PROVIDENCE, R. I. – Senior Sam Adusei (Worcester, Mass./St. George's School) scored 16 of his game-high 18 points in the second half today to lead the Brandeis University men's basketball team to a 66-51 non-conference victory at Rhode Island College today.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis: 2-2.
• Rhode Island College: 5-2.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The teams struggled offensively in the first half, finishing with a 19-19 tie, as both sides shot below 30 percent from the field.
• Only one player on each team hit more than one field goal, as senior Ryan Power (Waltham, Mass./Waltham) had four points for the Judges and Deyshawn Tengbaugh had six points for RIC.
• The Judges got off to a quick start in the second half, scoring nine of the first 11 points. Adusei hit a pair of 3-pointers and Power converted a traditional three-point play to make it 28-21 just 2:22 into the stanza.
• Brandeis extended their lead to eight points on a fast-break bucket by sophomore Ethan Edwards (Brooklyn, N.Y./Woodstock Acad.) that made it 32-24 with 13:42 to go in the half.
• RIC bounced back by scoring nine unanswered points, claiming their first lead of the second half on an Ousmane Kourouma bucket that put the Anchormen ahead, 33-32 with 12:03 to go in the game.
• The lead traded hands five times over the next three minutes until Brandeis sophomore Quron Zene (Windsor, Conn./IMG Academy) hit a 3-pointer with 9:07 to go that put the Judges ahead for good.
• Senior David Perez-Miralles (Miami, Fla./Riviera Prep) and Adusei dialed long distance on the Judges' next two possessions, to push Brandeis's lead back to six at 45-39 with 6:38 left in the game.
• Kourouma hit a lay-up to get the hosts within four points at 45-41, but the Judges scored the game's next five in a row on two Perez-Miralles free throws and a Zene trifecta.
• The Judges' lead would not be smaller than seven points the rest of the way as Brandeis shot 54.1% from the field in the second half (13-24), including 57.1% from beyond the arc (8-14). After not going to the line in the first half, Brandeis hit 13-of-18 free throws (72.2%) in the second.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Adusei finished with a game-high 18 points, matching his career-best. He hit 5-of-6 from the field, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, and 4-of-6 from the line. He also had three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
• Perez-Miralles also tied his career-high with 12 points off the bench. He hit 3-of-5 overall, 2-of-4 from deep, and 4-of-7 from the line.
• Zene finished with 11 points to round out the double-digit scoring for the visitors.
• Senior Aedan Using (Old Lyme, Conn./Old Lyme) led Brandeis with seven rebounds, while Power had four assists top the Judges.
• RIC had three players score in double figures as well, with Isaiah Dahl netting 15 points, including all three of the Anchormen's 3-pointers.
• Kourouma finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds, while Kalu Uga had 11 points off the bench.
• Craig Wilson led all players with five assists, while Tengbeh had four steals.
• Brandeis won the turnover battle, 17-13, and converted that into a 16-6 lead in points off miscues.

 
UP NEXT

• Brandeis will face Plymouth State on Tuesday evening at 7 p.m.