Feb 2, 2002

Stats

KINGSTON, R.I. (AP) - Dustin Hellenga and Troy Wiley each scored 15 points Saturday to lead Rhode Island to a 70-59 win over Massachusetts.

Hellenga scored 13 in the first half and keyed a 13-2 Rhode Island run. He hit three 3-pointers and Steve Mello hit a jump shot that capped the run to give Rhode Island (6-13, 2-6 Atlantic 10) a 25-16 lead.

Massachusetts (9-10, 3-5) shot 25 percent from the field in the first half and trailed 31-24 at the break. Anthony Anderson kept the Minutemen close in the first half with 11 of his game-high 17 points.

Consecutive tipins by Ronell Blizzard and Raheim Lamb pulled Massachusetts even at 39-39 with 13:07 left in the second half, but Rhode Island responded with a 14-2 run.

Wiley scored seven points in the run, including two alley-oop dunks off passes from Dinno Daniels.

The closest Massachusetts came in the second half was 57-50 on a 3-pointer by Anderson.

Rhode Island got a strong rebounding effort from its starting backcourt, led by Howard Smith with 10 rebounds and Daniels with seven. Daniels also scored 11 points and had six assists.

Eric Williams had 11 points and nine rebounds for Massachusetts, which was without second-leading scorer Micah Brand.