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Men's Basketball vs. Salem State
Mike Anquillare, Ath Comm Student Employee
80
Southern Me. USM 5-4,1-1 Little East
84
Winner Rhode Island Col. RIC 6-4,3-0 Little East
Southern Me. USM
5-4,1-1 Little East
80
Final
84
Rhode Island Col. RIC
6-4,3-0 Little East
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Southern Me. USM 30 50 80
Rhode Island Col. RIC 41 43 84

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Christina Cracolici, Director of Athletic Communications

Rhode Island College Hangs On to Win, 84-80, Over Southern Maine

Lausier Records Seventh Double-Double of the Season

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island    –   Ousmane Kourouma earned a double-double with 22 points and 19 rebounds to lead the Rhode Island College Anchormen to an 84-80 win over the University of Southern Maine in a Little East Conference men's basketball game Wednesday night at The Murray Center.
 
Kourouma was one of four players in double-figures for RIC.  Dwayne Robinson O'Hagan added 22 points and three assists, while Dayshawn Tengbeh and Loudon Chupas each had 13 points.  Tengbeh also had a double-double with 10 rebounds.
 
Graduate student Bryce Lausier (Glenburn, Maine/Hampden Academy) led all scorers with 30 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals.  Junior Thomas Whelan (Bronx, NY/Fordham Prep) added 28 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals, while junior Diego Colon (New Braunfels, Texas) added 10 points and four rebounds.
 
The Records:
Southern Maine (5-4, 1-1 LEC)
Rhode Island College (6-4, 3-0 LEC)
 
Series History:  Today's game marked the 147th meeting between the University of Southern Maine Huskies and the Rhode Island College Anchormen.  Rhode Island College leads the overall series 81-66.  Rhode Island College swept the 2023-2024 regular season series, and defeated Southern Maine 73-70 in the quarterfinals of the 2024 LEC Tournament. Southern Maine last defeated the Anchormen 89-76 on January 25, 2023, ending a previous 12-game losing streak.
 
How It Happened:
  • Shooting 48.6 percent (17-for-35) from the field and converting 16 second-chance points in the first half, Rhode Island College led 41-30 at the break. Kourouma led the way for the Anchormen, scoring 16 first-half points to go with nine first-half rebounds, including six offensive boards.
 
  • Scoring the first bucket of the second half, Rhode Island College snagged its largest lead of the game, 43-30, on another offensive rebound and putback from Kourouma. However, the Huskies pushed back and went on a 24-9 run over the next 7:12 to take its first lead since the opening bucket, 54-52, with 12:09 remaining.  The Huskies were 6-for-9 from the field during the push, including a 4-for-6 effort from three. Whelan had 10 points in the run, followed by five points Colon.
 
 
  • After the Husky run, both teams traded baskets, and the two teams were tied at 58 with 10:01 to go after one of two free throws from Southern Maine sophomore Madden White (Newport, Maine/Nokomis).  With the game knotted up, Dwayne Robinson O'Hagan connected on a three to put RIC ahead, and kickstart a 19-6 run to take a 12-point lead, 75-63, with 5:41 to play. O'Hagan had 10 of RIC's points in the run.
 
  • Facing a double-digit deficit, the Huskies replied with an 11-2 run to make it a one-possession game, 77-74, with 3:22 to go.  USM was 4-for-5 from the field, including a pair of threes in the run.  Lausier had five points, while Colon had a three.
 
  • Both teams went back-and-forth, and a traditional three-point play from RIC's Loudon Chupas kept the Anchormen ahead 82-77 with just over a minute left in regulation. Lausier made 3-of-4 free throws to make it a one-possession game 82-80 with 22 seconds on the clock.  Forced to foul, USM put RIC on the line.  The Anchormen failed to convert and the Huskies had a look at a game-tying basket but it rimmed out, and Chupas snagged the board for RIC with six second to go.  O'Hagan and Chupas each made a free throw down the stretch for the final 84-80.
 
 
Inside The Stats:
  • After shooting mid-30s in the first half, Southern Maine shot 48.0 percent (12-for-25) in the second half. USM finished the game shooting 40.4 percent (23-for-57).  RIC shot 46.5 percent (33-for-71) in the game.
  • Rhode Island College out-rebounded Southern Maine 57-26, and had a 26-8 lead in the offensive glass. The Anchormen scored 32 second-chance points.
  • Southern Maine won the turnover battle committing just five turnovers to Rhode Island College's 17.  The Huskies scored 15 points off of RIC miscues.
  • Lausier's double-double marked his seventh of the season.  He is averaging 22.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game.
 
Up Next:
Southern Maine remains in Little East Conference action will host nationally-ranked Keene State College on Saturday, December 14 (1:00 pm).  The Huskies then head to Texas for the Concordia Classic on December 29-30. The Huskies return to action in January at home versus LEC opponent UMass Boston on Wednesday, January 8 (7:30 pm). 
 
 
-cac-
 
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