St. Joseph's beats Rhode Island

KINGSTON, R.I. - Carl Jones scored a game-high 28 points as St. Joseph's used a pair of second-half rallies to beat Rhode Island, 80-69, in Atlantic Ten action Wednesday night.

C.J. Aiken backed up Jones with 18 points, while Langston Galloway added 16.

The scored was tied, 43-43, when the Hawks (17-10, 7-5) went on a 14-0 run that produced a 57-43 lead. Rhode Island (5-22, 2-10) countered with a 14-3 run of its own, but the Hawks had the last run, which, as it turned out, was the one that mattered.

Galloway buried a three-point shot that ignited a 12-0 run and gave the Hawks a 74-59 lead with 2 minutes, 10 seconds remaining.

Jones made sure the Rams did not creep closer when he twice sank both ends of a two-shot foul in the final minute.

Orien Outerbridge paced the Rams, whose three-game winning streak against the Hawks ended. At one stage in the first half, the Hawks looked as if they would fly away and hide from the Rams as they built a 28-20 lead with Jones burying a three-point shot.

But, even though the Hawks outshot the Rams, 51.7 percent to 48.3 percent, in the half, Rhode Island still led, 38-36, at intermission because of contributions from a host of players, not the least of whom was Outerbridge.

Outerbridge ignited a Rhode Island run by draining a three-pointer, and he capped it with 3.4 seconds remaining with a dunk.

Jones played a key role in the Hawks' building their early lead as he drained a pair of threes and finished the half with 13 points.