Rams now on five-game win streak after opening day loss
Sophie Phillips logged 10 points on 3-4 shooting from three against Samford. PHOTO CREDIT: gorhody.com
It’s been a good November for the University of Rhode Island women’s basketball team.
After dropping the season opener at Harvard, the Rams have rattled off five-straight wins since, defeating Coppin State on Nov. 22 before sweeping the UCF Thanksgiving Classic last weekend with wins over Southeast Missouri State and Samford.
Rhody’s win over SEMO on Saturday marked the 50th in the career of URI Head Coach Tammi Reiss, reaching that mark quicker than any coach in program history.
“I’m very proud, I’m very happy, but I have to give all the credit to my staff,” Reiss said. “A lot of times, I get the credit, but it’s really not me. I recruit great players, and I recruit even better people to be on the staff.”
Rhody began the week on the tail end of their three-game home stand, welcoming Coppin State to the Ryan Center for the second time in two years. Both teams started out hot, but the Rams pulled away early on, leading by as much as 11 in the first quarter. The Eagles clawed back, however, outscoring Rhody in the second quarter 17-11. In the second half, Rhody led by one, 47-46, after the third
A 6-0 run allowed the Rams to pull away and get the win. The game featured 11 lead changes and five ties.
Rhody then took their talents to Orlando Fla., embarking on a four-day road trip in the Sunshine State for a pair of matchups as a part of Central Florida’s Thanksgiving Classic. Their first opponent was SEMO, a program that the Rams had not faced prior to this weekend’s action. A turnover-heavy battle, Rhody fell behind early before a 7-0 run gave them a 18-15 lead after the first 10 minutes.
The Redhawks bounced back later in the second quarter after being held scoreless for over five minutes, leading 30-26 at the half despite 10 turnovers. Graduate forward Emma Squires exploded for 10 first-half points, leading all Rams shooting 5-of-9 from the field with two makes from deep.
In the second half, the Rams took control of the game, putting together an offensive explosion while clamping down on defense. An 8-1 scoring run to close out the third quarter put Rhody in the driver’s seat, giving them their largest lead of the game at 54-43. Through the final two quarters, the Rams outscored SEMO 36-23, only giving up six points in the final 10 minutes.
Mayé Touré led Rhody with 18 points, while Squires put together 12 points in the victory. According to Squires, being able to spread the ball around offensively has been a key to the team’s hot start to start the season.
“It’s a really fun group to play with, and I think it’s a really fun style of basketball,” she said. “Anybody can get a touch, anyone can get a score, and I also think that makes us really hard to guard.”
Reiss has also credited their success to the team’s deep roster.
“It’s always great to have different pieces and have depth,” she said. “Even though we’re young in a lot of key areas, that depth is key, it really is.”
Rhody’s second test on Sunday with Samford proved to be neck-and-neck once again through the first 20 minutes. Samford entered the second quarter up 21-20, but both teams continued to trade baskets until the final two minutes. Capitalizing on an offensive rut that saw the Rams only make one of their last seven shots from the field, the Bulldogs scored 10 straight to lead 40-34 at the half.
In a game that featured 12 ties and 16 lead changes, the Rams dominated the third quarter. Rhody scored the first 10 points out of the break and outscored Samford 17-7 in the period to retake the lead 51-47 with 10 minutes left to go.
Rhody once again sealed the win with a strong effort in the fourth, jumping out on an eight-point burst before eventually closing out with their largest advantage of the contest 75-63. In all six games this season, the Rams have outscored their opponents over the final 10 minutes.
“Execution down the stretch is what wins you basketball games,” Reiss said. “To be able to close a game out, [to] keep that lead and not let them cut into it, it’s huge.”
Four Rams finished in double-figures, as Touré finished in the lead with 14 points. Squires added another 12, while the guard combo of junior Dolly Cairns and sophomore Sophie Phillips each contributed 10 points of their own.
After a long road trip, Rhody will return home to another three-game home stand, with the first test coming against Buffalo tonight. Having won 32 games at home since taking over as head coach, Reiss is looking forward to getting back in front of the home fans.
“It seems like we’ve been down here for like a month,” she said. “So I’m excited to get back to the Ryan Center, back to our home court, and getting better.”
The game against the Bulls tips off at 6 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+ and the Varsity Network.