Nov. 6, 2010

Box Score

Sophomore G Ashley Rivera (Lowell, Mass.) compiled 19 points and senior G Megan Shoniker (Rochester, N.Y.) added 15 as the University of Rhode Island defeated UMass Lowell, 53-40, Saturday afternoon in a women's basketball exhibition at Kearney Gymnasium.

UMass Lowell opens the season next Saturday and Sunday at the American International College Yellow Jacket Invitational. On Saturday, the River Hawks face C.W. Post (3:30) and meet Bloomfield Sunday (3:30).

Sophomore G Bianca Simmons (Middletown, Conn.) registered nine points, five rebounds and two assists while sophomores Brianna Wilson (Lowell, Mass.) and Erika Sjoberg (Stockholm, Sweden) also scored nine points.

Sjoberg converted 3 of 4 attempts from 3-point range while Wilson grabbed five rebounds.

URI outrebounded the River Hawks 48-28 overall and 17-9 on the offensive end which led to the Rams' 16-6 edge on points off second chances. The advantage negated URI's 14 turnovers to UMass Lowell's nine.

After a 3-point goal by Sjoberg with nearly seven minutes gone in the first half, URI used a 14-4 run to post a 26-13 lead with 6:38 left to play in the half. Shoniker had five points in the run while freshman G Kerry Wallack (Madison, Conn.) added four points.

The Rams led 34-20 at the half and kept the River Hawks no closer than 11 points throughout the second half.