Schedule Update:
The Rams will not be hosting A-10 rival George Washington this Sunday due to a positive COVID-19 from a staff member in the Colonials travel party. The Colonials were set to face Dayton Wednesday, that game has been put on hold for now as well.
However, the Rams have left Kingston and are en route to the Kerr Fitness Center where they will face the Duquesne Dukes.
Earlier in December, Duquesne University decided that they will be shifting their men's and women's home basketball games to La Roche University's arena, since theirs is still undergoing renovations.
Tip is set for Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 6 p.m. EST on ESPN+.
Rhode Island at Duquesne Preview:
The Dukes are returning home after suffering two losses on the road to Dayton and St. Bonaventure, making their overall record 3-5, and 2-4 when it comes to conference play. All but one of Duquesne's games in the month of December were postponed or cancelled, which is why they have not played nearly as much as the Rams. Rhode Island will enter Dukes territory with a split record of 7-7 after experiencing a 20-point triumph over the George Mason Patriots this past Saturday.
Wednesday will mark the 61st meeting of the two, with the Rams grasping an 8-game win differential. In the 2019-20 season, Rhode Island faced Duquesne once which provoked a 77-55 victory in favor of the Rams. During that game, Fatts Russell dominated the court with a monstrous 23 points, five rebounds, four steals, and three assists.
Speaking of steals, Russell totals 200 career steals and is inching closer to breaking a program record. He only needs eight more to climb past Keith Cothran who holds 207 steals from 2006-10.
In Saturday's match up in the Ryan Center sophomore Makhel Mitchell continued to impress David Cox and the Rams as he put up his first career double-double with 14 points and 10 boards. He has increased his shooting from the floor to .590 and now averages 8.4 points per game.
Marcus Weathers and Tavian Dunn-Martin, both seniors, are names to look out for going into tomorrows game.
Weathers leads the team in points and rebounds this season, 13.8 and 6.8 per game respectively, making him dominant from the offensive and defensive side of the court. He was named Second Team All-Atlantic 10 for the 2019-20 season, and more recently Preseason Second Team All Atlantic-10 for this years season.
Dunn-Martin was also in the news of the Atlantic 10, he was named their Sixth Man of the Year for 2018-19. So far this year he has helped his team out a lot, even when it came down to the final seconds of play. With just :28 seconds on the clock, Dunn-Martin hit a miraculous three-pointer allowing the Dukes to walk away with a 48-45 win over Fordham earlier in January. He is surely one to look out for when it comes to shooting at three-point territory, he leads his team in threes so far this season making 4-of-6 when facing the University of North Carolina at Greensboro earlier in December.
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