The No.10-seeded Massachusetts Minutemen get together with the No.7-seeded Rhode Island Rams in the second round of the A10 tournament at the Barclays Center. Action starts at 6:30 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 10 and will air on NBS.
The Rams are expecting a different result after their 64-61 loss to Fordham the last time they played. Four McGlynn had a good game, finishing with 16 points, five assists, and three rebounds for Rhode Island. The Minutemen, meanwhile, are coming off a 69-52 win against La Salle in their last game. Trey Davis claimed his second double-double of the season with 27 points and 12 rebounds.
The two teams have split their matchups this season. The Rams had the upper hand in the most recent game, a close 68-50 win. Kuran Iverson finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
The Rams look to build on their records of 17-14 Straight Up (SU) and 12-17 Against The Spread (ATS). The Rams have limited opponents’ efforts from beyond the arc, allowing a Division I-low 158 three-pointers made or 5.0 per game.
Across the court, the Minutemen have a record of 10-16-2 ATS and 13-17 SU. The Minutemen allow very few three-pointers on defense with 7.0 given up per game.
Following the Rams’ latest win over Massachusetts, Rhode Island is still behind in the head-to-head record over their most recent meetings, 2-8 SU. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record. Rhode Island topped the Minutemen in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) twice over the last five games. Massachusetts has never had the edge in all three categories.
Predictions: SU Winner – URI, ATS Winner – URI
Notes
The Massachusetts Minutemen have a defensive rating of 105.3 (ranked 79th), while the Rhode Island Rams have an offensive rating of 106.7 (ranked 153rd).
The Massachusetts Minutemen average 72.4 possessions per game and 1.020 points per possession. The Rhode Island Rams earn fewer possessions with 65.3, but they score more points with 1.067.
Rhode Island has an average effective field goal percentage of 50.9%. Massachusetts is a subpar 3-12 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Rhode Island, the 29th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 5.1 per game. Massachusetts does worse, ranked 174th with 3.4.
Massachusetts has forced an average turnover percentage of 17.6% this season. Rhode Island is an even 8-8 when its TO% is 17.6% or higher.
