Rhode Island basketball completes two-game sweep at Jacksonville Classic. Here’s how

Rhode Island notched its seventh straight win of the season, beating Texas-Arlington 83-78 on Thanksgiving Day. The team is off to its best start in 44 years.

The Rams (7-0) defense made three straight stops in the game’s final two minutes, and Sebastian Thomas and Javonte Brown each hit both ends of a 1-and-1 to put URI ahead 81-75. UT Arlington got a 3-pointer from Brody Robinson, but that was all the scoring the Mavericks could muster as Rhody completed a two-game sweep at the Jacksonville (Fla.) Classic. Rhode Island beat Detroit Mercy on Wednesday.

Thomas and Jamarques Lawrence each scored 18 points to lead Rhode Island. Thomas also had four steals and three assists, while Lawrence a career-high seven assists with five rebounds. David Green added 15 points, three rebounds and two assists before fouling out.

The victory set a URI program record by winning its seventh game before the end of November. (The previous high was six wins, when the Rams were 6-3 in 2013-14). The last time URI opened the season 7-0 was 1980-81 under coach Claude English, who led the Rams to a 21-8 record that year and a spot in the National Invitational Tournament.

Rhode Island will be back in action on Monday when it hosts Yale at the Ryan Center at 7 p.m. (ESPN+).