Regis Men’s Basketball Sees Comeback Fall Short

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Regis College battled back from a second-half deficit to take the lead late in regulation, but Rhode Island College made its free throws down the stretch to defeat the Pride, 64-58, Saturday in a non-conference men's collegiate basketball game at the Murray Center.

Zakaria Latifi (Holliston, Mass.) led the Pride with 19 points, plus he pulled down nine rebounds and earned two steals, while Justin Evelyn (Uniondale, N.Y.) finished with 11 points and six assists. Jamir Harvey (Robbins, Ill.) contributed 10 points in 20 minutes off the bench, and Russell Rau (Fitchburg, Mass.) grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds.

Rhode Island College (2-4) took a 7-2 lead two minutes into the game before the Pride rattled off seven straight points thanks to a three-pointer by Evelyn and consecutive baskets by Joshua Perez (Lynn, Mass.) and Latifi. The Anchormen quickly bounced back with an 11-2 scoring run, led by seven points from Anthony Rivera, to pull ahead 18-11 with 11 minutes left in the first half.

Latifi brought the Pride back within two points twice, first on a three-pointer and then on a layup for a 25-23 score with 4:11 remaining before halftime. However, Rhode Island College scored the final six points of the first half, capped by a dunk from Ousmane Kourouma, to bring a 31-23 advantage into the locker room at the break.

Regis opened the second half with an 8-2 scoring run, featuring three-pointers by Latifi and Tate Pike (Bellingham, Mass.), but the Anchormen responded with seven unanswered points, led by Rivera with four points and an assist. Rhode Island College would maintain a seven-point advantage for the next five minutes, establishing a 48-41 lead thanks to two made free throws by Victor Olivera-Rodriguez.

The Pride started their rally with another three-pointer from Latifi, putting together a 13-4 scoring run capped by a layup from Harvey that gave Regis a 54-52 advantage with three minutes remaining in regulation. After Kourouma and Evelyn traded layups, Kourouma tied the game at 56-56 with a layup and then made two free throws to put the Anchormen ahead for good.

Rhode Island College extended its lead to 60-56 on two made free throws by Rivera, but Rau answered with a layup to bring the Pride back within one possession. Kalu Uga and Rivera would convert two free throw opportunities apiece in the final 22 seconds to seal the victory for the Anchormen.

Rivera shot 8-for-15 from the field and a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line to lead all players with 26 points, while Kourouma finished with 21 points and 17 rebounds. As a team, the Anchormen shot 36.2 percent (21-for-58) from the field and 62.5 percent (20-for-32) from the free throw line, plus they outrebounded the Pride, 48-40, including 15 offensive boards that led to 22 second chance points.

The Pride shot 40 percent (24-for-60) from the field, but struggled from the free throw line with 12 missed attempts from the charity stripe. Each team committed just 11 turnovers, with Regis dishing out 16 assists during the afternoon.

Regis College (2-2) hosts Framingham State Tuesday, Nov. 22, beginning at 7 p.m. at Higgins Court.