MIDDLEBURY, VT – Rutgers-Newark senior guard
James Johnson led all scorers with 20 points while senior forward
Deshawn Singleton posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, but a strong second half lifted Rhode Island College to a 72-60 win over Rutgers-Newark in the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship opening round in Middlebury College’s Pepin Gym.
Rhode Island College 72, Rutgers-Newark 60
Anchorman junior guard Antone Gray had a dozen of his 19 points and senior guard Jake Grimes 11 of his 19 in the second half to as the Raiders saw their first trip to the national championship tournament cut short.
Johnson had eight points to fuel an 18-4 Raider run which turned a 4-point deficit into a 28-18 lead with 6:03 left in the opening half. But a conventional 3-point play by Grimes capped an answering 8-0 outburst by Rhode Island College which trimmed the lead to two at 4:24. The Anchormen got a jumper by junior forward Carl Lee and a layup by sophomore center Mike Akinrola to close out the period, cutting Rutgers-Newark’s lead to 37-36 to end the seesaw period.
Gray and sophomore forward Mason Choice, who finished with a dozen points, netted four points apiece during the decisive 12-0 run for the Anchormen (21-7) which snapped a 51-51 tie, boosting the winners into the driver’s seat at 63-51 with just 3:16 remaining.
Junior forward Darius Debnam chipped in 11 points for Rhode Island College.
Host Middlebury (24-3) takes on Gordon College (24-4) in the 8 o’clock nightcap with the tonight’s winners playing at 7 p.m. on Saturday for the right to advance to section play next weekend.