The University of Rhode Island men’s basketball team hosted Stetson University for its first regular season game of the 2025-26 season on Monday night, opening the season with a 93-62 victory.
Rhody was picked to finish in 12th place out of 14 teams in the Atlantic 10 Conference preseason poll after finishing 10th in last season’s conference standings.
Despite last year’s 9-0 start, the Rams fell apart when it came to conference play, going 7-11.
“I think it was good to see our work pay off,” fifth-year forward Keeyan Itejere said postgame on Monday. “But at the same time, having the healthy fear of [knowing] there’s still a lot of work to be done. The first game says something, but it doesn’t tell you everything.”
Coming in with an entirely new starting lineup, URI brought in eight Division I transfers during the offseason, with only one returning scholarship athlete that saw playing time last season.
All five Rams in the starting lineup were transfers, including fourth-year guard Jonah Hinton, who came from conference rival St. Bonaventure University.
Seventh-year guard Tyler Cochran scored the first Rhody points, taking advantage of the win on the jump ball and charging into the paint for a layup to set the tone for the Rams.
The veteran emphasized his impact on the court by knocking down the team’s first three-pointer of the season on the second possession of the game. This was the first time Cochran took the court since March 14, 2024.
“[It felt] amazing being out there with the guys and just playing basketball again,” Cochran said. “I think, for the most part, people that are around know that of my game, which is being an everywhere kind of guy. But, I mean, just trying to play hard, play for my team. It’s the best way I can [help the team].”
Rhody’s defense presented a challenge in the face of Stetson second-year guard Jamie Phillips Jr., who also scored his team’s first three-pointer early in the contest.
URI’s final make from beyond the arc in the first half came from third-year guard/forward Jahmere Tripp, putting the Rams up 14-7 at 14:20. Rhody finished 2-12 from three-point range in the half.
The Hatters would inch back within a four-point margin, but that was as close as the Rams would let them get, as Rhody’s strong play across the offensive and defensive boards began to pay off.
A second-chance dunk by Itejere gave the Rams their largest lead of the night at eight points, and momentum only gained from there.
Collecting 30 total rebounds in the half compared to Stetson’s 12, URI scored 11 second-chance points and grew a lead as large as 15 in the final minute of the half.
Heading into the second half up 40-27, the Rams continued to take advantage of the Hatters’ turnovers, as Cochran started the half by running in for a layup off a Phillips turnover.
Cochran picked up his seventh rebound over a minute into the half, allowing Hinton to draw a shooting foul and pick up both free throws.
Building on eight fast breaks in the first half, Cochran extended Rhody’s lead to 47-28 with a three-pointer in stride. URI finished with 32 points off turnovers, attacking the basket and not allowing Stetson’s defense to set up properly.
“I think, honestly, 16 steals leads you to a lot of transition,” URI Head Coach Archie Miller said. “The rebounding numbers lead you to do a lot of transitions. We’re good in transition. We can be even better. We have got to dictate tempo. We’ve got to have the ability to impose our defense a lot more.”
URI’s largest scoring run was 10 points that took place in the span of three minutes. Hinton and fifth-year guard Myles Corey added on to the three-point tallies that made up a 53-point second half.
Throughout the second half, the Rams did not let their lead dip under 20 points, cruising to their third straight season-opening win. Cochran finished as the highest point scorer and rebounder of the night for Rhody, with 17 points and nine rebounds. Six different Rams had double-digit points in the contest.
Rhody will travel to take on the University of Tulsa as they take part in the Veteran’s Classic in Annapolis, Maryland, on Friday at 6 p.m. This game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network and available for radio on The Varsity Network.
