The University of Rhode Island women’s basketball team earned another crucial 57-36 conference win over the University of Dayton on Saturday, before falling to George Mason University on Wednesday.
“We knew what this team was capable of,” Rhode Island Head Coach Tammi Reiss said after Saturday’s win. “We’re coming together at the right time.”
Defense was on display against Dayton as first quarter action opened with both teams combining to shoot 2-14 from the field. Rhode Island led 4-2 following the first five minutes of action.
Fourth-year guard Sophie Phillips got URI on track with a three-point make, before fourth-year center Harsimran Kaur added a mid-range basket.
The Rams finished the opening quarter ahead 14-7. Phillips was responsible for half of her team’s scoring as she added two layups.
URI continued to extend its lead with strong defensive play, as second-year guard Sophia Vital secured back-to-back steals to allow Phillips to bury her second three of the afternoon.
Dayton was held scoreless for over half of the second quarter until second-year guard Denika Lightbourne converted a layup with 4:45 remaining in the half. The Rams allowed just four points in the second quarter, leading 31-11.
Out of halftime, Dayton opened with four straight field goals to quickly double its scoring from the second quarter. Rhode Island matched the scoring nearly every step of the way and the Flyers were unable to make a meaningful dent in the deficit.
Phillips continued to lead the way for the Rams in the third quarter, knocking down two more three-pointers and adding a block to give first-year forward Palmire Mbu a fast break and-one layup to stretch URI’s lead to 27.
An 11-1 run for Rhode Island continued into the fourth quarter as the Rams led 48-22. Dayton stopped the run and responded with 10 straight unanswered points to get back under a 20-point deficit.
Rhody finished the fourth with its lowest-scoring quarter of the day, recording just nine points. Despite the slow finish, it was still a dominant showcase on both sides of the ball for the Rams.
It was uncertain on gameday if three of Rhode Island’s starters were going to be ready to play after a physical and hard-fought win over Duquesne University on Feb. 5, according to Reiss.
“They were ready for the challenge even though they were banged up,” Reiss said. “That takes even more grit and even more dog.”
Saturday’s scoring was led by Phillips’ 18 points on 4-5 shooting from deep. She also held fourth-year guard Ivy Wolf, a top-10 scorer in the conference, to 11 points.
“I knew the last two games, I think I was rushing a lot of my shots,” Phillips said. “Today I kind of just let the game come to me a bit more.”
URI has started to focus on having more fun as a team, according to Reiss.
“Over the last three weeks we really changed our mantra,” Reiss said. “The frustration, and the yelling and some of the negativity had to stop.”
George Mason got ahead early on Wednesday, allowing just eight points from Rhode Island in the opening quarter to lead 17-8.
URI responded with a strong second quarter to get within one possession entering halftime.
Vital put the Rams even with the Patriots at 25-25 with a three-pointer to open the third quarter. George Mason quickly built back its lead and did not look back, finishing a 56-44 win to earn a 10th straight victory in conference play.
Rhode Island was led in scoring by Vital with 16 points, shooting 7-11. She was also able to secure a career-high seven rebounds in the defeat.
Following the loss to the Patriots, URI sits at sixth place in the conference. The Rams are still within range of joining the top four and receiving a pivotal double-bye in the Atlantic 10 Tournament.
“This is probably the hardest stretch,” Phillips said. “This is when our focus and discipline needs to be at its best.”
Rhode Island will look to stay undefeated at home in conference play against La Salle University on Saturday at noon. The game will be available to watch on ESPN+, with radio broadcasts available on RIU2.org and The Varsity Network.
