URI’s Kahiem Seawright takes a jump shot with
Providence guard Geoff McDermott contesting the shot during Saturday’s game at the
Dunkin Donuts Center. Photo by Jerry Silberman

By BRANDEN MELLO

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PROVIDENCE — So many interesting talking points took place in the final 17.8 seconds of Saturday’s Ocean State showdown between URI and Providence College that it’s easy to overlook the reason the Rams were forlorn as they walked off the court at the Dunk.

Sure, Jimmy Baron had a chance to win the game with a difficult 11-foot jumper in the lane with five seconds remaining in the game, but the reason the Rams didn’t pick up their second win against a BCS opponent this reason was simple - they didn’t pull down a defensive rebound when they needed it.

Weyinmi Efejuku, who led all scorers with 21 points, front-rimmed a jumper from the left wing with his team down one point with 20 seconds left. Before a Ram could grab the rebound, PC senior Geoff McDermott gobbled up his first offensive rebound and, after being fouled, hit two free throws to lift the Friars to a 66-65 victory over the Rams.

“No airball, to be honest with you,” McDermott joked about his mindset before stepping to the line to take his free throws. “I was just nervous, my hands were shaking and they were sweaty. I felt confident, though. I had it in my head that I was going to make both of them.”

Instead of calling a timeout to setup a play, head coach Jim Baron allowed the Rams to play the final 17 seconds. Jimmy Baron immediately took the ball up court and after trying to shake off his defender, he took a tough shot in the lane. The shot rimmed out and point guard Marquis Jones corralled the ball.

The Rams still had a chance to call a timeout and setup a play, but Jones drove the ball to the top of the key before trying to make a pass in the lane. McDermott and Jon Kale smashed the ball off the backboard to preserve the one-point win.

“I drove to the top of the key, similar to the play against Duke, I got by the next man, it just didn’t happen,” Baron, who led the Rams with 18 points and seven rebounds, said. “… Again, it comes down to rebounding. We let up some crucial ones down the stretch.”

Saturday’s game was supposed to be an intriguing battle between two former Interscholastic League stars who are now prolific Division I 3-point shooters, but the battle never materialized because former St. Raphael star Jeff Xavier continued to struggle with his outside shot.

Xavier, who came into the game shooting just 25 percent from 3-poinr range even though he averages six attempts a contest, missed both of his 3-point attempts on Saturday and finished with no points for the first time in the two years he’s played at PC after transferring from Manhattan College.

But, first-year PC head coach Keno Davis had nothing but praise for his 6-foot, 1-inch guard because he helped hold Baron to just two points in the second half after the former Hendricken star torched the Friars for 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting to help the Rams hold a one-point lead at halftime.

“I’m extremely happy with our defensive effort to hold him to 18 points,” Davis said. “I think that shows you what a special player he is and what a special shooter. Jeff Xavier for our team goes 0-for-3; I’m not too upset about it. He spent half the game running around trying to chase him, not giving him open looks.”

If there was any good news for the Rams after a devastating loss to their closest geographic rival, it was the play of power forward Kahiem Seawright. Seawright scored a team-high 18 points and pulled down seven rebounds and he has had games of 16, 19 and 18 in the last four games. Seawright was particularly impressive in a first half where the Rams were allowed to use their athleticism in an up-and-down game.  

In a first half where neither team had a lead larger than three points, the Rams held a 39-38 lead at halftime despite making eight turnovers, but URI held the Friars to 2-for-10 shooting from behind the arc.

“I thought in the first half we did a good job (rebounding), but I thought in the second half they were a little more physical than we were,” Jim Baron said of his team which outrebounded PC by seven in the first half. “…  We wanted to keep attacking the bucket, but we missed some opportunities. They have five seniors and those guys have some experience.”

The Rams, who made just four of their nine free throws, extended their lead to seven points just 3:25 into the second half after three baskets by Seawright and Baron’s last bucket of the game. The Friars continued to trail for most of the half, but Efejuku gave his side the lead at 52-51 when he converted a three-point play.

PC’s lead didn’t last long and they were down by five points just two minutes later when Lamonte Ulmer scored four of his 12 points on two buckets. Efejuku, after Marshuan Brooks scored, hit a 3-poitner from the wing to tie the game at 61.

Jones, who struggled to cope with the pace of PC junior Sharuad Curry, scored his team’s final bucket of the game with 1:26 left to put his team up two points. Kale had a chance to tie the game when he went to the line with 1:14 left, but the junior hit just one to set the stage for McDermott to save his team and lift the Friars to 6-3, the same record as the Rams.

“I felt that the talent that they have is as good a talent as any Providence team I’ve played against since I’ve been at Rhode Island,” said Baron who is now 4-4 in his eight games against the Friars. “So, I thought we had a chance, we were right there. We didn’t convert on shots and they stepped up and made them.”

Notes

Saturday’s 12,600 sellout was the largest crowd either team has played in front of this season. Prior to Saturday’s game, the largest crowd to watch URI play was the 9,314 crazies who packed Cameron Indoor Stadium to watch the Rams and Blue Devils play. PC’s biggest crowd prior to URI’s visit was when the Friars lost to Northeastern in front of 8,088 fans. … The last time the Rams and Friars played a one-point game against each other was back in 1989 when the Rams were the home team at the then Providence Civic Center and topped the Friars 78-77. … Through nine games this season, Baron has hit 32 3-pointers. To put that number in perspective, Baron hit 28 3-pointers in the first nine games of a junior season in which he broke the school record with 99 3-pointers. … Another reason this game will go down as one of the all-time greats in the series was there were 18 lead changes and 12 ties during a surreal two hours in Providence.

They said it

“I thought the rivalry between the two teams deserved that kind of fight for 40 minutes to be able to come down there for both fans to come up with a defensive stop,” PC head coach Keno Davis said. “I think we’re going to look back at our season and look at some of the non-conference opponents and look at some of the great years they’re going to have.”