Salve Regina suffers first loss to Division III opponent

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Junior guard Eric Alleyne (Watertown, Mass.) buried back-to-back clutch three-pointers late in the second half to give the Rhode Island College men's basketball team a lead it wouldn't surrender, as the Anchormen knocked off Salve Regina, 80-67, at The Murray Center on Tuesday night in non-conference action.

Alleyne finished with 12 points, two rebounds and two steals for Rhode Island College (5-4), while senior guard Nyheem Sanders (Pawtucket, R.I.) racked up a team-high 15 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists. Junior forward Chris Burton (New Rochelle, N.Y.) finished with 15 points, four steals, three assists and three rebounds, while freshman guard Austin Cilley (Westerly, R.I.) posted 10 points, a game-high six assists and two steals. Freshman forward Terrance Tribble (White Plains, N.Y.) added eight points on 4-of-4 shooting off the bench to go along with three rebounds.

Sophomore guard Barrett Hanlon (Hopkinton, Mass.) poured in a game-high 20 points to go along with four rebounds, four assists and four steals for Salve Regina (6-2), who suffered its first loss of the season to a Division III opponent. Prior to Tuesday's matchup, the Seahawks only loss of the year came at the hands of Div. I Bryant University.

Senior forward Jeff Bielefeld (Littleton, Mass.) registered 14 points, 10 rebounds and two steals for the visitors, while senior guard Patrick Dinneen (Medfield, Mass.) finished with 16 points, five rebounds and two assists. Freshman forward Nicholas Bates (Danvers, Mass.) contributed with four points, eight rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal.

Although the Anchormen held a 32-30 lead coming out of halftime, the Seahawks picked up the intensity in the opening minutes of the second half and went on a 19-12 run to up their lead to seven. After the two squads exchanged baskets over the next few minutes, a jumper from Hanlon at the 11:21 mark once again gave Salve Regina a seven-point lead, 53-46.

Rhode Island College quickly turned the tables on the Seahawks and bounced back with a 15-7 run of its own, capped off by a pair of treys from Alleyne, to give the hosts a 61-60 lead with 6:53 left to play. RIC held onto the momentum from Alleyne's clutch shooting and pulled away from Salve Regina down the stretch, outscoring the visitors, 19-7, over the final stages of the game.

Salve Regina held a 37-31 advantage in the rebounding department, but committed a whopping 24 turnovers, including 16 in the second half alone. The Anchormen turned the ball over 16 times throughout the entirety of the game.

The Anchormen shot at a 47 percent (29-for-62) clip from the floor in the win, while shooting 35 percent (8-for-23) from beyond the arc and 93 percent (14-for-15) from the free throw line.

The Seahawks shot 46 percent (26-for-56) from the field, 29 percent (5-for-17) from downtown and 67 percent (10-for-15) from the charity stripe.

In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will resume Little East Conference play at home against UMass Boston on Saturday, Dec. 14 (3 p.m.). Salve Regina hosts Middlebury College in its next game on January 2.