Sports

Cleveland State Blows Out Rams

URI trails by as much as 31 in an ugly finish to the TicketCity Legends Classic.

KINGSTON – The University of Rhode Island men’s basketball team was overwhelmed from start to finish Sunday afternoon, as Cleveland State crushed the Rams 67-45.

Cleveland State (6-1) big man Aaron Pogue had his way in the post against Jonathan Holton and Orion Outerbridge all game. Pogue finished with 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting, and also sank four free throws.

Echoing a trend from the Boston University game, URI (1-5) couldn’t stop Cleveland State in the paint. The Vikings scored 38 of its 67 points inside, thanks to 19 assists and an aggressive defense. Guards Trevon Harmon and D’Aundary Brown shot above 50 percent and combined for 29 points.

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URI had 21 turnovers, a season-high. They had 17 at the half, two off of their previous season-high of 19. The Vikings had 12 steals, most coming off the press and leading to easy buckets.

The stat lines of Rhody’s wing players were bursting with turnovers. Jamal Wilson and T.J. Buchanan had four each, and Holton and Mike Powell had three each. Powell, Buchanan and Wilson are the Rams’ primary ballhandlers.

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The final could have been even worse, if not for a brief burst of energy from reserves Anthony Malhoit and Levan Shengelia. Malhoit had six rebounds and played 17 minutes, and Shengelia was at least active, grabbing three boards and scoring three points.

Outerbridge led the Rams with 12 points on 6-for-14 shooting, and had three blocks. Wilson had eight points, and Holton and Buchanan had seven each. Powell led the team with three assists. URI went 0-for-8 from 3-point range.

Junior wing Nikola Malesevic was also benched and then told to leave by head coach Jim Baron.

During the first half, Malesevic and a Cleveland State player exchanged words with one another, and referees broke them up. Refs reviewed the exchange on a television monitor, but didn’t give out any technical fouls.

However, Baron said he wasn’t happy with the play and benched Malesevic as a result. During the second half, he asked him to leave and to go back to the locker room. Baron didn’t elaborate further, and said it was a “one-game” thing, meaning he should be in uniform for Wednesday’s game at Brown.

NOTES

  • The listed attendance for the game was 2,737, with many leaving before the final buzzer.
  • Outerbridge was named to the All-Tournament Team, with Pogue and Brown also earning berths. Pogue was named the most valuable player. Hofstra’s Mike Moore and Boston University’s Darryl Partin were also named to the team.
  • Freshman Rayvon Harris got three minutes of time, missing a layup and snagging a rebound. Seven-foot-three center Blake Vedder was left at the scorer’s table, waiting to check in as time ran out.


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