Nov. 27, 2007
URI vs. CCSU Game Notes
RHODE ISLAND VS. CENTRAL CONNECTICUT
Rhode Island travels to New Britain, Conn. to take on the CCSU Blue Devils on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. The game marks the 16th meeting all time between the two squads with URI holding a 12-3 advantage in the all-time series. The Rams have won the last five matchups between the two teams, most recently defeating the Blue Devils. 75-63, last season at the Ryan Center.
RHODE ISLAND VS. THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
Rhode Island has turned in a 22-6 (.786) all-time record versus NEC opponents. The Rams hold a 12-3 advantage over Central Connecticut and are 3-2 against Fairleigh Dickenson. Rhody also leads the series with Monmouth by a 3-1 margin and is 1-0 all-time against Quinnipiac and Robert Morris. URI opened the season with a 62-43 win over Sacred Heart, improving to 2-0 all-time against the Pioneers.
SCOUTING THE BLUE DEVILS
The Blue Devils are 0-5 so far this season, having opened the 2007-08 season with five-straight road losses. CCSU will look to post its first win of the season, Wednesday night in its home-opener against Rhode Island. Central Connecticut is currently led by Danica Covington (11.0 ppg/8.4 rpg), P.J. Wade (10.0 ppg/4.2 rpg), Emily Rose (9.6 ppg/1.8 spg) and Kerrianne Dugan (7.8 ppg/3.0 apg).
RHODE ISLAND ALL-TIME
In 32 seasons of basketball, URI has posted a 365-536 mark (.405). The team's all-time record at the Ryan Center is 29-37 (.439). This season, the Rams are 3-1 on their home court and 0-2 on the road.
A WIN FOR EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR
The Rams picked up the program's 365th win all-time in the form of a 61-55 victory over Brown on Nov. 23. The game also marked the 900th contest in the history of URI women's basketball.
MOJIDI AN ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMER
Safi Mojidi was named to the URI Invitational All-Tournament team after leading the Rams to a second-place finish in the third-annual Thanksgiving weekend classic. Mojidi paced the Rams with a 21-point performance in the championship game against the No. 16/17 West Virginia Mountaineers and had eight points, seven rebounds and a game-high four steals in URI's win over Brown in the first round of competition.
UP NEXT FOR THE RAMS
After traveling to CCSU to take on the Blue Devils, Rhody returns home to host in-state rival Providence College on Saturday, Dec. 1. The Rams are 7-30 all time against the Friars, most recently falling to PC, 81-59, last season in Providence, R.I.
OFF THE BENCH
In each of their five games so far this season, the Rams have had significant contributions from their bench as the Rhody reserves have combined for double-digit point totals in each contest. URI's non-starters recorded 27 points against Sacred Heart, 14 at Boston University, 43 against Siena, 22 at Holy Cross and 41 against Brown.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Rams are 3-1 when playing at home this season, having defeated Sacred Heart, Siena and Brown at the Ryan Center. URI's only loss on its home court was an 80-47 defeat by No. 16/17 West Virginia.
LEAGUE LEADERBOARD
Safi Mojidi entered the week ranked third in the Atlantic 10 with 2.67 three-pointers per game. She also ranked fifth in steals per game (2.0) and three-point field goal percentage (.457) and was 11th overall in scoring with 15.5 points per game. Crystal Bellinger was eighth in the conference in steals (1.83spg) and 12th in assists (3.17apg). She also had the 14th best assist/turnover ratio (19/20=0.95). Whitney Hollis was 10th in the league with 1.25 blocks per game while Amanda McGrew ranked 12th with 1.67 threes per game.
BELLINGER SHINES AT BU
After recording two turnovers in seven minutes of action in the first half of URI's game at Boston University (Nov. 13), Crystal Bellinger returned from the break and led the Rams through the second frame with 14 points, four steals and three assists. All are career highs for the redshirt-junior transfer who was appearing in just her second game for Rhode Island.
RHODY OPENS WITH A WIN
URI opened the 2007-08 season with a 62-43 win over Sacred Heart, Nov. 9, at the Ryan Center. The win improved the Rams' record to 16-17 in season openers. Prior to defeating the Pioneers, Rhode Island had not won a season opener since posting a 75-58 win at Northeastern to start the 2004-05 season. In that game, Safi Mojidi made her first collegiate appearance, recorded a double-double (16 points, 10 steals) and played all 40 minutes. In last season's opening game, Rhode Island was paced by Tanja Licina's 10-point, 10-rebound performance, but fell to Virginia by a score of 69-56.
LUCKY NUMBER 60
Rhode Island is undefeated when scoring 60-or-more points this season as the Rams recorded 62 points in their victory over Sacred Heart, 63 points in the win over Siena and 61 to defeat Brown. Similarly, URI is undefeated when allowing opponents fewer than 60 points this season.
MOJIDI ON THE MOVE
Safi Mojidi entered her senior season ranked ninth all-time on the Rhode Island all-time scoring list. After a 23-point performance at Holy Cross, she passed former teammate Tanya Rhodes and took over the #8 spot. Mojidi currently has 1,313 career points, ranks sixth on the career field goals list (466) and is second all-time with 150 three-pointers.
REJECTED
Whitney Hollis entered her the season ranked tenth on the Rhode Island career blocks list. After rejecting a shot against Holy Cross, Hollis picked up her 44th career block and moved into the #9 spot all-time. The senior center has recorded at least one block in all but one of URI's games this season, most recently picking up her 45th career rejection against Brown. Hollis needs one more block to tie former teammate Tanya Rhodes for eighth all-time.
RHODY DEBUTS
Four new Rams made their Rhode Island debuts in URI's 62-43 season-opening win over Sacred Heart. Redshirt junior guard Crystal Bellinger recorded seven points and four rebounds and earned the start in her first game in a URI uniform. Freshman guard Megan Shoniker registered two points and one rebound 11 minutes of action. Junior guard Aija Veiksane was 2-for-2 from three-point territory and recorded six points overall in two minutes on the floor while junior forward Ebony Evans grabbed a rebound in one minute of action.
MOJIDI EARNS PRESEASON HONORS
Senior guard Safi Mojidi was named to the Preseason All-Conference Second Team for the second-straight season after leading the Rams in field goals (158), threes (49), free throw percentage (.805, 95-118), points (460, 15.9 ppg), assists (109, 3.8 apg) and steals (58, 2.0 spg). Her assists total ranks fourth among all returning A-10 student-athletes. Mojidi scored in double figures in 22 of the teams' 29 games last season and recorded 30+ points three times. She also logged a team-leading 33.2 minutes per game.
URI PICKED 12TH IN PRESEASON POLL
The Rams were picked to finish 12th in the 2007-08 Atlantic 10 Conference race, according to a poll conducted by the A-10 head coaches and select media. Rhody finished the 2006-07 campaign with a 6-23 record (4-10 A-10) and finished tied for 11th in the conference standings.
RHODY RETURNEES
The 2007-08 Rhode Island roster features seven letterwinners who saw action in 24 or more games last season, and nine returnees overall. Four of the Rams' top-five scorers from last season are back, led by preseason All-Atlantic 10 selection senior Safi Mojidi (15.9 ppg). Juniors Amanda McGrew (8.9 ppg), Tanja Licina (5.8 ppg) and Sierra Cooper (5.7 ppg) all return as well. McGrew finished her sophomore campaign second on the team with 42 three-pointers while Licina was second with a .733 free throw percentage (22-30) and Cooper lead last year's squad with 164 rebounds (5.7 per game).
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Rhody welcomes four newcomers to the lineup in 2007-08. Redshirt junior Crystal Bellinger will make her first appearance as a Ram, after sitting out last season as a transfer from Alabama. Freshman Megan Shoniker comes to URI from Rochester's Greece Arcadia, where she averaged 26.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. The Rams also have added two junior college transfers: Ebony Evans and Aija Veiksane. Last season at Miami Dade, Evans averaged 2.8 ppg and 5.5 rpg while Veiksane averaged 6.7 ppg and 1.6 rpg at Jefferson College.
ATLANTIC 10 FORMAT
The Atlantic 10 Conference consists of 14 member schools competing under one division. During the Conference schedule, each team will play one regular-season game against 12 of the Conference institutions and two regular-season games against one Conference institution designated as its travel partner (URI's travel partner is Massachusetts) for a total of 14 Conference games.
A-10 CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2008 Atlantic 10 Championship will be hosted by Saint Joseph's University and played at the Hawks' Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse in Philadelphia, Pa. First-round games will be played on March 7, followed by quarterfinals on March 8, semifinals on March 9 and the title game on March 10. The league's top 12 teams qualify for the tournament with the championship team receiving the conference's automatic bid to the 64-team NCAA Tournament.
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