The Rhode Island women’s basketball team opens its season by sending a message

SOUTH KINGSTOWN — The University of Rhode Island women’s basketball team unveiled a championship banner before Tuesday’s season opener. 

“Get another one!” a fan yelled as the celebration died down. 

The Rams played as if that’s the plan. 

Rhody dominated a Sacred Heart team that played in the NCAA Tournament last season, locking down on defense and flashing a wealth of offensive weapons in a 91-40 victory at the Ryan Center. 

“Really proud of the team and the way they showed up with unbridled energy,” head coach Tammi Reiss said. “We talked about being lions today and going hunting. That’s what they did.” 

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The Atlantic 10 preseason favorite looked the part. URI made seven of its first nine shots in the opening quarter, then held Sacred Heart without a point for nearly 12 minutes. The Rams kept flying in the second half, at one point making nine straight shots. They led by as many as 56 points.   

Mayé Touré, fresh off a preseason first-team All-Conference nod, led a deep scoring effort with 20 points. Tenin Magassa joined her in double figures with 17. Two high-level transfers — Dee Dee Davis and Teisha Hyman — seamlessly fit in for their debuts. URI scored 58 points in the paint and committed just six turnovers, including zero in the second half. 

Here’s a look at what else jumped out from the victory: 

It’s a new year

The banner was worth celebrating. The program had never won a conference title before earning the share of the A-10 regular-season crown last season. For most of its existence, URI was nowhere close to this level. 

“It’s definitely nice to hang a banner in the Ryan Center and celebrate that team, because they did something special,” Reiss said. “That will never leave the rafters. That’s special. It was a special moment, even though it killed my pregame speech.”

Before the ceremony, Reiss had pulled off her championship ring and tossed it across the locker room, a nod to embracing the next challenge. Even if the sight of the banner stole some thunder from her motivational moment, the Rams are buying in. 

“We’re all on the same page,” Touré said. “As part of the recruiting, [Reiss] recruited dogs. We’re not going to be complacent. It’s like nothing happened. We’re starting over.” 

Tenin Magassa is a game-changer

Magassa was once a fearsome presence for the Dayton team that denied URI’s bid for A-10 hardware two seasons ago. She represented a significant pick-up for the Rams when she transferred in, but an injury robbed her of the chance to make a big impact last season. She played in only 14 games. 

Healthy now, Magassa looks to be back to her old ways. Her 6-foot-5 frame is rare in the women’s game, and she knows how to use it. Magassa filled the stat sheet with 17 points, six rebounds and six blocks in Tuesday’s win.  

“She’s the Tenin Magassa from Dayton, when we had to go through them to get the championship,” Reiss said. “Everybody who went to the rim, the ball was swatted or she altered shots. Offensively, I thought, was a different story. She was extremely aggressive today offensively, and powerful.” 

More: Led by URI, women’s basketball is ramping up in Rhode Island

The defense looks elite

URI had it all working on this night, so it’s hard to pick one facet of the game that stood out. But in terms of the rest of the season, the kind of defense the Rams played on Tuesday could set the stage for a special year. 

Defense has been the foundation for the program since Reiss arrived in Kingston. URI led the league in scoring defense last season. With Magassa’s presence inside and newfound athleticism on the perimeter, this group has the potential to be her best yet. 

“We held Sacred Heart to 40,” Reiss said. “They’re picked to win their league. Their point guard is very good — she gave it to Stanford last year in the NCAA Tournament. We hang our hat on defense and rebounding. The pieces that we’ve added on the perimeter — Teisha, Dee Dee, Ines [Debroise] has matured, Sophia Vital — we’re picking up full-court pressure most of the game. We couldn’t do that last year because we weren’t athletic enough.” 

How good was the defense in the opener? Pick a stat, any stat. The Pioneers shot 23 percent from the field and had 22 turnovers. They were 2 of 18 from 3-point range. In their first-half drought, they missed 20 consecutive shots. 

Weapons abound

Balance was key for the Rams last year, and Reiss has put together the same kind of attack this season. Touré and Sophie Phillips ranked first and third in scoring for the Rams last year and are primed for repeat performances. Ines Debroise and Anaelle Dutat were significant contributors off the bench. 

There were some big personnel losses, but Davis and Hyman will ease the sting. Davis was an all-conference performer at Manhattan and has taken the controls of the URI offense. She had seven points and six assists in her debut. Hyman, who led Syracuse in scoring in the 2021-22 season, chipped in nine points, six rebounds and five assists on Tuesday.

Several other newcomers saw time on Tuesday, as the Rams rolled with a 10-player rotation for most of the night. They played well together, too, as URI handed out 22 assists on 35 baskets.