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If last year’s men’s basketball standings are any guide, it will be a testing Atlantic 10 road for the University of Rhode Island in 2024-25.
The Rams will visit both regular season co champions, the conference tournament winner and another team that won 21 games overall for single matchups. They’ll also play home-and-home with two other 20-game winners.
Richmond, Loyola Chicago, Duquesne and Saint Joseph’s all await URI at dates and times to be determined. Massachusetts and George Mason will host the Rams and visit the Ryan Center at some point next year.
More: After disappointing season ends, what’s next for Rhode Island basketball?
The Spiders and Ramblers both closed 15-3 in conference play while the Dukes ended an NCAA Tournament drought that stretched to 1977. They sent coach Keith Dambrot into retirement with an upset run through Barclays Center in March, leaving Brooklyn with an automatic ticket punched to March Madness. The Hawks followed a strong nonconference performance with just a 9-9 league finish, but they should remain among the favorites entering media day in the fall.
The Minutemen and Patriots were part of a tight middle pack behind the leaders. Six teams finished within two games of one another — UMass tied with VCU at 11-7 while George Mason closed even with Saint Joseph’s and St. Bonaventure. URI counts the Minutemen among its oldest rivals, with the first meeting between the two schools taking place in January 1908.
Saint Louis is the lone solo road trip for the Rams next season, and it could be a tough one. Josh Schertz is in from Indiana State to replace Travis Ford and has brought a host of Sycamore connections with him, including assistant coach and Rhode Island native Antone Gray. URI fell to the Billikens at the conference tournament last season to close a 12-20 campaign.
Fordham and La Salle are the other two home-and-home partners for the Rams next season. The short trips to New York and Philadelphia should be competitive — URI went 2-2 against those two opponents last season, defeating the Explorers at home and winning at Rose Hill Gym in March.
Dayton, VCU, the Bonnies, Davidson and George Washington travel to Kingston for single games. The Rams beat the Wildcats on the road as part of a 3-0 league start last season and blew out the Revolutionaries on the road. The Flyers offered a rude homecoming for Archie Miller, defeating their former coach by a comfortable margin in a place where he reached an Elite Eight and four NCAA Tournaments from 2014-17.
URI has confirmed at least one other game on its schedule next year. The Rams will host Providence for the annual in-state grudge match on Dec. 7. The Friars have won three straight in the series, including an 84-69 home victory last season.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On X: @BillKoch25
Local News
A Rhode Island husband and wife in their 50s were identified as the two people killed in a Swansea car crash Friday night.
Carlolyn Carcasi, 54, and James Carcasi, 53, of Bristol, Rhode Island, were killed in the Feb. 27 crash, the office of Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said in a press release Monday.
The crash occurred at the intersection of Route 136 and Route 6 in Swansea, Quinn’s office said.
Police in Cranston, Rhode Island identified the driver who allegedly hit the couple as Demitri Sousa, 28. Sousa allegedly shot and killed a man in Rhode Island nearly four hours before the crash, Cranston police said.
At around 12:18 a.m. Friday, Swansea police spotted Sousa’s Infiniti barreling down Route 6, Swansea officials said previously.
The couple was driving southbound on Route 136 when the Sousa crashed into the side of a Subaru Ascent. Both cars had “catastrophic damage,” and the Subaru was engulfed in flames, Swansea fire and police officials said.
Both occupants of the Subaru were declared dead at the scene, Swansea officials said.
Sousa was transported to a local hospital, where he is being treated for serious injuries. He is expected to live and will be held in Cranston police custody until he is medically cleared, police said Sunday.
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CRANSTON, R.I. (WJAR) — Women’s Fund of Rhode Island and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed celebrated Women’s History Month in Cranston with a panel discussion on Monday.
The event was held at the Cranston Public Library at 9 a.m.
Reed and other leaders of WFRI hosted a panel discussion with women leaders in environmental and agricultural advocacy, education, community resilience, housing, finance, workforce development, and more, officials said.
Women’s Fund of Rhode Island and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed celebrated Women’s History Month in Cranston with a panel discussion on Monday. (WJAR)
“Women have played a critical role in this process, most often without any recognition,” Reed said. “Today’s panel brings together an extraordinary group of women who are addressing the challenged of sustainability from various angles and I want to thank you all for your great efforts.”
The panelists highlighted their experiences, shared insights and tips on lifting up women’s voices, provided strategies for sparking change and more.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (1)
According to officials, some of the panelists included Executive Director of the Rhode Island Food Policy Council Nessa Richman, Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives at Rhode Island College Kim Bright, Newport Housing Authority Executive Director Rhonda Mitchell and more.
Local News
A Seekonk man is accused of murder after he allegedly shot and killed a man in Rhode Island before causing a car crash in Swansea that killed two people last week, police said.
Demitri Sousa, 28, is charged with murder, using a firearm while committing a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license, the Cranston Police Department said.
The shooting occurred Thursday night in Cranston, police said in a press release.
That night, Sousa allegedly arrived at the Cranston home of Javon Lawson, 35. Sousa began banging on the side door of the home, police said.
When Lawson approached the door, he was hit by gunfire from outside, police said.
First responders transported Lawson to the Rhode Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Cranston police said.
“Based on the preliminary investigation, the motive is believed to be a dispute between the suspect and the victim over a mutual female acquaintance. Detectives are continuing this investigation to gain more insight, as well as to collect and analyze evidence,” Colonel Michael Winquist, Chief of Cranston police, said in an emailed statement to Boston.com.
Neighbors gave police video footage that “showed a male subject wearing dark clothing and a mask walking toward the residence moments before the shooting and fleeing immediately afterward,” Winquist said.
The suspect was also seen running to a white Infiniti sedan which then drove off, the Cranston police chief said.
Shortly after the shooting, a license plate reader captured the vehicle driving southbound on Route 10, and then later in Fall River and Westport, Massachusetts. The sedan’s license plate was registered in Sousa’s name, Winquist said.
At around 12:18 a.m. Friday, Swansea police spotted Sousa’s Infiniti barreling down Route 6, Swansea officials said.
Just moments later, Sousa allegedly “crashed into the side of another vehicle, a blue 2022 Subaru Ascent that had been traveling southbound on Route 136,” Swansea Police Chief Mark Foley and Fire Chief Eric Hajder said in a joint press release.
Both vehicles had “catastrophic damage,” and the struck car was engulfed in flames, the Swansea officials said.
The driver and passenger of the hit car — a man and a woman — were declared dead at the scene, they said.
“Swansea Police had been alerted to be on the lookout for the suspect vehicle. However, Swansea Police were not involved in the pursuit and were not pursuing the vehicle at the time of the crash,” the Swansea chiefs wrote. Swansea official have not announced charges related to the fatal crash.
Sousa had been driving the Infiniti and appeared to be suffering from serious injuries, Winquist said. Inside the car, police found a pistol and “additional .22 caliber ammunition was recovered” from Sousa at Rhode Island Hospital, Winquist said.
Police arrested Sousa and transported him to Rhode Island Hospital. Sousa is expected to survive, Winquist said. Sousa will be held in Cranston police custody until he is conscious and medically cleared, Winquist said.
“On behalf of the Cranston Police Department, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Javon Lawson and the two individuals who were killed in the crash in Swansea,” Winquist said.
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