SOUTH KINGSTOWN — This first meeting between the University of Rhode Island women and Stonehill went about how you might expect. 

The Rams played in the Atlantic 10 tournament championship game last season. The Skyhawks won just four times and are entering only their third year in Division I. 

The result on this Monday night at the Ryan Center was a predictable one. URI muscled its way to a 68-45 victory, with a reworked rotation smothering the visitors at the defensive end and on the glass. 

“Pretty pleased with how we executed,” URI coach Tammi Reiss said. “Really asked the team to come out and just play hard. Let the game come to them. And they did that.” 

Stonehill shot just 33.3% from the field, including 2-for-18 from beyond the arc. The Skyhawks committed 25 turnovers and put only two players in double figures. Portsmouth native Kylie Swider and Brooke Paquette each hit for 15 points — their teammates went a combined 5-for-28 from the floor. 

“Everyone wants to play offense,” Reiss said. “When that’s not flowing, will you do the other things? Tonight that’s what they did — and that’s who they are.” 

More: The madness starts Monday night for local college basketball teams. Here’s a breakdown

The Rams were led by a nice debut from San Diego transfer Harsimran Kaur. She finished with a game-high 19 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes. Kaur needed just this opening night to equal her one start with the Torreros last season. She came up a field goal shy of her career-high 21 points in a March game against Pepperdine. 

“This team, these girls, just make it easy for me to jump in and lead,” Kaur said. “I would give all the credit to my team and my coaches. They let me be comfortable in my own skin.” 

Kaur claimed an immediate role after the departures of frontcourt regulars Mayé Touré (Utah) and Tenin Magassa (Oklahoma State). Hawa Komara added 10 points and 13 boards while Anaelle Dutat chipped in four points and seven rebounds. 

“Watching all the film on her and her capabilities, I knew that she could be a double-double,” Reiss said. “It was finding someone who could replace Mayé and have an impact for our team.” 

How will URI generate some perimeter offense?  

Sophia Vital’s 3-pointer with 4:51 left in the second quarter was the team’s first field goal outside the paint. The Rams were just 4-for-17 from deep and didn’t make a free throw until Sophie Phillips knocked down her second of two with 3:24 to play in the first half. 

“It really was just settling down,” Reiss said. “That first game is always a little tight — a lot of missed layups, a lot of miscues, getting the jitters out.” 

Ines Debroise finished with eight points and seven assists against only one turnover in 24 minutes. She combined with Dutat and Komara to average just 10.3 points per game last season. They’ll need to produce before Palmire Mbu (NCAA requirements) is cleared after the season’s third game and freshman Ayanna Franks finds her way. 

“My job is to be the point guard,” Debroise said. “Just get to know all of my teammates and know where I can put them in the best position to score.” 

URI (1-0) put this one away late in the first half. 

It was a 20-20 game after Swider knocked down a jumper along the right baseline with 6:01 to play in the second quarter. Stonehill (0-1) was on the wrong end of a 17-3 run over the rest of the half, with the Rams allowing just 1-for-8 shooting. 

“They play hard for you,” Reiss said. “I told them the most important thing tonight was how hard we played.” 

Franks collected a team-high three steals, one of eight URI players who notched at least one. Kaur racked up four blocked shots before halftime, nearly half of the 10 recorded by the Rams in the game.  

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On X: @BillKoch25 

More than 25% of Rhode Island’s registered voters already cast ballots in the Nov. 5 election as of midday Monday, according to the Rhode Island Department of State turnout tracker.

Early voting continues through 4 p.m. Monday, with designated locations in every city and town.

The 205,220 Rhode Islanders who cast ballots by mail or early, in-person as of noon represent more than 40% of total turnout in the 2020 presidential election. The 2020 election saw 64% participation among Rhode Island voters, with nearly two-thirds voting by mail or through early “emergency” in-person voting authorized because of the pandemic. In 2016, total turnout was just under 60%.

This year marks the first presidential election cycle featuring expanded mail voting and regular, in-person early voting hours in Rhode Island — thanks to a law passed in June 2022 — making it difficult to compare voting behavior this year with past election cycles, said John Marion, executive director for Common Cause Rhode Island.

“We’re just settling into new patterns of voting as these choices expand,” Marion said in an interview Monday. “It’s going to take a while for patterns to emerge.”

Marion was surprised, though, that early, in-person voting appeared more popular among Rhode Island voters than mail ballots, contrary to the trends in other states that offer both mail and in-person, early voting.

More than 157,000 Rhode Islanders had voted early, in-person as of noon, compared with nearly 48,000 who submitted ballots by mail.

A line at Warwick City Hall Friday

Enthusiasm for pre-Election Day voting was strongest in Warwick, where nearly 10,800 voters cast ballots at City Hall by midday Monday. Mayor Frank Picozzi pointed to Warwick’s high turnout in past presidential election cycles as explanation for its strong numbers ahead of Tuesday.

Unlike other state or local candidates, though, Picozzi has not put early voting at the forefront of his own reelection campaign. 

“As long as people vote, I don’t care how they do it,” Picozzi said in an interview Monday morning.

Picozzi, an independent vying for his second term, cast his ballot on the first day of early voting on Oct. 16. At the time, City Hall was still quiet, which was not the case on Friday, when voters waited upwards of an hour during peak times to cast ballots, Picozzi said.

Social media reports showed long lines winding around Warwick City Hall again on Monday.

Neighboring Cranston, however, has not seen lines longer than a minute, despite several days of record-breaking early voting numbers, said Nick Lima, city elections director.

Weekend hours in four communities

Cranston was one of four municipalities that extended early voting hours into the weekend — alongside Providence, East Providence, and North Kingstown. On Saturday, more than 15,000 voters came to the Pastore Youth Center on Gansett Avenue in Cranston during designated early voting hours, Lima said.

“Aside from parking being a little tight, it’s not been a problem,” said Lima.

The Cranston Board of Canvassers shifted its early voting location from City Hall to the youth center in order to accommodate the larger crowds expected.

Lima chalked up the strong turnout to the headline presidential race along with a host of state and local races of interest. Alongside a contentious mayoral contest between Republican Mayor Ken Hopkins and his Democratic challenger, City Councilor Robert Ferri, all nine city council seats feature contested matchups.

Mail ballots most popular in Providence

Providence boasted the third-highest number of ballots cast or mailed in, but the highest number of mail ballots, with more than 5,600 mail ballots as of midday Monday. That reflects a “local culture,” in the capital city, where candidates make mail ballot voting a central part of their strategy, Marion said.

“Campaigns adjust their mobilization tactics based on what options exist,” Marion said. “In the same way that campaigns in Providence emphasize mail ballots, it may very well be that campaigns in Warwick are emphasizing early voting.”

The lack of contested state and local races across Providence might also work to the city’s advantage in racking up votes ahead of Election Day; research suggests voters who are undecided are more likely to wait until the day of to participate.

All three cities with the highest numbers of early voting — Warwick, Cranston, and Providence — backed Biden in 2020. Multiple polls, including a University of New Hampshire poll released Sunday, show Rhode Island voters backing Harris by double-digit percentage points this year, though certain cities and towns in the western part of the state will be close calls between Harris and Trump.

Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in all cities and towns on Election Day, except for Block Island, where polls open at 9 a.m. Voters can find their Election Day polling place by looking up their voting record online here.

Mail ballots must be returned to the Board of Elections via a secure drop box, a local board of canvassers’ office or an in-person polling place by 8 p.m. Tuesday to be counted.

Rhode Island does not allow same-day registration for local and state elections; however, unregistered voters can still vote in the presidential race at specific, designated voting locations within the state.

The Rhode Island Board of Elections will begin releasing results of the Nov. 5 election shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday. But final results, including those from military and overseas voters, will not be tallied for several more days. The elections board expects to certify results on Nov. 12.

Good Morning! It’s Monday, November 4. 🗓️ Today is the 309th day of the year; 57 days remain in 2024. Today’s newsletter is about a 5-minute read

📢 Keep in touch. I’d love to hear from you with any questions, feedback, story ideas, or news tips you might have. To do so, hit reply.

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What’s Up Today

☀️ Weather: Increasing clouds, with a high near 59. Northeast wind 5 to 8 mph, becoming south in the afternoon.

⚓ Marine: Variable winds less than 5 kt, becoming SE 5 to 7 kt in the morning. Increasing clouds. Seas 1 ft or less.

🌒 Sun, Moon, & Tide: Sunrise at 6:21 am, sunset at 4:36 pm. Low tide at 2:04 am & 2:57 pm. High tide at 9 am & 9:27 pm. The lunar phase is a Waxing Crescent.

🚢 Next up is the Insignia on November 7 – the last cruise ship of the season.

⛵ Happening Today: Newport Restaurant Week, Newport Black History Walking Tours, and more. Our complete roundup of what’s happening for events, entertainment, and local public meetings is here [WUN].

Community Calendar

Need To Know

1️⃣ Election Day Is Nearly Here

Today is the last day of Early voting in the General Election. So far, 187,412 Rhode Island residents have already voted by mail ballot or early in person, representing a 23.7% voter turnout.

If you’d like to cast a ballot today, then be sure to do so at your local town/city hall between 8:30 am and 4 pm. For voting on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, polls are open from 7 am – 8 pm and mail ballots must be received by the Board of Elections or put into an authorized drop box by 8:00 p.m.

2️⃣ Election Results

On Tuesday, November 5, and the following days, you can see live 2024 General Election results for Newport, Rhode Island, and national races here.

Newport County Results

Rhode Island & National Results

3️⃣ Concert Recap and Photos: ‘Oratorio of a Forgotten Youth’ at the Casino Theatre in Newport

An inspiring performance combining elements of jazz, poetry, and classical soundscapes alongside a chorus of South African voices, made for a special evening at the Casino Theatre in Newport on Saturday, November 2. The show was the U.S. premiere of Oratorio of a Forgotten Youth, a multidisciplinary collaborative performance commemorating the 1976 youth resistance movement in South Africa.

WUN’s Ken Abrams was there to write about and photograph the event. [WUN]

What’s Up Out There

News

🚓 The Newport Police Department said that two officers were sideswiped by a tractor-trailer in North Carolina while picking up a special response van from Florida. Police said that on Oct. 29, the two officers were driving through Dunn, North Carolina, when the tractor hit the van. [WLNE]

♻️ Newport residents can dispose of “harder to recycle” items at the city’s Fall Recycling Day on Saturday, Nov. 9 at Easton’s Beach. The event is free and open to city residents, but proof of residency is required. [WUN]

🚌 RIPTA will offer all Rhode Island veterans free bus service on Veterans Day, with proof of eligibility. [WUN]

Arts, Culture & Things To Do

🎵 WUN’s Ken Abrams caught up with Grammy-winning Lucinda Williams ahead of her show at The Vets on Nov. 15. [WUN]

Business & Nonprofit

☕ Rhode Island’s Nitro Bar is soaring amid viral TikTok fame. [Brown Daily Herald]

Election

🗳️ As of 4:45 pm on Friday, November 1, the Rhode Island Voter Turnout Tracker reports that 187,412 Rhode Island residents have already voted by mail ballot or early in person, representing a 23.7% voter turnout thus far. In Newport County, 20,859 voters have already voted. [WUN]

🎥 For the last few months, Angela Goethals, who was Macaulay Culkin’s big sister in Home Alone 34 years ago,  has been auditioning for a very significant role in her hometown of Westerly. WUN’s Frank Prosnitz has the story. [WUN]

🗳️ To view a sample ballot, check your voter registration, or to find your polling location, please visit Vote.RI.Gov. 

Food & Drink 

🍽️ Newport Restaurant Week continues in Newport and Bristol Counties through November 10 [WUN]

Obituaries

🕊️ Nathan Kivlehan

🕊️ Ann Louise Garvey-Morgan

Sports

🎾 Tiverton High School’s girls tennis team has secured the Division III Rhode Island State Championship. They clinched the title with a win over Exeter West Greenwich at Slater Park in Pawtucket. WUN’s Justin Walker was there and has a photo gallery of the game. [WUN]

⚽ On top of a second-straight hat trick from JJ Williams, Rhode Island FC won its first-ever playoff match on Sunday, defeating Indy Eleven 3-2 at Michael A. Carroll Stadium. [WUN]

🏒 Jeremy Swayman had 23 saves and his first shutout of the season, and the Boston Bruins beat the Seattle Kraken 2-0 on Sunday night. [WUN]

🏈 Nick Folk kicked a 25-yard field goal with 2:32 left in overtime and the Tennessee Titans beat the New England Patriots 20-17 Sunday, giving coach Brian Callahan his first victory at home this season. [WUN]

🏈 Devin Farrell threw for 265 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, with 171 yards and two scores going to Marquis Buchanan, and Rhode Island beat Monmouth 37-28 on Saturday for its seventh straight victory. [WUN]

🏈 Middletown High School’s varsity football team dominated Coventry High School 32-6 in a Division II game on Nov. 1. The win, which coincided with Middletown’s senior night, brings their season record to 4-4, while Coventry drops to 2-6. [WUN]