Nicklas Heminger
Sports Editor
The Anchormen basketball team opened the season with a 1-2 record, after starting the year with three games in six days. Rhode Island College was able to pick a win up against Rivier University, but lost to Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brandeis University. After a short rest, the Anchormen once again had faced another stretch of three games in six days.
The first game saw the Anchormen take on the Fitchburg State Falcons. RIC and Fitchburg would trade baskets early in the game, before the Anchormen were able to capture a lead in the game at 12-11. This was their first lead of this game. Fitchburg was able to grab the lead back shortly after, and the Falcons would hold the lead into the halftime break. RIC trailed the Falcons 29-28 at the half, with Anthony Rivera leading the way with a team-high nine points at the break and Shion Darby following closely behind with eight points. Ousmane Kourouma had a team-leading eight rebounds at the break.
The second half started much like the first, with both teams trading baskets, but a shooting slump for the Anchormen allowed the Falcons to go on a 13-2 run. The run would prove costly for the Anchormen, as they would never be able to overcome the Falcons lead and fell by a score of 58-48.
Rivera finished the game scoring 11 points, a career-high for him, and Darby ended up in the double-digits, too with 10 points. Kourouma posted a double-double after finishing the game tied for the team-high 11 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.
The Anchormen took on the Worcester State Lancers in their next game. The Anchormen were able to jump out to an early lead against the Lancers, but Worcester State hung around early in the first half. Both teams went back and forth throughout much of the half, but Worcester State was the team in front when the buzzer sounded for halftime. The 5-0 lead that RIC held early in the half was the largest score differential between the two teams, but RIC trailed 35-32.
Rivera led the team in scoring in the first half scoring 12 points on 4-7 shooting from the field. Kourouma led the team with eight rebounds at the half and Xavier Landers posted six rebounds of his own.
The Anchormen found themselves down 49-41 with 12 minutes remaining, but a 9-2 run for RIC squared the game up at 51. The teams traded baskets down the stretch before Worcester State would connect on back to back three balls to push the game out of reach.
RIC would lose to the Lancers 70-63. Rivera would finish the game with a team-high 20 points and nine rebounds, while Landers posted 13 points and nine rebounds. Both men finished one rebound shy of posting double-doubles. Kourouma grabbed a team-high 15 rebounds and scored 12 points. Kourouma also earned his fourth double-double out of the last five games for RIC.
The Anchormen ended the tough stretch of games against the Regis College Pride. The Anchormen came out desperate to end their four-game losing streak. The Anchormen and Pride spent much of the first-half going back and forth, a theme for this stretch of games for RIC. Shortly before halftime, the Anchormen went on a 9-2 run that saw them jump in front 31-23 heading into the break.
Rivera led the team in scoring at half with 16 points. Kourouma had secured a double-double at the half with 11 points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
Despite the lead, the Pride hung around and with three minutes left in the game and grabbed their first lead in the game since the 13 minute mark of the first half.Kourouma would give the Anchormen the lead back with 55 seconds left to play and the Anchormen would hold on to secure the win. RIC defeated Regis by a final score of 64-58.
Rivera led the Anchormen in scoring, posting a team and career-high 26 points along with 9 rebounds. Kourouma posted his fifth double-double of the season with a team-leading 17 rebounds to go along with 21 points. Kalu Uga posted an additional 11 points for the Anchormen to help secure the win.
The Anchormen are on the road for their next game against Bridgewater State University. They’ll take on the Bears Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
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