Rams’ run ends in quarterfinals

Saturday, March 12, 2011

GoLocalProv Sports Team

Rhode Island’s slim NCAA Tournament hopes came to end Friday night in a 55-45 loss to Richmond in the Atlantic 10 quarterfinals. Now the Rams must wait to find out if their season is over.

Kevin Anderson’s 21 points led the third-seeded Spiders (25-7) in Friday’s win at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. The Rams (19-13) beat Richmond earlier this season, but struggled offensively in Friday’s rematch. Justin Harper added 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Spiders while Marquis Jones scored 14 points for the Rams.

While the Rams have no shot at earning an at-large bid to the NCAAs, they could make a return trip to the NIT. Last year’s team advanced to the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden and suffered a narrow loss to North Carolina.