WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Just as it did last season, the University of Rhode Island looked right at home on the Atlantic 10 basketball road Saturday afternoon.
The Rams made their first league trip of the season a productive one, putting together one of their most complete performances to date in 2017-18.
URI’s 81-60 domination of George Washington gave Dan Hurley’s club its first true road victory of the season, one that came in emphatic fashion. The Rams used a 10-0 run off the opening tip and a 17-0 burst later in the first half to put this one away early, as the 2,249 on hand at the Smith Center saw the Atlantic 10 favorites operating at full throttle.
“We were locked in,” Hurley said. “I thought the first 28, 30 minutes we were really outstanding.”
It’s the first time URI has won six straight conference road games, a streak dating back to last season’s sprint into the NCAA Tournament. The 77-74 victory at George Mason started the Rams’ redemption, as they swept to a conference tournament championship and came within a whisker of a Sweet 16 berth. URI closed 7-2 in conference away from the Ryan Center in 2016-17, matching the program record set by the fabled 1987-88 team.
“The road’s a different animal,” URI guard Jared Terrell said. “We embrace it. We take it to heart.”
URI (11-3, 3-0) wasted no time jumping in front. Terrell’s steal and runout slam put the Rams up by double digits, and the Colonials (8-8, 1-2) needed 5:37 to record their first basket. The second burst was powered by nine straight made field goals, as URI shot 58.1 percent in the first half and enjoyed a 25-point lead when Andre Berry stuck a jumper in the lane with 4:50 left.
“At home they’ve been pretty tough to beat,” Hurley said, noting the 7-2 record George Washington carried into Saturday on its home floor. “I just loved the way we played the first 30 minutes.”
Terrell led all scorers with 22 points, going 9-for-12 from the field while deftly finishing both inside and out. Cyril Langevine celebrated his return to the starting lineup by just missing a double-double, totaling eight points and 10 rebounds in place of Stanford Robinson (toe infection). Jeff Dowtin matched his career high with nine assists and added nine points of his own.
“We were just moving the ball well,” Dowtin said. “Everyone was hitting shots.”
The Rams dished out 12 of their 15 assists in the first half, more than doubling the season-low seven they finished with in Wednesday’s 74-62 slog past La Salle. URI shot 53.4 percent from the floor, the fourth time it’s exceeded that figure this season. The Rams controlled key categories like points off turnovers (23-4) and fast break points (11-2), dictating the tempo throughout.
“When we’re defending at a high level, that just makes us go,” Terrell said. “We’re able to get in transition where we’re at our best.”
How much have these two programs changed in a short time? Hurley’s first trip to George Washington came in the 2013-14 season, a 69-56 loss that wasn’t that close. The Colonials held a 37-13 halftime lead and cruised to the finish, eventually earning the latest of their four NCAA bids since 2005. Saturday it was the Rams enjoying a 38-13 lead late in the first half, one that eventually swelled to 32 with 15:15 left in the game.
“There’s always got to be something extra,” Hurley said. “There’s got to be something extra, an edge, something emotional that you can tie in to have your team ready to play all the time.”
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @BillKoch25