For the University of Rhode Island women’s basketball team, a turbulent week that began with a “devastating” loss was closely followed by their first ranked win in program history, but ultimately ended in defeat to their in-state rivals.
The week started with a 61-59 loss to Quinnipiac University on Thursday, in a game that came down to a buzzer-beater from the Bobcat’s Bri Bowen – her first and only bucket of the night. In a game that featured nine lead changes and six ties, a 7.1% (1-14) mark from three-point range highlighted an uncharacteristic shooting night that ultimately cost the Rams the game.
“We have a sense of entitlement a little bit right now,” URI Head Coach Tammi Reiss said postgame. “We’re not ready to play, and we’re not ready to compete. That falls on me…They outplayed us from start to finish.”
A quick start from the tip saw URI jump out to an early 12-7 lead heading into the first media timeout, headlined by back-to-back buckets from fifth-year Syracuse University transfer Teisha Hyman and fourth-year Mayé Touré to open the scoring. The Bobcats kept it close, however, forcing a 17-17 tie at the end of the first quarter despite trailing for more than nine minutes.
The Bobcats eventually pulled away in the second, extending their come-from-behind lead to as much as 13 before a 7-0 URI run in the final minute trimmed the deficit back down to six. Despite the late run, URI shot a combined 39% from the field in the first half – including only 25% in the second quarter, going 1-8 from distance.
Less than two minutes into the half, two quickfire buckets from Hyman made it a one-possession game once more, and this is how it would stay. For the remainder of the game, the squads would take turns trading blows as the lead for either team never stretched beyond seven, before a 9-0 Bobcat run gave the visitors a 57-55 with under a minute to play. A Touré free-throw knotted the game at 59 just seconds later, forcing a timeout to set up a photo-finish with nine seconds to play.
In the final seconds, a scramble for the ball under the basket looked destined to bring the game into overtime. However, Bowen just managed to get her hands on the ball on time, throwing up a desperate effort at the buzzer that fell, sending the Rams home shocked with only their second loss in the last two seasons, 61-59.
Touré led all players with 17 points in the loss, while Hyman was not far behind with 14.
Three days later, the Rams returned to the Ryan Center, looking to rebound with a win against their second ranked opponents of the season, and second in five seasons under Reiss, after falling to #14 North Carolina State University 67-58 just three games prior.
The opening half against the #25 Princeton Tigers went similarly to Quinnipiac, with neither team able to pull away in an end-to-end battle. Poor shooting was the highlight of the opening 10 minutes for both teams, who collectively shot under 30% from the field. The visitors particularly struggled, managing only two buckets in the first quarter and shooting just over 16%. Fighting through a sloppy first half, the Rams held firm throughout, heading into the break 27-22 leaders.
Despite the first-half mark, the Rams shot an improved 44% from the field (7-16) as a whole. Third-year Sophie Phillips helped lead the way from distance, sinking all three of her efforts from beyond the arc and finishing with 13 points on 4-6 shooting. Fifth-year Manhattan College transfer Dee Dee Davis sank four of her six efforts from three-point range, finishing with a season-high 21 points.
In yet another game that featured eight lead changes and six ties, the Rams were once again tested down the stretch, holding a two-point lead in the final seconds at 60-58. A pair of Phillips’ threes initially put the Rams ahead by four with 15 seconds left, before the Tigers were able to score a layup and win an offensive inbound to give themselves a shot with 2.2 seconds to play.
After losing a pair of close games in the final minutes at NC State and against Quinnipiac, the Rams finally came out on the other end of a close result against the Tigers. Touré swatted away a last-ditch pass with 0.3 seconds left, which – after a lengthy review – was enough to give the Rams their first win against a nationally-ranked opponent in program history.
“We lost to a 1-4 Quinnipiac team at home, and that’s devastating,” Reiss said after the game. “We hadn’t had a game like this where we came together and pulled it out…That, as a coach, is a beautiful thing to watch…From heartbreak to sheer joy in less than 48 hours, that’s what I’m most proud of.”
Ultimately for the Rams, a whirlwind week would end in disappointment in another narrow loss to in-state rivals Providence College on Wednesday. In a 51-50 loss that once again came down to the wire, the Rams shot just 26% from the field, and only 18% from three.
They led 50-48 with three minutes to play, but went scoreless for the remainder – an Emily Archibald three-point effort would give the Friars the lead, and Hyman’s last-second effort as a buzzer beater missed to confirm the loss.
Up next, URI will travel to St. John’s University following their fourth loss of the season. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday on ESPN+.