University at Albany Great Danes

Score: UAlbany 74, Rhode Island College 67
 
Location: Broadview Center | Albany, N.Y.
 
Records: UAlbany (1-0, 0-0 America East), RIC (0-1, 0-0 Little East Conference) 
 
Short Story: The University at Albany men's basketball team earned their first win of the season over Rhode Island College Monday night after being guided by Ollie Engen with a game-high 25 points and six assists.
 
Key Stats: 

• Ollie Engen tallied a whopping 25 points as well as six assists.
• Kean Webb and Erwann Bussing shared the team-high two blocks.
• Zach Matulu tabbed ten rebounds to lead the team off the boards.
• Two other Great Danes totaled double-digit points, Tyler Jones (16) and Bussing (10).
• The Anchormen shot .391 from the field, .304 from beyond the arc, and .368 from the charity stripe.
• UAlbany shot 44.8% in the paint, 40.0% from three-point range, and 53.8% from the line.
• The Great Danes out-rebounded Rhode Island College 47-40.

 
How it Happened: 

• Rhode Island College opened scoring, but both teams traded points back and forth throughout the first five minutes of play, with the Great Danes earning a slight 9-7 advantage.
• U-Mier Graham scored UAlbany's first points of the season with a three-pointer.
• From 14:33 to 9:58, the Great Danes just outscored the Anchormen 8-7 but extended their lead to 17-14.
• UAlbany found an eight-point run, including a three-pointer from Tyler Jones between 9:52 and 8:24, which further added to their lead, giving them a 25-14 advantage.
• Rhode Island College responded with two points of their own before Ollie Engen and Tyler Jones sank back-to-back free throws, giving the Great Danes a 31-16 lead at 5:35.
• The Anchormen found a slight advantage between 4:47 and 4:19, outscoring the Purple and Gold 4-2.
• UAlbany responded with a nine-point run to extend their lead, 42-20, with one minute left in the half.
• Rhode Island College scored the final three points of the half with 26 seconds left on the clock, but the Great Danes still entered halftime up 42-23.
• The Anchormen tabbed the first two points of the second half, but UAlbany answered with an eight-point run, including another three-pointer from Jones, to take a 50-25 lead at 16:46.
• From 16:27 to the ten-minute mark, Rhode Island College outscored the Great Danes 17-14; the Purple and Gold retained a 64-42 advantage.
• Over the next five minutes, the Anchormen found a wave of momentum and put up 16 points to UAlbany's four, to cut the Great Danes' lead to ten points.
• Engen responded with four points for UAlbany, putting them up 72-58 with three minutes to play.
• Rhode Island College outscored the Great Danes 9-2 in the final three minutes of the game, but UAlbany emerged victorious, 74-67.

 
Next Up: The Great Danes travel to Manhattan for their America East-Metro Basketball Challenge Thursday, November 5. Tipoff is set for 7:00 pm.
 
Social Central:  Stay up to date with UAlbany men's basketball by following the team on X (@UAlbanyMBB), Instagram (@ualbany_mbb), and the team's official Facebook (UAlbany Men's Basketball) for all of the latest news and highlights throughout the year.