference call against Alabama transfer Alex Tchikou led to a Rams turnover, setting up Harrell to hit the go-ahead shot and keep the lead for good.
Leggett tied his career-best in scoring in the defeat, giving Rhody 21 points, including a near-flawless 14-of-15 from the charity stripe. He also added five rebounds, four assists and a pair of blocks and steals in an all-around performance. Redshirt freshman Abdou Samb also notched double digits at 14 points at seven boards, while Tchikou led the team with eight total rebounds.
Free throw shooting was a major focus in the days leading up to the game, and URI would shoot 89% from the foul line — a stark improvement from the Rams’ 55% performance against Quinnipiac in the opener.
“We’ve all been shooting 50 [free throws] a day,” Samb said. “We’re focusing on having a good percentage, so that’s the focus we’ve been having coming into this game.”
The Rams continued to stay focused heading into a pivotal home matchup with Stony Brook, where they would earn a 74-64 victory and notch their first win under Head Coach Archie Miller.
The Rams were in control throughout as, with the absences of guards Brayon Freeman and Jalen Carey, Leggett and Thomas answered the call, each logging 38 minutes in the contest. Leggett finished with an 18-9-5 night, while Thomas recorded 13 points and 10 assists for a career night to help the Rams to victory.
The team will now have an opportunity to build on some of the momentum they’ve established when they take on Kansas State at the Cayman Islands Classic over the weekend.