The Rams rode their bench down the stretch against Northeastern and were rewarded with a victory to close their nonconference schedule.
SOUTH KINGSTOWN – The players making the difference in this nonconference finale for the University of Rhode Island men wouldn't have been the expected leading cast.
The Rams rode their bench down the stretch against Northeastern and were rewarded with a victory against an old regional rival. RJ Johnson and Alex Crawford looked like leaders on this Monday night, Dec. 22 at the Ryan Center.
Johnson made the inbounds pass and Crawford connected on the critical layup that helped spark URI in a tight spot against Northeastern. A one-possession game became something more comfortable over the last 1:56, as the Rams delivered a 16th straight win over the Huskies.
Crawford followed his clutch bucket with a steal at the other end, and Johnson made both ends of 1-and-1 chances at the foul line inside the last 14.9 seconds. That added up to an 85-77 victory over Northeastern, and the Atlantic 10 is up next on New Year’s Eve in Kingston.
“We’re going to need more than five or six guys to play well on a nightly basis,” URI coach Archie Miller said. “Tonight showed we have some guys who can step up in really big moments and make some plays.”
URI looked ready to put this one away multiple times before being pushed into the last couple minutes. Xavier Abreu connected on a 3-pointer and Luca Soroa Schaller hit a tough layup off the right side to make it a 79-77 game with 2:33 left. The Rams had just three seconds on the shot clock when Johnson found Crawford with a bounce pass under the hoop to ease some tension.
“At the end of the game you’ve just got to focus on making the little plays to get momentum for our team,” Crawford said. “Just pull it out down the stretch.”
Crawford followed with a steal and the Huskies committed another turnover on a pass out of bounds with 51.1 seconds left. Jonah Hinton hustled to pick up an offensive rebound on the ensuing possession and Johnson was sent to the line with 14.9 seconds left and a chance to effectively close it out.
“It was good personally for my confidence,” Johnson said. “I want to stack some good games together. It’s been a tough season so far individually.”
Crawford was benched for the final 22 minutes last time out, a 62-45 grind past Canisius. Johnson dressed but was held out due to illness. They combined for 31 of the 57 bench points URI produced, a 3-to-1 margin against the Northeastern reserves that offered a necessary lift.
“It’s hard to get 57 bench points,” Miller said. “Especially in a game where they all mattered.”
Tyler Cochran sat for the final 18:12 after being whistled for a technical foul – the veteran guard was already nursing an ankle injury he picked up inside the opening two minutes. Jahmere Tripp didn’t play over the final 16:32 while battling a lower body injury – he was spotted riding the exercise bike just beyond the home bench on multiple occasions. That opened the door for two career highs, as redshirt freshman guard Damone King chipped in 12 points and Jalen Harper notched the first 10 of his freshman season.
"It hasn’t been easy on our young guys," Miller said. "They’re good players. They’re great kids. They show up every day in practice. They work.
"They’re not getting as much run right now, but you never really know when it’s going to happen."
It was the most productive first half of the season to date for the Rams (9-4), as they carried a 48-39 lead into the locker room. The hosts shot 55.9% from the field and committed just three turnovers, leading for the final 15:31 and by as much as 12 points. Johnson’s pair of free throws with 1:43 to play handed URI a 47-35 cushion.
Northeastern (4-7) was playing a second game in three days and its second in a five-game road trip – the last three will open Coastal Athletic Association action. The Huskies were coming off a 91-83 loss at Syracuse and looking to push another opponent in a guarantee game. Northeastern’s best win to date came over Duquesne, with head coach Bill Coen – a former Rams assistant under Al Skinner from 1989-97 – chopping down an Atlantic 10 foe.
Loyola Chicago arrives for a noon tip to close the calendar year next Wednesday, and URI will be looking to significantly better last year’s 7-11 mark in league play. The Rams are 1-3 against top-100 opponents per KenPom.com, including a true road win over Ivy League favorite Yale. Neutral floors against Tulsa and Towson, a short road trip to Providence and a home rock fight with McNeese State should all have URI ready for the challenge in the conference.
“We’ve been battle-tested,” Johnson said. “The goal is to win – it's that simple.”
NORTHEASTERN (77): Xander Alarie 3-10 6-7 12, Youri Fritz 3-6 2-2 8, Ryan Williams 6-8 4-4 21, Mike Loughnane 3-4 3-4 11, William Kermoury 2-5 1-2 7, Xavier Abreu 4-8 0-1 9, Miles Newton 0-0 1-2 1, Liam Koelsch 0-0 0-1 0, Luca Soroa Schaller 2-5 2-2 6, Ty Francis 1-3 0-0 2, Haris Elezovic 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-49 19-25 77.
RHODE ISLAND (85): Tyler Cochran 0-2 0-0 0, Keeyan Itejere 2-3 0-0 4, Jahmere Tripp 5-5 0-1 10, Jonah Hinton 4-10 1-2 10, Myles Corey 2-4 0-0 4, Alex Crawford 5-10 0-0 12, Jalen Harper 3-7 2-3 10, RJ Johnson 6-8 6-6 19, Drissa Traore 1-3 2-4 4, Damone King 5-8 0-0 12. Totals 33-60 11-16 83.
Halftime – RI, 48-39. 3-point FG – N 10-21 (Alarie 0-1, Williams 5-7, Loughnane 2-3, Kermoury 2-5, Abreu 1-3, Soroa Schaller 0-1, Francis 0-1), RI 8-22 (Cochran 0-1, Hinton 1-5, Corey 0-1, Crawford 2-4, Harper 2-4, Johnson 1-2, King 2-5). Rebounds – N 25 (Alarie 8), RI 33 (Crawford 9). Assists – N 16 (Fritz 4, Williams 4, Loughnane 4, Kermoury 4), RI 11 (Johnson 6). Turnovers – N 13 (Alarie 3, Fritz 3), RI 11 (Team 3). Blocked shots – N 5 (Soroa Schaller 2), RI 4 (Crawford 2, Traore 2). Steals – N 7 (Fritz 2), RI 7 (Corey 2, Crawford 2). Attendance – 3,585.
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island basketball beats Northeastern 85-77 on Dec. 22, 2025
Category: General Sports
