Vilmont double-double not enough as men's hoops drops 87-72 decision at RIC

Robinson Vilmont '17 (photo by Sportspix.com/Mike Tureski)
Robinson Vilmont '17 (photo by Sportspix.com/Mike Tureski)

Providence, R.I. (Courtesy Rhode Island College sports information)-- Despite the first collegiate double-double from senior guard Robinson Vilmont (Cambridge, Mass./Wilbraham and Monson), who had 15 points and 10 rebounds, the Brandeis University men's basketball team dropped an 87-72 decision at Rhode Island College today. Junior guard Jovel Beckford (Providence, R.I.) scored a game-high 21 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists to lead the Anchormen in the non-conference contest played at The Murray Center on Sunday afternoon.

RIC (3-2) senior forward Domonique Bull (Worcester, Mass.) also notched a double-double with 20 points, 16 boards and two assists, while freshman guard Chris Donaldson (Bridgeport, Conn.) added 20 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals in the victory. Sophomore guard Jimmy Fritzson (Sharon, Mass.) tallied 18 points and four rebounds.

Junior forward Jordan Cooper (Weston, Fla./Sagemont School) was the top scorer for Brandeis (1-1) with a 20 points and seven rebounds, while Vilmont posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 boards, one shy of his career-best. Senior guard Tim Reale (Mason, Ohio/St. Andrew's School, R.I.) rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points for the Judges.

The two teams traded baskets early with the score tied, 14-14 after a jumper by junior guard Nate Meehan (Lowell, Mass./Phillips Andover) with 13:45 left in the first half. Rhode Island College then used a 12-2 run, capped by a three-pointer from Beckford, to take its first double-digit advantage, 26-16, with 11:57 remaining on the clock. The Anchormen pushed their lead to 23 points as a three-pointer by Fritzson with less than a minute left in the stanza made the score 56-23. RIC took the 56-36 lead heading into the locker room at halftime after shooting an impressive 61.8 percent (21-for-34) from the field, while holding Brandeis to just 33.3 percent (12-for-36) in the half.

Brandeis chipped away at the lead and closed the gap to single digits when a jumper by Cooper with 7:58 left in the contest cut the lead to just eight, 71-63. That would be as close as the Judges would get, however, as RIC pushed the lead back up to 17 points as a layup by Beckford with 3:41 left on the clock made the score 82-65.

RIC shot 52.6 percent (30-for-87) from the field, including 42.9 percent (9-for-21) from behind the three-point stripe and registered 81.8 percent (18-for-22) from the free throw line. Brandeis shot 34.8 percent (23-for-66) from the field, 36.4 percent (18-for-22) from the three-point line and 72.0 percent (18-for-25) from the free throw line. RIC held a slight, 39-38, advantage in rebounds for the contest.

Brandeis returns home on Tuesday evening to take on UMass Dartmouth at 7 p.m.