Anchormen defeat Seahawks, 69-54

NEWPORT, R.I. - Rhode Island College men's basketball (5-1) featured four different players in double-figure scoring to lead a balanced attack against Salve Regina University (3-3) in non-league action at the Rodgers Recreation Center. The Anchormen won, 69-54, after trailing by five 15 minutes into the game.

Senior Chris Burton (New Rochelle, N.Y.) led off the game with an alley-oop dunk with the toss from his classmate Eric Alleyne (Watertown, Mass.). Salve Regina took its first lead on a 3-pointer from freshman Bryce Boggs (Hyde Park, Mass.).

The Anchormen then had a 9-0 run in less than two minutes. Two baskets apiece from Roosevelt Shider (Meriden, Conn.) - one a 3-pointer - and Mike Neal (Pawtucket, R.I.) gave the visitors and eight-point lead with 16:40 on the clock (11-3). Timeout Salve Regina.

The Seahawks had their own 9-0 run following the timeout. Adam Quinlan (East Walpole, Mass.) had layups at the start and end of the run; Rodney Morton (Malden, Mass.) hit a 3-pointer before a fastbreak layup. Morton and senior co-captain Eric MacKinnon (South Easton, Mass.) both had threes during a one-minute stretch where Salve Regina tied the score at 18-18 with 10:43 left in the half.

After Burton's free throws put the visitors up two (20-18), Salve Regina went on a 14-7 run to take its largest lead, 32-27, with 4:49 remaining. Six different Seahawks scored during the run including two baskets from junior Chris O'Keefe (Lexington, Mass.). Co-captain Scott St. Lawrence (Litchfield, N.H.) got an offensive rebound and a put back at 4:49 for the last points of the half for the Seahawks.

Rhode Island finished the final four and a half minutes with a 10-0 run; the Anchormen continued that run into the second half (28-8) to open up a 25-point advantage (65-40) with 8:48 left on the game clock. Alleyne had all four of his field goals, including a 3-pointer, during the opening seven minutes of the second period.

The first half featured six lead changes and three ties; the Anchormen led the entire second half.

The Anchormen improve to 27-6 all-time in their meetings with the Seahawks; Rhode Island College, shooting 50.9% from the floor in today's victory,  has won the last nine meetings.

Shider led all players with 15 points; Burton added 13 and Alleyne and Neal finished with 11 points apiece. Morton led Salve Regina with 12 points.

Rhode Island College plays at Elms College on Tuesday. Salve Regina opens its Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) schedule on Wednesday when it hosts Wentworth Institute of Technology (7:30 p.m.) in the second game of a women's and men's doubleheader at the Rodgers Recreation Center.