Matas Deniusas scored 20 points and collected 16 rebounds as Rhode Island beat Southern New Hampshire 101-61 in a men's basketball exhibition Oct. 27 at the Ryan Center. The Rams never trailed and led by as many as 46 points.
Deniusas had a double-double before halftime, when URI led 54-29. He finished 9-for-12 from the field and added three assists, three steals and a blocked shot in 27 minutes, according to the university's official box score and recap.
The advantage inside was substantial. Rhode Island scored 60 points in the paint to Southern New Hampshire's 16 and outrebounded the Penmen 63-29. Twenty of the Rams' rebounds came at the offensive end, producing 23 second-chance points.
URI's defense limited Southern New Hampshire to 19 made shots in 70 attempts, or 27.1%. The Penmen took 48 of those attempts from 3-point range and made 11. Jack Hall led Southern New Hampshire with 18 points, including five 3-pointers, while Noah Melson added 13 and Paxton Davidson scored 10.
Rhode Island built its halftime margin by holding the Penmen to two made field goals over the final 11 minutes of the opening period, the team's recap said. A 16-2 run after halftime extended the lead to 70-32, with a Dylan Williamson layup completing the burst.
Jonah Hinton scored 18 points for the Rams, making three of his 11 attempts from beyond the arc and all three free throws. Williamson finished with 15 points and six rebounds. Jahmere Tripp contributed 13 points, four rebounds and four assists without a turnover, along with three steals.
Jalen Harper led the bench scoring with nine points in 22 minutes. Nedas Raupelis added seven points, six rebounds and two blocks. Barrett Loer had nine rebounds and five points as URI received 29 points from its reserves. The official attendance was 2,215.
The lopsided score came despite uneven perimeter and free-throw shooting by Rhode Island. The Rams made five of 28 3-pointers, or 17.9%, and 20 of 31 free throws, or 64.5%. Their overall field-goal percentage was much stronger: 38-for-70, or 54.3%.
Those totals show where the offense found its points. URI made 33 of 42 attempts inside the 3-point line, a calculation from the official shooting figures. Its 60 paint points and repeated offensive rebounds provided scoring opportunities even as most of its long-range shots missed.
The teams combined for 27 turnovers. Rhode Island committed 14 but scored 21 points from Southern New Hampshire's 13, compared with the Penmen's 11 points off turnovers. URI's statistical advantages therefore came chiefly from its shooting inside the arc and control of the boards, rather than simply committing fewer mistakes.
The result was an exhibition, so it did not give Rhode Island its first regular-season victory. The Rams' season opener is scheduled for Nov. 3 against Holy Cross at the Ryan Center, with tipoff at 7 p.m.
Sources: URI's official Oct. 27 game recap; Official URI-Southern New Hampshire box score.