Box Score PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Junior Victor Smith (Providence, R.I./Mt. Pleasant) scored 19 points, including 11 in the second half, to lead the Rhode Island College Anchormen to an 80-68 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference men's basketball game Tuesday night at The Murray Center.
Rhode Island College claims its third consecutive win to improve to 9-5 overall and 3-1 in the Little East. Southern Maine suffers its fifth straight loss to fall to 5-9 overall and 1-3 in the Little East.
Trailing by eight points, 42-34, with 15:26 to play, RIC rallied to overcome the Huskies and earn the conference victory. After a pair of free throws from USM sophomore guard Cole Libby (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle) to give the Huskies its largest lead of the half, RIC freshman Austin Cilley (Westerly, R.I.) canned a three-point shot to kick start the anchormen into action. The Anchormen outscored USM 17-6 over the next five minutes to grab its first lead since late in the first half and held it for good. Cilley canned a three pointer at the end of the run and give his team the 51-48 lead with 10:20 to play.
After the Cilley three, the game stayed nip and tuck and the Huskies' stayed within two possessions of the Anchormen for the next few minutes. A traditional three-point play from USM senior Conor Sulivan (Scarborough, Maine) had the Huskies within four points, 61-57, with 7:35 to play, but Smith and the Anchormen responded with a 12-6 run over the next three minutes to open up a 73-63 lead with 4:26 on the clock. Smith scored four of his points in the run, while junior Chris Burton (New Rochelle, N.Y.) and senior Tom DeCiantis (North Kingstown, R.I.) each hit a three. From there the Huskies were unable to get any closer than eight points the rest of the way as RIC held for the win.
Sullivan finished with a game-high 20 points to lead the Huskies. Libby added 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting form the field, adding eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. Senior Tyler Penney (Barnstead, N.H./Bishop Brady) tossed in 12 points.
Smith led RIC shooting 9-for-16 from the field in a tremendous effort off of the bench, adding seven rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots. Cilley finished with 18 points, while Eric Alleyne had 13 points.
Southern Maine travels Eastern Connecticut on Saturday (3:00 p.m.). Rhode Island College travels to Plymouth State on Saturday (3:00 p.m.).
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