Thursday marked a full calendar year since the University of Rhode Island had lost an Atlantic 10 basketball game.
That shocking night at the Ryan Center felt like the nadir for Dan Hurley and his Rams, as hopes of a potential conference title challenge and NCAA Tournament bid seemed all but lost. It was Fordham inflicting what would almost certainly be the hammer blow, a 53-43 stunner that saw URI booed off its home court.
What?s followed is the sort of run that has this group of Rams cemented into the program?s record book, one dating back to its 1903-04 debut season. URI?s 30-4 mark since that fateful night includes 21 straight victories against conference foes, three of which carried the Rams to a conference tournament title and back into March Madness in 2017. The latest triumph came in Tuesday?s 85-67 dismissal of Richmond, a 16th consecutive win overall to set a new single-season record.
?It?s like a grand slam in tennis or golf or something,? Hurley said on Tuesday night. ?I had a vague idea that we play St. Bonaventure next.?
You?ll excuse Hurley if his full attention hadn?t yet turned to the Bonnies, Friday night?s opponent in a nationally televised showdown between the A-10′s two preseason favorites. Only 15 minutes or so had passed since his team?s latest display of dominance, against the Spiders, as No. 16 URI rode 41 bench points and a wave of energy in the second half to an easy victory. That singular focus comes from Hurley?s own approach and the decades he spent watching his father, Bob Sr., preside over his New Jersey high school powerhouse at St. Anthony.
?We?re enjoying the success and the attention and the winning,? Hurley said. ?But we turn the page quickly.?
Away from Kingston is where the Rams (21-3, 13-0) have truly separated from their peers. URI has won 11 straight league games on the road, that dating back to a 73-62 loss at Richmond on Jan. 25, 2017. Not even the potential absence of guard E.C. Matthews (left knee) has the Rams seeking any sympathy from a St. Bonaventure team desperate for a late signature win.
?He?s feeling a lot better,? Hurley said. ?He?ll be day-to-day ? no MRI needed. He picked up a scare and a bruise. He?ll be fine.?
Matthews crashed to the floor late in the first half against the Spiders, with Richmond forward Grant Golden flopping toward the back side of his legs. Matthews was helped to the locker room and didn?t return, but he was spotted in street clothes at the end of Wednesday?s practice. Hurley said Matthews would be listed as questionable for Friday.
The Bonnies (19-6, 9-4) have won seven straight conference games for the first time in their history and need to make a splash to advance their own NCAA argument. St. Bonaventure?s three Quadrant 1 wins all came during the nonconference portion of its schedule, and a second game against a URI team with a top-10 RPI is exactly the sort of win that would draw the attention of the Selection Committee. Guards Jaylen Adams and Matt Mobley have been dominant since a combined 12-for-29 showing from the field in an 87-73 loss to the Rams on Jan. 13.
That shocking night at the Ryan Center felt like the nadir for Dan Hurley and his Rams, as hopes of a potential conference title challenge and NCAA Tournament bid seemed all but lost. It was Fordham inflicting what would almost certainly be the hammer blow, a 53-43 stunner that saw URI booed off its home court.
What?s followed is the sort of run that has this group of Rams cemented into the program?s record book, one dating back to its 1903-04 debut season. URI?s 30-4 mark since that fateful night includes 21 straight victories against conference foes, three of which carried the Rams to a conference tournament title and back into March Madness in 2017. The latest triumph came in Tuesday?s 85-67 dismissal of Richmond, a 16th consecutive win overall to set a new single-season record.
?It?s like a grand slam in tennis or golf or something,? Hurley said on Tuesday night. ?I had a vague idea that we play St. Bonaventure next.?
You?ll excuse Hurley if his full attention hadn?t yet turned to the Bonnies, Friday night?s opponent in a nationally televised showdown between the A-10′s two preseason favorites. Only 15 minutes or so had passed since his team?s latest display of dominance, against the Spiders, as No. 16 URI rode 41 bench points and a wave of energy in the second half to an easy victory. That singular focus comes from Hurley?s own approach and the decades he spent watching his father, Bob Sr., preside over his New Jersey high school powerhouse at St. Anthony.
?We?re enjoying the success and the attention and the winning,? Hurley said. ?But we turn the page quickly.?
Away from Kingston is where the Rams (21-3, 13-0) have truly separated from their peers. URI has won 11 straight league games on the road, that dating back to a 73-62 loss at Richmond on Jan. 25, 2017. Not even the potential absence of guard E.C. Matthews (left knee) has the Rams seeking any sympathy from a St. Bonaventure team desperate for a late signature win.
?He?s feeling a lot better,? Hurley said. ?He?ll be day-to-day ? no MRI needed. He picked up a scare and a bruise. He?ll be fine.?
Matthews crashed to the floor late in the first half against the Spiders, with Richmond forward Grant Golden flopping toward the back side of his legs. Matthews was helped to the locker room and didn?t return, but he was spotted in street clothes at the end of Wednesday?s practice. Hurley said Matthews would be listed as questionable for Friday.
The Bonnies (19-6, 9-4) have won seven straight conference games for the first time in their history and need to make a splash to advance their own NCAA argument. St. Bonaventure?s three Quadrant 1 wins all came during the nonconference portion of its schedule, and a second game against a URI team with a top-10 RPI is exactly the sort of win that would draw the attention of the Selection Committee. Guards Jaylen Adams and Matt Mobley have been dominant since a combined 12-for-29 showing from the field in an 87-73 loss to the Rams on Jan. 13.
