Rhode Island will host Duquesne in its final home game of the regular season on Wednesday, March 4, with tip-off scheduled for 7:02 p.m. The matchup marks the 69th meeting between the two teams, with Rhode Island holding a slight edge in the all-time series at 36-32. However, Duquesne has claimed victory in the last four contests, including a 76-61 win earlier this season in Pittsburgh.
In their previous encounter, Jimmie Williams led Duquesne with 22 points and nine rebounds. Rhode Island managed to close a significant deficit late in the game but was unable to complete the comeback after a sequence involving reshot free throws shifted momentum back to Duquesne, who then scored nine unanswered points to secure the win.
Rhode Island has performed well as hosts in this series, winning 21 out of 33 home games against Duquesne. Both teams are currently seeking to end three-game losing streaks.
With two games left in the regular season—Wednesday’s home finale against Duquesne and an away game at Fordham on Saturday—Rhode Island sits in tenth place in the conference standings. The Rams trail George Washington and Fordham by one game each and currently lose tiebreakers to both teams. A sweep of their remaining games would give Rhode Island an opportunity to move up if George Washington loses both of its final games.
If Rhode Island finishes tied with Fordham, they would win that tiebreaker based on their head-to-head record and a victory over first-place Saint Louis. In a potential three-way tie with George Washington and Fordham, Fordham would claim the highest seed due to its combined record against both teams.
The Rams are one game ahead of Richmond and hold that tiebreaker thanks to two wins over the Spiders this season. For Richmond to surpass Rhode Island, URI would need to lose both remaining games while Richmond wins its final two matchups against Dayton and Duquesne. La Salle and St. Bonaventure could also catch Rhode Island if they each win twice while URI drops both games; both teams have tiebreakers over Rhode Island.
Coverage for Wednesday’s game will be available via ESPN+, Varsity Network radio, live stats, and official game notes.
