Providence, R.I.--Junior center Ousmane Kourouma (Woonsocket, R.I.) was the hero with a game-saving block as the Rhode Island College men's basketball team defeated Little East rival UMass Dartmouth, 70-68, at The Murray Center on Wednesday night.
 
THE BASICS
Rhode Island College 70, UMass Dartmouth, 68
Rhode Island College (8-15, 6-9 LEC)
UMass Dartmouth (7-17, 6-9 LEC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• RIC held a slight advantage, 31-29, heading into the half.
 
• UMD graduate guard Dhayln Sanders-Dyer (Worcester, Mass.) hit a layup with 4:09 left in the game to put the Corsairs up by eight, 65-57.
 
• RIC would then proceed to score 11 straight points over the next three minutes to build a three-point lead, 68-65. Kourouma and junior forward Kalu Uga (Hyde Park, Mass.) were the catalysts of the run.
 
• Sanders-Dyer hit a three-point shot with 35 seconds left to tie the game at 68-all. Freshman guard Anthony Rivera (Staten Island, N.Y.) knocked down the winning jumper with 20 seconds left.
 
• UMass Dartmouth had a fantastic look at the rim to tie the game with six seconds remaining when Kourouma rejected the shot to save the game for the Anchormen. After a Rivera missed free throw, UMD threw a Hail Mary that was intercepted by Rivera to officially close the book on the Corsairs.
 
• Rivera flirted with a triple-double with 24 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. Uga (19 points, 10 rebounds) and Kourouma (10 points, 15 rebounds) each had double-doubles.
 
• UMD junior guard Isaac Percy (Pittsfield, Mass.) and Sanders-Dyer had 24 and 23 points, respectively.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will close out the regular season at Plymouth State on Saturday, Feb. 18 (3 p.m.).