KINGSTON, R.I. - The Providence College men's basketball team defeated the University of Rhode Island, 88-74, on Saturday, Dec. 3 at the Ryan Center in Kingston, R.I. The Friars improved to 6-3 on the season and 76-56 all-time versus the Rams. Sophomore Bryce Hopkins (Oak Park, Ill.) recorded a double-double, with 14 points and a season-high 15 rebounds. Graduate students Jared Bynum (Largo, Md.) and Clifton Moore (Ambler, Pa.) each added 14 points as well. Tonight marked the Friars' first win at the Ryan Center since 2015.

"Today was a great game," Head Coach Ed Cooley said. "We emphasized ball movement and body movement, and our players did a great job with that today."

"We made a point to bring a lot of energy and maximize our physicality tonight," Hopkins said. "We played with a chip on our shoulder."

FIRST HALF:

• Noah Locke (Baltimore, Md.) had the Friars' first basket with a three-ball at the 18:10 mark.
• With 14:45 left in the half, the Friars gained their first lead, 11-10, with a dunk by Rafael Castro (Dover, N.J.). 
• Nine of the Friars' first 15 points came off URI turnovers. PC trailed by one at the 11:21 media timeout.
• The lead changed hands nine times in the first half. Locke brought a spark for the Friars. Abdou Samb was the main source of offense for the Rams. 
• With 4:20 remaining in the half, Locke buried his third three-pointer of the game. On the next possession, Devin Carter (Miami, Fla.) forced a turnover and took the ball coast-to-coast for the dunk. The Friars gained a 33-25 lead.
• Moore converted a second-chance dunk with less than three minutes until halftime, extending the PC lead to double digits. 
• Hopkins made a second-chance layup to beat the halftime buzzer for the Friars. 
• PC held a 43-27 lead at halftime. The Friars concluded the first half on a 17-2 scoring run. 
• Providence shot 17-32 (53.1%) from the field, 3-10 (30.0%) from three and 6-7 (85.7%) from the free throw line. 
• URI shot 12-30 (40.0%) from the field, 2-8 (25.0%) from three and 1-1 (100%) from the free throw line. 

SECOND HALF:

• Hopkins and Ed Croswell (Philadelphia, Pa.) each scored in the paint to open the second half for the Friars.
• The Friars maintained their lead into the first media timeout of the half. PC led 52-38.
• URI's Josaphat Bilau brought a spark in the second half, knocking down a three-ball with just over 13 minutes left. Moore answered for the Friars with a three-pointer of his own. 
• With 12 minutes remaining, Carter stole the ball and found Alyn Breed (Powder Springs, Ga.) in transition. Breed drew a foul and completed a three-point play.
• At the 8:33 mark, Croswell battled for an offensive rebound and located a wide-open Bynum on the left wing. Bynum capitalized with his first three-pointer. PC led 70-56.
• Midway through the second half, each team found success on offense. The Rams had made each of their last six attempts, while the Friars had connected on seven of their last nine shots.
• The Friars headed into the final media timeout with a 15-point lead, 79-64. 
• The Friars held off URI's comeback efforts and conserved a double-digit lead for the entire second half. 

NOTES/HIGHLIGHTS:

• Providence finished 34-63 (54.0%) from the field, 6-20 (30.0%) from three and 14-20 (70.0%) from the free throw line. 
• URI finished 30-63 (47.6%) from the field, 4-12 (33.3%) from three and 10-11 (90.9%) from the free throw line. 
• Six players finished in double figures for the Friars, in Bynum (14), Hopkins (14), Moore (14), Locke (13), Carter (10) and Croswell (10). 
• The Friars hauled in seven more rebounds and dished three more assists in the game.
• Josaphat Bilau led the way for URI with a game-high 16 points. URI finished with four players in double figures. 
• Tonight marked Cooley's first win against URI Head Coach Archie Miller (1-2 all-time). 
• The Friars have played Rhode Island more than any other opponent all-time.
• The Friars played their second consecutive road game of the season on Saturday.
• The Friars have posted a 156-112 mark all-time versus teams from the Atlantic 10, including a 1-1 mark this season.
• Six Friars scored in double figures for the second time this season and the first time since they defeated Stonehill on 11/15/22.

WHAT'S NEXT:

• The Friars will return home to take on Manhattan College on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, R.I. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. on FS1. 
• Providence holds a 6-2 all-time record versus Manhattan. In their last matchup, the Friars earned a 79-77 home victory on Dec. 21, 1990.

-GO FRIARS!-