Jamarques Lawrence’s Four Point Play Lifts URI Past St. Bonaventure

A Jamarques Lawrence 3-pointer with just two seconds to go lifted Rhode Island to a 68-64 win over St. Bonaventure on Wednesday evening at the Ryan Center.

Lawrence, who was fouled on the play, hit his ensuing free throw before David Green added one of his own to seal Rhody’s (16-8, 5-7 A-10) 12th victory at home.

The trey had put the Rams up 66-64 for just their second lead of the game, which was largely controlled by the visiting Bonnies (17-9, 5-8 A-10). After trailing by as much as 13, Rhode Island clawed its way back into contention over the course of the second half and eventually knotted up the score at 53 points apiece on a three-ball by Sebastian Thomas.

Thomas, who scored all 15 of his points in the second half, forced another tie a minute later when he converted two free throw attempts to make the score 55-55 with 5:06 left on the clock. After knocking on the door, Rhode Island eventually took its first lead of the night when Green hit a three, assisted by Lawrence, to put the Rams ahead 60-59 with 3:27 left to play.

The action was back-and-forth over the final few minutes but Rhode Island maintained its composure, having been in the situation before. Since the start of Atlantic 10 play, eight of Rhody’s 12 games have been decided by six points or less, with the team now 5-3 in those contests. After Lawrence’s heroics, St. Bonaventure attempted a long pass to get the ball down the floor but it went out of bounds to give URI the ball back. Green was quickly fouled on the inbound and made one of his two shots, icing the game.

Inside the Box Score
It was a career night for guard Jamarques Lawrence, who scored a career- and game-high 20 points while matching his personal best of four steals.
Lawrence was 7-for-11 overall and 3-for-4 from the arc.
Forward David Fuchs hauled in 10 rebounds for his eighth game of the year with 10 or more. He also added seven points and a steal, earning the start in the second half.
Forward David Green tallied 18 points, nine of which came from long range, to go along with seven rebounds and three assists. He also matched his career high of three blocks.
Thomas, the third Ram to finish with double-digit points (15), dished out a team-high seven assists.
St. Bonaventure was a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe, while Rhode Island made 11 of its 17 attempts.
The Rams had a narrow advantage on the glass at 32-31.
With the win, Rhode Island snapped a two-game losing streak while the Bonnies extended their skid to three games.
The Rams also have clinched their first winning winning season since the 2019-20 season.
St. Bonaventure came out of the gates hot, shooting 50.0 percent from the floor in the first half. The Bonnies eventually finished the night with a 43.6 shooting percentage.
Rhody has now reached 12 wins at home (12-2) for the first time since the 2019-20 season (12-3).
The Rams played without Quentin Diboundje (shoulder).
Up Next
Rhode Island will host La Salle at the Ryan Center on Saturday, Feb. 15. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. on ESPN+.