Both URI, Davidson desperate for a victory

SOUTH KINGSTOWN — To label Wednesday night’s men’s basketball game at the Ryan Center a must win requires a bit of qualification.

The remainder of the 2019-20 season won’t be cancelled if the University of Rhode Island or Davidson suffers a defeat. The Rams and Wildcats will still play their last 16 Atlantic 10 games and the conference tournament in March. A loss in that critical month brings the real finish for all but one of the sport’s 353 teams.

But in terms of what URI and Davidson hoped to accomplish when they started on Nov. 5, a loss would be another hammer blow. Both are seeking to avoid an 0-2 start in league play, and their 14-12 combined record carries with it a host of defeats against strong non-conference foes. The Rams and Wildcats — for various reasons — have failed to cash in on opportunities provided by rugged schedules.

“We’ve got to do whatever we need to do to win this game as far as our preparation,” URI coach David Cox said. “Guys have got to come in ready to work. Our overall mindset has to change.”

URI is coming off back-to-back losses for the first time this year. Its non-conference schedule ended on a sour note with an 85-75 surprise loss at in-state rival Brown University. The Rams followed that up by falling into a 17-point hole early in the second half and succumbing to Richmond, 69-61, on Sunday.

“We have to play for one another,” Cox said. “I haven’t seen that in two games. It’s shocking to me, but it’s on me at the same time. I can’t be too surprised.

“I’m the head coach. I’ve got to get that changed. I’ve got to address it and get it changed. That’s the big thing right now.”

URI (8-5 overall, 0-1 A-10) totaled 21 assists against the Bears and Spiders, after recording 21 apiece in wins over Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee. The Rams went a combined 8-for-37 from 3-point range against Brown and Richmond. They shot a season-low 34.8% against the Spiders and managed just 19 points in the first half.

“It was a combination of things,” Cox said. “Some of them were good looks, but I thought there were some rushed shots. We had made a living in those first 10 or 11 games playing with pace and sharing the basketball.”

To be swept in its first two league home games could be crippling for URI. The Rams travel on Saturday to face VCU, and the Siegel Center will be in a frenzy while welcoming the program that knocked the top seed out of last year’s conference tournament. Any hopes URI harbors of earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament could be on life support before February arrives.

Davidson (6-7, 0-1) is also at a crisis point. The Wildcats have been racked by injuries and worked over by a brutal schedule that includes seven games against Quadrant 1 or Quadrant 2 foes. Davidson has lost to the top five NET teams it’s faced, including a 71-64 setback at Duquesne on Sunday.

Jon Axel Gudmundsson is the reigning conference Player of the Year, but his supporting cast has been thinned considerably. KiShawn Pritchett (knee) and David Czerapowicz (hip surgery) haven’t played this season while shooting guard Luke Frampton took a personal leave of absence after five games. Promising freshman forward Hyunjung Lee missed the loss to the Dukes due to an upper-body injury. bkoch@providencejournal.com On Twitter: @BillKoch25