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GAME NOTES: The Rhode Island Rams will try to keep pace in the Atlantic 10 Conference standings this afternoon when they host the Massachusetts Minutemen at the Ryan Center.

Rhode Island has turned some heads this season with an 18-3 overall record and a 6-2 mark in league play. The Rams have won three straight and six of their last seven, the most recent of which was a 90-83 triumph at La Salle on Tuesday night. They've also won nine of 10 at home on the year.

That's bad new for a UMass team that is a dismal 2-9 outside of its own building. The Minutemen have lost two straight, both at home, and seven of their last eight overall. On Wednesday, they fell to Xavier in an 87-79 final.

UMass holds a 76-56 advantage in the all-time series with Rhode Island. The teams split last year's season series.

While the Minutemen have struggled for a number of different reasons this year, on Wednesday night it was the defense that let up. Xavier, playing on the road, shot a healthy 59.3 percent from the floor and led by 17 at halftime. Ricky Harris led UMass with 24 points on 11-of-20 shooting, but he didn't get a ton of help on the offensive end. Javorn Farrell (12 points), Terrell Vinson (11) and Freddie Riley (10) all finished in double figures, but the jumper-happy Minutemen combined to shoot just 7-of-32 (.219) from beyond the arc. On the season, UMass is shooting just 28.6 percent from the perimeter, and nights like Wednesday have come around far too often. Harris leads the squad with 18.1 ppg, though he has launched 141 treys and his 28.4 percent accuracy reflects on the team's struggles. Anthony Gurley is scoring 14.3 ppg.

The Rams have gone with the same starting lineup for every game this season, and that continuity seems to be paying dividends. Guard Keith Cothran leads the way with 16.1 ppg, while Delroy James (13.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and Lamonte Ulmer (12.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg) do most of the dirty work down low. URI is putting up an average of 78.1 points per contest and is a +3.7 in rebounding margin. Despite playing on the road Tuesday night, they simply had their way with La Salle, as six players finished in double figures en route to a 90-point showing. All five starters cracked the 10-point barrier, led by Will Martell with 16 points, eight boards and a pair of blocks. As a team, URI had 24 assists and only nine turnovers.

Things are getting interesting toward the top of the A-10 standings, and the Rams have played their way into the picture for sure. Provided they continue to take care of the basketball and receive well-rounded scoring contributions, they should be able to stay there.