NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass.- Visiting Rhode Island College made 11 of 12 free throws in the final 1:23 to hold off No. 14 University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's men's basketball team, 69-66, in the second game of a Little East Conference doubleheader at the Tripp Athletic Center Tuesday evening. Freshman forward Mason Choice (Newport, R.I.) scored 16 of his career-high 22 points in the second half to snap the Corsairs' nine-game winning streak.

Choice fell just two rebounds shy of posting his first collegiate double-double. The rookie connected on each of his six attempts from the field and 10 of his 14 tries from the charity stripe to pace two Anchormen (11-4, 5-1 LEC) in double figures. Senior guard Tirrell Hill (Bronx, N.Y.) netted 15 points, including a trio of triples. Sophomore forward Darius Debham (Mattaphan, Mass.) pulled in a game-high 12 rebounds, while classmate guard Antoine Gray (Providence, R.I.) handed out five assists.   

UMass Dartmouth (13-2, 5-1) placed three student-athletes in double digits in scoring, paced by sophomore forward Brandon Stephens' (Dorchester, Mass.) 20 points. Junior forward Brandon Shelton (Cambridge, Mass.) was just a point off the pace, while classmate Matt Walker (Brockton, Mass.) chipped in with 13. Senior point guard Reece Freeman (Cambridge, Mass.) dished out a game-best seven assists.

Rhode Island College trailed by one point, 30-29, at the half and fell behind by nine, 38-29, after Stephens' three-pointer capped an 8-0 run for the hosts with 17:53 remaining in the final frame.

The Anchormen responded with an 11-0 run to take the lead, 40-38, at the 14:08 mark, keyed by two Hill three-pointers and a Choice bucket and free throw. The Corsairs regained the lead on back-to-back layups by junior guard V.J. Divine (Brookline, Mass.) and Shelton, respectively.

Choice scored the Anchormen's next six points with two layups and a pair of free throws to give the visitors a 44-42 advantage with 12:10 remaining. Rhode Island College would not trail again, building a lead that swelled to eight points, 50-42, on a senior guard Cameron Stewart (Newport, R.I.) layup at the 10:18 mark.

UMass Dartmouth got within one point, 52-51, on a Freeman trey with 4:14 left on the clock. Once again, Choice provided the answer for the Anchormen with a layup and free throw to give Rhode Island College a four-point cushion. Stewart hit two free throws to put the Anchormen up by seven, 60-53, with 1:23 left.

The Corsairs made it a one possession game, 66-63, with 33 seconds left on a Shelton layup, but senior center Wil Lyons (Warwick, R.I.) made a pair of free throws to keep UMD at bay. Choice added another free throw and Shelton connected on a trifecta with one second remaining in regulation to round out the scoring.

Rhode Island College shot 48 percent (21-for-44) from the field and 75 percent (24-for-32) from the free throw line. UMass Dartmouth shot 33.3 percent (23-for-69) from the field and just 45 percent from the charity stripe (9-for-20). The Anchormen held a 45-33 advantage on the glass.  



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