score on his 200th first class appearance.Groenewald and Leach shared

KINGSTON, R.I. -- Rhode Island coach Dan Hurley thought the key to his players making shots was the way they selected them.Im not sure we took any bad shots, he said Monday night after the 21st-ranked Rams beat Marist 107-65 in the Hall of Fame Tipoff Tournament.I just think these guys really enjoy playing together, Hurley added after URI shot 56 percent from the field -- including 12 of 21 from 3-point range. I dont think they want to let each other down by being a pig or being selfish, because they all care about one another.E.C. Matthews scored 22 points for the Rams (2-0), shooting 8 of 10 from the field, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range. Hassan Martin had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Kuran Iverson and Jared Terrell scored 14 apiece for Rhode Island in its first appearance in The Associated Press Top 25 since 2007-08.Matthews said the players know they dont have to take a shot if its not there.Playing with great guards and great forwards, youve just got to rotate the ball, he said.Khallid Hart scored 19 points and Brian Parker had 18 for Marist (0-2).The Red Foxes scored the first five points of the game and led 7-2 before URI reeled off 16 in a row. Rhode Island scored six of the last seven points in the first half to open a 25-point lead at the break and then added the first five points of the second.BIG PICTUREMarist: The Red Foxes opened the season with back-to-back games against ranked teams, losing to No. 1 Duke in their opener on Friday.Rhode Island: This is the easy part for the Rams, who beat Dartmouth by 23 in the opener. Its all a warmup for No. 24 Cincinnati, followed by either Penn State or Duke, in the Tipoff Tourneys championship rounds at Mohegan Sun Casino.POLL IMPLICATIONSURI moved up two spots in The Associated Press Top 25 this week after coasting to a season-opening, 84-61 victory over Dartmouth. But the Rams will have to earn their spot in next weeks rankings, with games against No. 24 Cincinnati and then either Penn State or No. 1 Duke on the final day of the tournament.BAD STARTSIts the second time in as many games that URI started slowly before coasting to victory. Dartmouth led 12-11 with 5 minutes gone in the opener before the Rams pulled away.Minus a slow, kind of sluggish defensive start, I thought we hung in there, Hurley said. We got on the first group about their start. We didnt like it against Dartmouth. We cant continue to dig holes for ourselves.STATSURI shot 57 percent from 3-point range. The Rams had 21 assists to seven for Marist, and outrebounded the Red Foxes 43-21.That was one of our goals, Hurley said. Not just to win the glass, but to dominate the glass.RESTING UPHurley used his bench in the second half, and no starter played more than 25 minutes. In all, 13 players saw the floor for the Rams, and all but one scored -- Mike Layssard, who did have three rebounds and an assist in 6 minutes. Eric Dadika and Will Leviton each made a basket after checking in for the final 2 minutes of the game.Hurley said he wants his starters playing 30 minutes or more when the competition gets tougher.We wanted to build them up, he said. Going into the weekend, were going to need these guys in the 30s.UP NEXTMarist: Hosts Vermont on Wednesday night.Rhode Island: Plays Brown in Kingston on Wednesday in the second of four games in the Hall of Fame tournament.Carlos Beltran Astros Jersey . During the athletes parade, the 23-strong Ukrainian team was represented by a lone flagbearer in an apparent protest at the presence of Russian troops in Ukraines Crimean peninsula. Nolan Ryan Astros Jersey . -- The St. Johns IceCaps weathered a wild first period with the help of goaltender Jussi Olkinuora, before finding offensive inroads in the second. https://www.cheapastros.com/653o-carlos-correa-jersey-astros.html . -- Ty Montgomery had 290 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, and fifth-ranked Stanford held on to beat No. Robinson Chirinos Jersey . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. Carlos Lee Jersey . "Theyve both been real good," said Babcock. "Havent changed our minds." A decision has seemingly been made - Sundays Group B-deciding tilt against Finland ahead - but it could not have been an easy one. Price opened the tournament with a sturdy 19-save performance against the Norwegians, yielding just one goal.Middlesex 381 (Fuller 93, Harris 78, Bailey 71, Gubbins 67, Allenby 4-67) and 302 for 8 (Simpson 79*, Gubbins 76, Groenewald 5-90) beat Somerset 236 and 348 for 6 (Trescothick 124, Trego 115*, Podmore 3-75) by two wicketsScorecard John Simpson celebrated his 28th birthday by blasting Middlesex to a sensational two-wicket Specsavers County Championship win against Somerset at Taunton after 96 runs had been needed off the final eight overs.An enthralling game seemed to be heading for a draw when Tim Groenewald took four wickets to help restrict the visitors to 185 for 5, chasing 302 to win.But Simpson, with 79 not out off 80 balls, including four sixes and five fours, and James Fuller produced a stand of 86 off less than eight overs. A Craig Overton over went for 23 and, although Fuller fell, Middlesex wrapped up victory with just two balls to spare.The winning hit was a six over fine leg by Simpson off Jim Allenby after eight had been needed from the final over. The Middlesex wicketkeeper, who had claimed nine catches in the match, threw both arms in the air in celebration.Nick Gubbins contributed 76 to the run chase and, although Groenewald finished with five for 90, Middlesex took 23 points to Somersets three after four exceptional days of Championship cricket.Simpson said: Im almost speechless. The feeling of elation when that ball went for six to win the game was unbelievable. Jim Allenby was swinging the ball into my pads, so I just went with the swing. At first I thought it was going to be a one bounce four, but the ball kept on travelling over deep backward-square.Credit the whole team because we never gave up trying to win. After a period of consolidation, James Fullers innings provided a real lift and I was able to finish things off.Im not sure how I am going to celebrate my birthday. We are staying down for the T20 game on Friday night and there is talk of golf in the morning. By then I will either be hungover or very tired.Set 302 to win from a minimum of 46 overs, the visitors made a promising start and were 108 for one in the 17th over when Overton took a stunning catch at third man to dismiss Dawid Malan.Gubbins and Malan hadd produced an array of attacking shots to add 76 for the second wicket.dddddddddddd Then Malan got a top edge off Groenewald and Overton made 30 yards running to his left before diving full length to hold the ball two-handed inches off the ground.Gubbins had faced 70 balls, hitting nine fours and two sixes, when he miscued a back-foot forcing shot off Groenewald to Allenby at deepish extra-cover.When George Bailey was bowled by a perfect Groenewald inswinger for four it was 155 for 4 and Middlesex had to think twice about chasing a target of around seven an over.Allenby cemented Groenewalds good work with an economic spell from the River End, earning reward when pinning James Franklin lbw for 28.The departure of the skipper at 185 for 5 seemed to signal the end of Middlesex victory hopes. But Simpson and Fuller changed all that with an astonishing assault, Fuller hitting three sixes and two fours in his vital knock.Jack Leach struck twice in the closing overs to increase the tension, but it was Simpsons day.Earlier, the hosts had extended their second innings score from an overnight 348 for 6 to 446 for 9 declared, Peter Trego making 138, three short of his best score on his 200th first class appearance.Groenewald and Leach shared an unbroken tenth-wicket stand of 42, using up valuable time, but it still seemed a generous declaration by Chris Rogers against his old county in excellent batting conditions.In fact, it produced a wonderful finish and Championship cricket at its best.Somerset director of cricket Matthew Maynard said: I am proud of our players. It was a fantastic game of cricket and we have come up just a bit short. We took a gamble on using a green pitch, knowing we would be asked to bat first, and the lads gave everything. Losing Jamie Overton was a blow.Overton pulled out of the game midway through an over on the second day and will miss the Lions series against Sri Lanka next week. Somerset will investigate his lower back injury over the next few days but are hopeful there is no stress fracture. ' ' '