Rhode Island

Rhode Island basketball’s Sebastian Thomas plays the hero against George Mason. Here’s how

Published

1 year ago

January 4, 2025

Rhode Island basketball’s Sebastian Thomas plays the hero against George Mason. Here’s how

SOUTH KINGSTOWN — Saturday afternoon saw Sebastian Thomas add another chapter to what is becoming a remarkable personal story in this 2024-25 men’s college basketball season.

The former star at Bishop Hendricken and Providence native has been Mr. Clutch for the University of Rhode Island, and so it was again with George Mason in town for the home Atlantic 10 opener.

Thomas dribbled, faded and nailed an off-balance jumper along the right baseline with 0.9 seconds left to electrify the Ryan Center yet again. The Rams slipped past the Patriots, 62-59, in a game where they trailed for nearly 30 minutes.

URI opted not to use a timeout after inbounding with 11.7 seconds left, and Thomas took a backcourt handoff from Jamarques Lawrence up the right sideline. He waved off any potential screening action and attacked Brayden O’Connor 1-on-1, creating some daylight just before falling out of bounds.

Thomas floated a shot that caught nothing but net and drew a foul, a conventional three-point play that snapped a 59-59 tie.

“I knew we were going to get the last shot,” Thomas said. “I definitely wanted the ball. I think my teammates trust me with the ball.”

Thomas helped drop Providence and Temple in previous games with 3-point daggers inside the final minute. This bucket and the ensuing missed full-court heave by O’Conner allowed the Rams to bounce back from a wretched road loss at Duquesne on New Year’s Eve. URI faced a 12-point hole early after a third straight ineffective half of offense, but Thomas and a revamped lineup took command just in time to win a fifth straight league home opener.

“He’s the ultimate gamer right now,” URI coach Archie Miller said. “Confident. Bailed us out there.”

Thomas floated home a soft jumper in the lane with 2:58 left to make it a 56-54 game, the first lead for the Rams since the 12:31 mark of the opening half. URI generated a couple key defensive stops and received another bucket at a critical time from an unlikely source. Quentin Diboundje beat the shot clock with a jumper from the left elbow with 23.5 seconds to play, and the Rams opened a 59-56 advantage.

“That was all the coach, right?” Miller quipped. “I give him credit. He’s been on the back burner. It’s been a 50-50 tossup for a long time about how we incorporate him.”

O’Conner slashed off the left wing for a conventional three-point play to answer, but URI opted against calling a timeout after the made free throw. Miller already had Thomas on the ball and didn’t want George Mason to switch defenses in its huddle. It was a decision that ultimately helped the Rams match the 9-0 start in Kingston they enjoyed during a special 2017-18 campaign.

“Find a way to score so we can win the game,” Thomas said. “I’ve been in that position a few times this year, and it’s worked for me.”

URI (12-2, 1-1 Atlantic 10) grinded its way back even thanks to some defensive energy. David Green’s steal in the lane led to a Diboundje layup in transition down the left side with 4:30 to play. Javonte Brown’s blocked shot – one of his career-high six – sent Thomas down the left side for a layup that made it 54-54 with 3:53 left, and the Patriots (10-5, 1-1) were forced to use a timeout.

“The message at halftime wasn’t basketball as much as it was our togetherness – to shake us up,” Miller said. “We had to give each other more energy. We had to have a little bit of spirit.”

URI celebrates its comeback victory over George Mason at the Ryan Center

Sebastian Thomas makes a final-seconds shot and hits the free-throw to seal the Rams comeback over Atlantic 10 rival George Mason on Saturday afternoon

It was the first appearance for Diboundje since some late minutes in a Nov. 24 blowout of Charleston, as the Rams juggled their rotation after a 67-55 stinker against the Dukes. Miller went a step further in the second half, putting Tyonne Farrell on the bench for the final 15:46 and Cam Estevez alongside him for the last 10:13. Thomas, Lawrence, Diboundje, Green, Brown, Jaden House and David Fuchs were the primary seven who limited George Mason to 1-for-8 from 3-point range, cobbled together a 9-2 scoring advantage off nine turnovers and pressured the paint to the tune of a plus-11 margin in made free throws.

“We just had to get back to our basics – Rhode Island basketball,” Brown said. “Playing physical and moving side to side.”

URI was fortunate to trail by just nine at the break, suffering through a field goal drought of 10:23 and finding itself on the wrong end of a 15-0 run. Brown’s putback with 5:27 left earned a sarcastic cheer from a crowd of 5,803 fans, a gathering whose mood had turned 180 degrees by the stretch run. The Patriots finished just 9-for-18 from the stripe, including a 1-for-7 start to the second half.

“We really didn’t have any business winning that game for a long period in the first half,” Miller said. “It could have gotten away from us.”

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On X: @BillKoch25

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Rhode Island

State workers’ unions complain of widespread problems with new payroll system

Published

30 minutes ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

State workers’ unions complain of widespread problems with new payroll system

Union leaders for Rhode Island state employees are publicly airing frustrations with the state’s new payroll system following weeks of complaints, claiming many state workers have had problems receiving their full pay.

Rhode Island Council 94, the largest state workers’ union with more than 4,500 members, and the union representing correctional officers issued press releases Thursday calling on the state to fix the system that rolled out in early December.

The new system is operated by Workday, a company that provides services to more than 10,000 companies and organizations, including other states.

“Simply put, Workday is not working,” Council 94 President Michael McDonald wrote in a statement.

The unions claim problems for state employees include missing pay, partial pay, missing overtime pay, incorrect or no holiday pay, and benefits deductions not sent to accounts.

Council 94 says the state has worked on some solutions, but complaints and calls to a hotline mount.

“The state, in meeting after meeting, urges patience. Our members mortgage payments, grocery bills, childcare, fuel costs and other expenses do not pause for payroll processing errors. The payroll errors have touched every state agency,” Council 94 State Vice President John Monse stated.

The unions say they’ve brought the complaints to state officials, including Gov. Dan McKee.

“While some prior errors were corrected, the continued recurrence demonstrates a systemic payroll breakdown, not isolated mistakes,” the Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers wrote in its statement.

NBC 10 News messaged the governor’s office and the Department of Administration before noon Thursday.

The governor’s office later referred comment to Administration, which has not responded to NBC 10’s messages.

The unions are calling for legislative oversight hearings into the matter and are considering legal action.

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Rhode Island

Looking for high school basketball scores? The Hoops Wrap has you covered

Published

13 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Looking for high school basketball scores? The Hoops Wrap has you covered

Editor’s note: Coaches are reminded to send in game results each weeknight, from 6-10 p.m., by emailing them to pjsports@providencejournal.com or by calling (401) 277-7340.

🏀GAME OF THE NIGHT

Did the best high school basketball game of the season happen on Wednesday night?

The ups and downs between the Chariho and Juantia Sanchez boys basketball teams were rivaled only by the nearest amusement park and one overtime wasn’t enough to decide a winner. In the second overtime, Evander Perez came through with six points, helping the Chargers pull out the 84-76 win over the Cavaliers.

Juanita Sanchez got off to the start it wanted, with 13 combined points from Geston Richardson and Amaree Gomes giving the team a 19-11 lead. The second quarter belonged to Chariho, as seven different players scored and the defense locked down to give it a 31-25 lead at halftime.

The Cavaliers turned the tides on the Chargers in the third quarter – helped by a defense that allowed only eight points – but Chariho had enough in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime. Both teams found a groove on offense in the first overtime, with each scoring 10 points, but Perez got the Chargers’ offense going in the second overtime and the defense held the Cavaliers to six points.

Three different Chariho players reached double figures and two others almost got there as well. Brendan Gleason led the way with 21 points and Perez and Riley Conroy both scored 19 in the win. Sam Ellis and Rohan Downing helped out with nine points apiece.

Richardson was masterful in defeat, scoring a season-best 35 points. Gomes ended his night with 14 points and Angel Collazo closed out with 13 in the loss.

🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Division I

Smithfield 61, Portsmouth 56

C.J. Blakely and Christian Snowman came up big in the second half, helping the Sentinels pull off a 61-56 upset over the Patriots.

Smithfield came in with a 2-5 record in Division I while Portsmouth was 3-0, but those records didn’t mean anything when the teams hit the floor. The game was gritty between the two teams, but the Patriots found a way to take a 27-24 at halftime.

Blakely came out ready to prove a point in the third quarter and his 12 points were huge for the Sentinels, who matched Portsmouth’s pace and trailed 42-40 after the third quarter. Snowman grabbed the wheel in the fourth quarter for Smithfield and scored nine points, building a lead the Patriots couldn’t come back from.

Blakely finished as Smithfield’s top scorer with 19 points and Snowman closed with 14. Adam Conheeny led Portsmouth with 23 points and Jack Casey had 17 points and double-digit rebounds in defeat.

🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Division III

Davies 58, Times2 49

Trailing at halftime, the Patriots put on a defensive clinic in the third quarter as the offense exploded before pulling out the 58-49 win.

Times2 trailed 11-9 after the first quarter, but found a groove in the second thanks to six points from Justin Urey and two 3-pointers from Jayden Navarrete that had the team up 26-23 at the break.

Davies didn’t like the direction the game was going and changed it in a hurry. The Patriots swarmed on defense and didn’t give up a single point while Ephraim Jean-Baptiste scored 10 of the their 22 points that made it 45-26 heading to the fourth quarter. Times2 tried to muster up a comeback, but the deficit was too big to overcome.

Jean-Baptiste and Austin Kearns finished as the top scorers for Davies with 16 points apiece. Jomar Lopes scored 11 and Albert Medrano was also in double figures with 10. Zion Rayside was Windex all night, grabbing 14 rebounds in the win.

Times2 had four players in double figures, led by 15 from Lucas Cruz. Navarette, Urey and Sekou Kaba scored 10 points each in the loss.

Toll Gate 59, Central Falls 36

The Double-Double Twins were at it again, helping the Titans get off to a quick start and put the game away by halftime in the 59-36 win over the Warriors.

Toll Gate had it working on both sides of the court early, outscoring Central Falls 17-4 in the first quarter and taking a 32-11 lead into halftime. The second half was just as methodical.

Damola Oremosu and Jake Andersen dominated the game and both had double-doubles. Oremosu finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds while Anderson scored 12 and pulled down 10 boards.

Aidan Tourangeau was also in double figures for the Titans, scoring 12. Will Goodine and Jaden Roache chipped in with six apiece.

Central Falls was led by Iryan Aubert, Rafael Borges Da Lomba and Terrell Ciprian, who scored six points apiece.

Exeter-West Greenwich 83, Middletown 59

The Scarlet Knights continued to score at a prolific pace, with five players reaching double figures in an 83-59 win over the Islanders.

With two 80–plus point scoring nights on its resume already, EWG added a third against Middletown. The Knights trailed 20-18 after the first quarter, but put together a practically perfect second to take a 39-29 lead into the break. Shining on both ends of the court in the third, EWG got its lead over 20 before cruising home with the win.

Matt Chartier closed his night with a bang, hitting three 3-pointers in the fourth and finishing the game with 24 points. Dylan Main scored 16 for the Knights and Bruce Sampson finished with 13. Stanley Berek and Brody Simoes were also in double figures with 10 points apiece.

Ryan Johnson was instrumental in Middletown’s early start and finished the evening with 20 points. Gabriel Cantone scored 13 in the loss.

Prout 65, Tiverton 60

Down at halftime, Ryan Antonucci and the offense got rolling and turned things around in a 65-60 win over the Tigers.

It was a close game all night, but a Caleb Purcell-led Tiverton took a 30-25 lead into the locker room. Coming out of halftime, Antonucci, Christian Pachis and Mike Brugnoli got the offense turned around and helped the Crusaders grab the victory.

Antonucci led Prout with 20 points, while Pachis scored 19 and Brugnoli added 12. Purcell led Tiverton with 20 points, with Philip Kenny scoring 17 and Jase Kelly getting 11 in the loss.

🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Other Scores

The home team coach failed to report scores or stats to the Journal from the following games. Home team is noted in CAPS.

Division II

Pilgrim 80, NORTH PROVIDENCE 68

Division III

PROVIDENCE COUNTRY DAY 75, Hope 70

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL — Division I

Classical 39, Chariho 35

The Chargers took an early lead as the Purple struggled to score in the opening quarter, but Classical turned the tables in the second quarter to take an 18-14 lead at the break. Daniella Jimenez led the Purple with 19 points and 12 of those were scored in the second half.

Menuhki Harris nearly completed Chariho’s comeback, scoring 9 of her team-high 11 points in the fourth frame. But the Chargers fell just short in the end.

St. Raphael 61, Juanita Sanchez 41

Leila Delgado had the offense rolling, the Saints defense dominated early and nothing changed after their good start in a 61-41 win over the Cavaliers.

Delgado came to play, scoring nine points in the first quarter that had St. Raphael ahead 21-4. While the offense slowed down a bit in the second, the defense didn’t as the Saints held Juanita Sanchez to 11 points and led 32-14 at halftime. The Cavaliers tried to battle back in the third, but SRA’s offense kept pace and was able to finish the game off clean.

Carolyn Abreau led the way for St. Raphael, scoring all 13 of her points in the first half. Keniamarie Oyola and Jocelyn Taylor were both in double figures with 10 and Delgado finished with the the nine points.

After a quiet first half, Anayjah Delves came alive in the second and finished the game with 21 points for Juanita Sanchez. Breanna Marcotte scored 11 in the loss.

Cranston West 43, West Warwick 34

The Falcons’ defense played well and Kyla Buco led the offense in a 43-24 win over the Wizards.

Buco was Cranston West’s lone scorer in double figures with 14 points. Maggie Sjoval and Tayla Walker both scored nine for the Falcons.

Alexa Foley led West Warwick with 10 points.

Westerly 55, Bacon Academy 24

The Bulldogs’ freshmen sensations Macy Antoch and Santanaa Hamelin got the team out to the start they wanted, taking a bite out of Bacon Academy, 55-24.

Antioch and Hamelin took control of the game in the first quarter, combining to score 12 of the team’s 20 points. Westerly led 20-6 after the first eight minutes, then gave up three points in the second and five in the third while it’s offense kept pumping in buckets.Ella Reyes got going in the second quarter and finished as the team’s top scorer with 15 points. Hamelin finished with 11, Antoch scored 10 and Danica Jarrett chipped in with seven points.

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL – Division II

Lincoln School 57, Rogers 48

The Lynx tried to give away a big lead, but Sarah Berube made sure they finished things off in a 57-48 win over the Vikings.

Lincoln School’s starting five found a rhythm early and the consistency was there, scoring 15 points in each of the first two quarters to take a 30-21 lead into halftime. Rogers flipped momentum coming out of the locker room, and two 3-pointers from Abby Hole and solid defense cut the deficit to five heading to the fourth quarter.

But Lincoln School’s offense awoke from its third-quarter slumber, with Berube scoring seven of the team’s 20 points that sealed up the win.

The senior guard had a productive night, leading the Lynx with 21 points. Reign Whiteing came through with 14 points and Alivia Harris joined them in double figures with 11. Freshman Aubrey Watkins helped out with seven points.

Rogers had three players in double figures, led by 13 from Zaida Aponte. Hole finished her night with 12 points and Lila Leys scored 10 in the loss.

East Providence 49, La Salle 38

The Townies used balanced scoring to pull of a 49-38 upset over the Division I Rams.

Zarae Hall was the focal point of the East Providence offense, scoring 16 points to go with seven rebounds. Trinity Provencher scored nine points to go with 10 rebounds and Nadiyah Calouro-Vargas scored nine points in the win.

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL – Division III

Pilgrim 46, Burrillville 17

The Patriots let their defense do all the talking and eight different players scored as they rolled to a 46-17 win over the Broncos.

Pilgrim has had some strong offensive nights, but the defense was the star of the show, holding Burrillville to just two points in the first, second and fourth quarters. Maddison Belanger made sure the offense got off to a good start, scoring nine of the team’s 16 first-quarter points that led to a 26-4 halftime lead.

Belanger led the Patriots with 13 points and while she was the only double-digit scorer, seven other players came up with buckets. Natalie Fratus nearly got there, scoring nine points, and Skylar Hawes and Lia Wasilewski both scored six in the win.

Mackenzie Stone was a bright spot for the Burrillville offense, scoring 10 points.

Central 46, Middletown 30

Keeana Palmer‘s solid performance (18 points, 3 blocks, 5 steals, 7 assists and 8 rebounds) helped pave the way for the Lady Knights’ win over the Islanders. Eveisha Santana also figured in the victory with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals and sophomore Anaya Rios Rodriguez scored 8 points with 2 treys and turned in a solid effort on defense. Central improved to 5-1 on the year.

Senior Lamaya Gonsolves had 15 points with 5 rebounds and 3 steals for Middletown in the loss.

Achievement First 32, Times2 28

One big quarter did the trick for the Falcons, who held on in the final eight minutes to beat the Eagles, 32-28, for their first win of the season.

It was a classic rockfight in the first half, with Times2 taking a 13-12 lead into the locker room. Achievement First came out firing in the second half, as Silvyraida Mustafa powered the offense and scored seven of the team’s 12 points that gave them a 24-15 lead. Times2’s Haidya Jenkins and Maylin Hilario tried to get their team back in the game, but the Falcons’ lead proved to be too big.

Mustafa finished her night with 11 points. Ny’Asia Cruz came up with eight points for Achievement First and Jeiliany Calero scored six. It was the first win of the season for the Falcons and second in program history.

Jenkins led Times2 with 17 points. Jenna Jennings added six points and Hilario had the remaining five, all coming in the fourth quarter.

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL – Other Scores

The home team coach failed to report scores or stats to the Journal from the following games. Home team is noted in CAPS.

Division I

Portsmouth 47, MOSES BROWN 40

Division II

Johnston 37, MT. HOPE 31

Lincoln 66, WOONSOCKET 51

🤼WRESTLING

Westerly 65, Classical 18

Westerly 77, Johnston 5

THURSDAY’S GAMES

🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Division I

Classical at East Providence, 6:30 p.m.

La Salle at Barrington, 7 p.m.

Hendricken at Cumberland, 7 p.m.

Cranston East at Johnston, 7 p.m.

Lincoln at Tolman, 7 p.m.

🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Division II

Narragansett at South Kingstown, 5:30

Burrillville at Chariho, 6:30 p.m.

Mt. Hope at Middletown, 6:30 p.m.

Moses Brown at St. Raphael, 6:30 p.m.

Rogers at Cranston West, 7 p.m.

East Greenwich at West Warwick, 7 p.m.

🏀BOYS BASKETBALL – Division III

Ponaganset at North Smithfield, 6 p.m.

Block Island at Toll Gate, 6 p.m.

St. Patrick at Providence Country Day, 6:30 p.m.

Prout at Blackstone Valley Prep, 7 p.m.

Scituate at Paul Cuffee, 7 p.m.

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL – Division I

Moses Brown at Bay View, 4 p.m.

Cumberland at St. Raphael, 4:45 p.m.

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL – Division II

South Kingstown at Narragansett, 5:30 p.m.

Tiverton at Durfee (Mass.), 6:30 p.m.

Coventry at Cranston East, 7 p.m.

North Smithfield at Smithfield, 7 p.m.

🏀GIRLS BASKETBALL – Division III

Exeter-West Greenwich at North Providence, 6:30 p.m.

BOYS INDOOR TRACK

RIIL Tournament at PCTA, 5:30 p.m.

GIRLS INDOOR TRACK

RIIL Tournament at PCTA, 5:30 p.m.

BOYS SWIMMING

NP/Smith/NS Co-op vs. Portsmouth at North Providence Pool, 4 p.m.

Moses Brown vs. South County Boys Co-op at Rhode Island College, 5 p.m.

Pilg/TG Co-op vs. BVP/CF/Pawtucket Co-op at McDermott Pool, 5:30 p.m.

GIRLS SWIMMING

NP/Smith/NS Co-op vs. Portsmouth at North Providence Pool, 4 p.m.

Moses Brown vs. South County Boys Co-op at Rhode Island College, 5 p.m.

Pilg/TG Co-op vs. BVP/CF/Pawtucket Co-op at McDermott Pool, 5:30 p.m.

Midd/Rog Co-op vs. Burr/Scit Co-op at Newport YMCA, 7:30 p.m.

WRESTLING

Pilgrim, Prout, West Warwick at Pilgrim, 5 p.m.

Woonsocket at Mt. Pleasant, 5:30 p.m.

Lincoln at North Providence, 6 p.m.

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Rhode Island

New docuseries exploring Rhode Island’s coastal ecosystem premieres Friday – What’s Up Newp

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

New docuseries exploring Rhode Island’s coastal ecosystem premieres Friday – What’s Up Newp

A new documentary series celebrating Rhode Island’s coastal wildlife and conservation efforts premieres Friday on Ocean State Media.

“Ocean State: Rhode Island’s Wild Coast” debuts with its first episode, “Secrets of the Seagrass,” at 8 p.m. Jan. 9 on WSBE. The episode will be followed by a re-run of “Chasing Fins,” a short documentary about the Atlantic Shark Institute’s shark research in Rhode Island.

The premiere episode explores eelgrass meadows, often called the “nurseries of the sea,” which support diverse marine life while playing a critical role in coastal resilience, water quality and climate mitigation.

Filmed across Rhode Island and New England, the episode features species including American lobster, American eel and bay scallops that depend on healthy eelgrass ecosystems. It also highlights scientists and conservationists from Save the Bay and The Nature Conservancy working on habitat restoration.

“Eelgrass meadows are foundational to the health of our coastal waters, yet many people have never seen them or understood their importance,” director Tomas Koeck said. “This episode brings viewers beneath the surface to reveal how interconnected these systems are—and what’s at stake if we lose them.”

The series is produced by Silent Flight Studios in partnership with Ocean State Media.

“Given our strong, shared connection with the bay and our coastline, we’re excited to share this fascinating new series,” Ocean State Media President and CEO Pam Johnston said.

Future episodes will explore landscapes, wildlife and people shaping the region’s natural heritage.