MHERST - For 30 minutes last night, before the wheels started coming off, it was one of the most entertaining games of the year. Complete with compelling subplots, too.

Was Rhode Island's Lamar Odom as good as advertised? He was.

Would Charlton Clarke's unquestioned place as University of Massachusetts point guard be restored? It was, but he went scoreless on 0-for-9 shooting.

And could the UMass men's basketball team get back to within striking range of the .500 mark? Hardly.

Rhode Island instead continued inching back into the NCAA tournament picture with a 73-62 victory before 7,561 fans at Mullins Center. The Rams (13-9, 6-3) shot and dunked over the Minutemen in the second half, scoring 46 points and taking over sole possession of second place in the Atlantic 10 East Division.

Audio clip: Listen to some of Bruiser's post-game comments. 29k WAV Courtesey: WHMP

"What disappointed me most was that we started hanging our heads," UMass coach Bruiser Flint said. "Even when we've struggled, I hadn't seen that since, I'd say, the Davidson game."

UMass (9-12, 5-4) slipped to third place in the division by losing its second straight, and fourth in five. Rhody won its third straight and sixth of eight.

Odom, a 6-foot-10 sophomore, tied his season and career high with 26 points, including 18 after halftime as UMass forward Mike Babul wound up in foul trouble. But Odom, who also had 11 rebounds, showed the skills to dominate no matter who was watching him.

"Sometimes I haven't been aggressive enough on offense," Odom said. "I've tried to make it happen for everybody else, but I've been trying to score more in the halfcourt game."

Odom had help from guards Preston Murphy (13 points, seven assists) and Tavorris Bell (12 points), and forward Antonio Reynolds-Dean (11 points.) Chris Kirkland had a career-high 18 points for UMass, along with 10 rebounds. Monty Mack scored 15 and Lari Ketner managed 11 (on 4-for-13 shooting) with 11 rebounds.

UMass was in the process of getting blown out when Monty Mack (15 points hit back-to-back 3-pointers that sparked an 8-0 surge, cutting Rhode Island's lead to 64-57 with 4:35 left.

"I thought we did a good job on Mack, though," Rhode Island coach Jim Harrick said. "Without those two 3's off the press, he'd have had only nine, and if you hold a man like that to nine, you've done a good job."

"They used a box-and-one, and coach (Flint) told us to post the ball," Mack said. "We were still getting open looks."

"There were at least eight balls that hit us in the face or chest that they got," said Flint, whose team shot 36.8 percent. "That was the game right there."

Clarke, who was benched in the second half of Sunday's 76-65 loss at Texas, played 33 minutes last night. But he shot blanks, and is now 2 for 21 in his last three games.

"His attitude was fine, but he's one of our better scorers, and when he's not scoring, that does make it tough," Flint said.

Rhode Island shot 60 percent in the second half and 51.7 percent overall.

But UMass led 32-27 at halftime and pushed it up to 36-27 before Rhody got hot from the outside and went on a 37-13 tear over the next 12:30.

"I don't think they expected me to shoot from the outside," said Bell, who hit 5 of 7.

One UMass first-half highlight was an alley-oop pass from Clarke to Babul, whose dunk led Clarke to shake his fist and look upward, as if some normalcy was finally returning to his world. But Babul's biggest job was covering Odom, a task not helped by the 6-6 UMass forward's fourth foul with 12:04 left and Rhody leading 48-47. Babul came out, and Odom immediately hit a 3-point shot.

n a University of Massachusetts men's basketball season where high points have been few, Chris Kirkland remains a bright spot.

"He's the most improved player in the Atlantic 10 Conference," UMass coach Bruiser Flint after Kirkland had scored a career-high 18 points in the 73-62 loss to Rhode Island at Mullins Center. "It's not even close."

After playing only 137 minutes as a freshman in 1996-97, Kirkland played 417 minutes last season. This year, he's moved into the starting power-forward spot and had 10 rebounds last night, including seven off the offensive glass.

But Kirkland, who credits former UMass players Edgar Padilla, Carmelo Travieso and Tyrone Weeks for keeping his spirits up when he wasn't playing as a freshman, was downcast by the defeat. Rhode Island outscored UMass 37-13 in one second-half burst, turning a 36-27 deficit into a 64-49 Rams' lead.

"They picked up the tempo, but we also didn't get the loose balls and rebounds in the second half," said Kirkland, a 6-foot-6 junior.

It wasn't Kirkland's fault, though.

"The one guy who is playing well (Kirkland) is playing with confidence," Flint said. "He was the only one who got loose balls and put them back in, and did it at the other end, too.

"I thought he did a great job defensively on Antonio Reynolds-Dean," Flint said. The Rhode Island forward scored 11 points on 5-for-12 shooting and had six rebounds. Kirkland did not start a game until this season, but last night was his 14th. He says he still has to work on his strength, ball-handling and finishing moves over the summer.

Once considered an offensive liability, his game has improved to where he led UMass with 16 shots last night, a statistic helped by his own effort on the offensive boards.

NOT OVER: Flint's most aggressive post-game answer came when asked if he was concerned that the Minutemen might not give full effort, knowing the season was slipping away.

"If you feel that way, you should hand in your uniform," the coach said defiantly. "That's what I told them. I know I don't think it's over."

He did concede the tough season, which has put UMass on target for its first losing year since John Calipari's first season in 1988-89, has taken a mental and emotional toll.

"We haven't had a game all year when a couple of our main guys weren't struggling," Flint said. "And when that happens, guys get down on themselves."

BOARD GAME: The teams deadlocked on the boards last night with 39 rebounds each. Rhode Island entered the game averaging nearly eight rebounds more than their opponents, best in the Atlantic 10.

"We got 23 offensive rebounds," Flint said. "But you've got to put some of those back in."

CROWD COUNT: Last night's crowd of 7,561 left UMass with an average of 6,830 after 10 of 14 home games. Mullins Center holds 9,493.

BENNETT UPDATE: Former Rhode Island forward John Bennett remains in critical condition, one week after an auto accident that nearly took his life. But Bennett is improving, though a long rehabilitation is expected.

MHERST - Mike Babul couldn't stop Lamar Odom, but who has?

Babul, the designated stopper for the University of Massachusetts men's basketball team, gave his best effort against the 6-foot-10 NBA prospect in last might's Atlantic 10 game at Mullins Center.

The 6-6 Babul was giving four inches to Odom, and Rhode Island tried to exploit the height advantage but couldn't as UMass doubled Odom whenever he got the ball on the block.

So Odom, the most ballyhooed player in Rams history and possibly the most traveled freshman in NCAA lore, stepped outside the 3-point line and started bombing away.

Odom made 3 of 4 from behind the arc on his way to a game-high and career-high 26 points with 11 rebounds in Rhode Island's 73-62 win over UMass.

"I thought Odom put on an unbelievable show," Rhode Island coach Jim Harrick said.

Initially, Babul and his teammates had a grasp on how to defend Odom as they held him to only eight points in the first half while forcing him into four turnovers.

When he tried to post Babul, Chris Kirkland stepped in and Babul stole the ball from Odom on the Rams' first possession.

The second time Odom went to post up Babul, Kirkland once again moved over and forced the URI star into a double dribble.

Odom learned the next time he tried to post Babul. When Kirkland came over, Odom passed out of the double team to Antonio Reynolds-Dean for the easy layup.

"Usually when I have a smaller guy, I like to post up," Odom said. "My 3-point shot was falling for the first time this season."

Still, it wasn't a great showing by the freshman in the first half, although he had his moments like the perfect alley-oop pass to Tavorris Bell for a huge slam.

In the second half, Odom changed his offensive mindset, going away from the halfcourt set to more of a slashing style that had him facing the basket.

"I tried to stroke the ball a lot from the outside and open that up," Odom said of his path to the basket. "In the first half, I tried to play in the paint too much and couldn't use my ability."

Odom scored five of the first seven points for the Rams at the start of the second half, one basket on a runner in the lane and the other a 3-pointer when Babul stepped off him to stop the ball as Preston Murphy was penetrating.

Odom was heating up, and so were the Rams as they went on a 21-10 run to go ahead for good.

Odom showed his speed and determination when he had his shot blocked by Lari Ketner, only to steal the ball at the other end on a UMass fast break, then lead the break for the Rams and pick up an assist on Luther Clay's layup.

"I think we let him get a couple of easy baskets early and let him get into the flow of the game," Kirkland said.

Odom, who didn't turn the ball over in the second half, found more room to work when Babul picked up his fourth foul with 12:04 left. Twice he beat Kirkland off the dribble and drove the lane for uncontested dunks.

He finished his evening with a little razzle dazzle, dribbling to the baseline, spinning away from the defender, and then using a finger roll to score.

MHERST - UMass caught a blurry glimpse of the NBA's future last night. Unfortunately for the Minutemen, he was on the other team.

Rhode Island's Lamar Odom came as big as promised, with 18 of his 26 points in the second half of a 73-62 win over the Minutemen, even as UMass' own alleged professional hopeful was fading with the night. Lari Ketner, visibly inactive at both ends of the floor down the stretch when his team needed a big play, finally scored his 11th point with 14 seconds left, prompting sarcastic cheers and a shout of ``You the man,'' from one particularly disenchanted fan.

Thus went UMass' attempt at holding on to second place in the Atlantic 10's East Division - a position both teams had held with identical 5-3 conference records before the game. The Rams, now 13-9 as a result of their first three-game winning streak of the season, are making a late-season run that is tied directly to their coach's oft-stated credo.

``Basketball is a February and March game,'' said Jim Harrick, who now is benefiting from a late-winter thaw.

Bruiser Flint and the Minutemen (12-9) would dearly love to know how that feels.

``Tonight I was disappointed because, for the first time in a long while, we put our heads down,'' the UMass coach said of his team's almost inexplicable response to Rhode Island's second-half run. ``We put our heads down, they ran down the court, and Odom got dunks.''

This was about as close to surrender as it gets.

The Minutemen, who led by a 32-27 score at halftime, went on top by as many as nine points and held a lead (46-45) as late as 13:18 on a slick double-pump floater by Chris Kirkland.

They wouldn't score another field goal for approximately eight minutes, when Kirkland drained a 15-footer.

Eight minutes is a long time to hang one's head, as evidenced by the 64-49 Rhode Island lead after Kirkland made his jumper.

Odom obviously played a major role here. He turned in a number of highlight-reel numbers, including a tomahawk dunk that he brought in from 15 feet and a no-look pass off the break to Luther Clay for a three-point play.

Then there were those three treys - all drained, appropriately enough, from NBA range.

The perplexing part for Flint was his team's lack of response.

UMass shot 0-for-12 from the floor, including an 0-for-3 showing from Ketner, during that eight-minute stretch, to go along with three turnovers.

Monty Mack followed Kirkland's jumper with a pair of treys after breaking the Rhode Island press. Rafael Cruz followed with a corner bomb that chopped the margin to 68-60 with 2:51 left.

But Odom followed, roughly a minute later, with the sort of left-handed drive that hasn't been seen in the Mullins Center in quite some time - perhaps ever.

This was the problem. The best basketball in this building now is being played by the visitors.

MHERST - Each disheartening defeat makes the idea of a turnaround less plausible.

The last time the University of Massachusetts was three games below .500 this late in the season, most of the seniors were in second grade. It is one of the reasons no one associated with the program is taking this subpar campaign very well. From the coaching staff to the players to the fans, most everyone figured UMass's problems would have been resolved by now.

Instead, a team which had been making progress now appears headed in reverse, with a stuck accelerator and no brakes. UMass dropped its fourth game in five outings last night as the University of Rhode Island blew open a close contest early in the second half for a 73-62 Atlantic 10 triumph at Mullins Center.

URI sophomore sensation Lamar Odom, who sat out last season after failing to meet eligibility requirements, showed why he is the odds-on favorite for A-10 rookie of the year honors. He collected 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists to lead URI (13-9, 6-3), which won its season-high third straight thanks to a 19-3 second-half run. The Rams trailed by 5 at halftime and 36-27 with 18:00 left, then turned the game into an up-tempo affair that UMass couldn't handle.

That left Bruiser Flint & Co. trying to pinpoint what is missing from this season's attack - again. Errant play at key moments was a factor last night, as was the lack of clutch shooting: Guard Charlton Clarke, who was benched during Sunday's loss at Texas, was 0 for 9 from the floor.

Center Lari Ketner had 11 points and 11 boards but was 4 for 13 from the floor and didn't come up with a few key rebounds down the stretch. Except for Chris Kirkland (18 points, 10 boards), the team all but disappeared after URI's run, and it finished the second half shooting just 31 percent from the floor.

Afterward, Flint, who said some of his players gave up on the idea of a rally after URI's surge, issued an ultimatum to any Minuteman who has given up on the season.

''I told them after the game that if anybody thinks this is a lost season, give me their uniform,'' said Flint. ''I said, `Give me your uniform because you don't deserve to be on the team.'

''I told them, `What more can I say?' We've had a lot of speeches, and I'm done with the speeches. The most disappointing thing was that after we fell behind, a few guys started putting their heads down, and I hadn't seen that in a while.''

The Minutemen are 9-12 overall, their worst record this late in the season since the 1988-89 team started 8-11. That team finished 10-18, the last UMass team with a losing record as well as the last not to advance to postseason.

This year's squad will likely need to win the Atlantic 10 tournament to make it to the NCAA tournament. Even the National Invitation Tournament will be out of reach if UMass doesn't turn things around soon.

And you can't turn around a season if you can't score a field goal in 7 minutes 46 seconds. That's how long UMass's drought lasted in the second half. The Minutemen led, 46-45, with 13:20 remaining. With 5:46 left, they trailed, 64-49.

The Minutemen face St. Joseph's Sunday, and although they defeated the Hawks soundly in Philadelphia, Flint is not looking past anyone at this point.

''This has been one of those years where we have guys who are struggling,'' he said, ''and you just hope they will pull themselves out of it.''

MHERST-- A year ago, the University of Rhode Island used an 87-85 double-overtime victory over UMass in Amherst as a catapult into the NCAA tournament and a berth in the Elite Eight.

Last night, the Rams found the spark they were looking for to ignite their sluggish season and blasted off in the second half on the way to a 73-62 win over the Minutemen.

Lamar Odom, the much ballyhooed sophomore from Jamaica, N.Y. dazzled a Mullins Center crowd of 7,561 with 26 points and 11 rebounds as the Rams rallied from a five-point halftime deficit to win their third game in a row for the first time this season.

"I don't think we've played any better than we did in the second half," said URI coach Jim Harrick, who saw his club improve to 13-9 overall and 6-3 in the East Division of the Atlantic-10.

UMass, which is 9-12 overall and 5-4 in the league, has lost four of its last five and is just 5-5 at home.

Things looked promising for the Minutemen after the first 20 minutes as they held a 32-27 lead, but it all unraveled in the second half.

"We were able to push the ball and move well into the open court in the second half," Harrick said. "Preston Murphy got out on the run and was able to distribute the ball to our open guys."

Odom, the 6-foot-9 USA Today High School Player of the Year in 1997, scored 18 of his 26 points over the final 20 minutes, including three high-arching treys.

Odom had plenty of help from Murphy (12 points, seven assists),Tavorris Bell (13 points, six rebounds), and Antonio Reynolds-Dean (11 points, six rebounds).

Odom, Bell and Murphy, who combined for 18 points as Rhode Island wiped out UMass' nine-point, 36-27 lead with a 20-10 run at the start of the second half.

Chris Kirkland, who had a career-high 18 points and 10 rebounds for UMass, had put the Minutemen up, 37-26 with a pair of free throws two minutes into the second half.

But 6.5 minutes later, Rhode Island took the lead for good, 48-47, on a layup by Luther Clay.

Moments earlier, Kirkland had hit a jump shot putting UMass ahead, 45-44. But it was nearly eight minutes before UMass scored another field goal.

The hoop came on another Kirkland jumper, but by then URI was on cruise control with a 64-49 lead.

"Defense, rebound, and run," said Harrick, "and that's what our success is predicated on. We did an excellent job defending Charlton Clarke, Monty Mack and (Lari) Ketner. We were going to let (Mike) Babul and Kirkland have their shots, we weren't going to let those other guys beat us.

Clarke had a horrendous game, going 0 for 9, including 0 for 5 from 3-point land. He did not score.

Mack had 15 points, but six of those came in the final four minutes when he hit two 3-pointers. Mack finished 6 for 14 from the floor while Ketner was 4 for 13 and had just 11 points.

"Sometimes it was like I was out there in a daze," Mack said.

Kirkland said the Minutemen just stopped getting rebounds and loose balls in the second half.

"We just couldn't buy a basket in that second-half stretch," coach Bruiser Flint said. "We had some good looks and some offensive rebounds and some fast breaks, but we didn't cash them in.

"Tonight I was really disappointed because we put our heads down at times late in the game," Flint said. "We got caught napping too many times and that's not what UMass basketball is about."

The worst instance of napping came when Ketner put his head down and jogged back on defense as Odom moved past him for a dazzling dunk.

"We let Odom get into the flow of the game," Mack said. "And he was able to set the tempo in the second half."

Odom said all the Rams started playing more aggressively in the second half.

"This was a good road win and it's the type of game we're going to need if we're going to make the (NCAA) tournament," Odom said.

URI, which had gone 10 years before beating UMass in Amherst last year, has now done it twice in less than 12 months.

MHERST -- When there's an avalanche, two things happen -- you get out of the way or you get buried. For the University of Massachusetts basketball team last night, it was the latter.

UMass successfully controlled the tempo in the first half against the University of Rhode Island. But after leading by nine points early in the second half, the Minutemen succumbed to the running Rams 73-62 at the Mullins Center.

UMass led 46-45 on Chris Kirkland's jumper with 13:20 left. At that point, UMass went stone cold, going 7:48 without a field goal. The Rams, on the other hand, went on a 19-3 explosion that included five dunks.

Kirkland's effort wasted

"They pushed the tempo," said Kirkland, who had a career-high 18 points to go with a team-leading 10 rebounds. "We didn't get loose balls and offensive rebounds. That killed us in the second half."

"I was a little disappointed," said UMass coach Bruiser Flint. "For the first time in a long while, we put our heads down after missing shots. I think that's why they got as many fast breaks as they did."

It was a spectacular western Massachusetts debut for URI's heralded sophomore forward/guard Lamar Odom. The one-time standout from Redemption Christian Academy in Troy, N.Y., matched his career-high with 26 points, and had 11 boards.

With the loss, UMass is now 9-12, 5-4 in the Atlantic 10. Rhode Island improves to 13-9 and 6-3 in the A-10.

Playing in a 'daze'

"We all have to play hard. We didn't stop them a lot. Sometimes, it was like I was out there in a daze," said UMass' Monty Mack.

The Minutemen never trailed in the first half, led 32-27 at intermission, and made the first four points of the second half to go up 36-27. From that point, the Rams went on the attack.

Rhode Island's outside game got hot, after the Rams cut the lead to 36-31. On their next five possessions, they hit four treys to get back into the game.

Finally, URI took the lead on a three-point play by Luther Clay. Odom later drained a trey, and then scored on one of two consecutive dunks. Tavorris Bell (13 points) had the other.

"Any time we get the opportunity to push the ball and get in the open court, it helps our ball club. We're a lot better basketball team when we do that," added URI head coach Jim Harrick.

UMass made it interesting on consecutive threes by Mack (15 points), cutting URI's lead to 64-57 with 4:43 left. But UMass could get no closer.

UMass led by as many as seven points in the opening stanza. That came on a Kirkland coast-to-coast drive off a turnover, making it 19-12 with 7:27 left. Rhody answered with a 11-4 spurt, to tie the score at 23-23 with 3:44 remaining.

But the Minutemen, who had played solid defense in the half, closed out the final 3:44 with a 10-4 run of its own. The key bucket of the drive came on a backdoor, alley-oop jam by Babul from Charlton Clarke.

TIP INS: Faces in the crowd included URI golfers Joey Pohle and Jim Salinetti, along with Salinetti's father Dick and Dick Lenfest Sr. Salinetti is the principal at Lee High and Lenfest is the athletic director. Jim Salinetti was a golfer and basketball standout at Lee, while Pohle was a hockey and golf star at Mount Greylock. Both were Western Mass. golf champions.

This was the start of a three-game homestand for the Minutemen. UMass will host St. Joseph's on Sunday, while St. Bonaventure visits on Feb. 10.

MHERST, Mass. -- They are words Jim Harrick has not used often to describe his University of Rhode Island basketball team this season. Aggressive. Tenacious. Excellent defense.

Those are exactly the words Harrick used last night, though, after watching his team play some of its best basketball of the season in one of its most important games.

The Rams, down by five at halftime, exploded for 46 second-half points as they charged to a 73-62 triumph over Massachusetts at the Mullins Center.

The victory is the third in a row for URI -- its longest winning streak of the season. It moves the Rams to 13-9 overall, 6-3 in the Atlantic 10 and into sole possession of second place in the A-10 East, behind Temple.

First-place Temple comes to Providence tomorrow to face the Rams. As far as URI is concerned, it is a good time to face the Owls. The Rams gave as much evidence last night as they have all season that they are peaking. Harrick felt the second-half performance against UMass was ``maybe as good as we've played all year.''

After trailing throughout, the Rams took the lead with an 11-1 run early in the second half, built their lead as high as 15 and looked like a team which could cause some damage down the stretch.

``I thought our guys sucked it up and played really hard in the second half,'' Harrick said. ``Aggressive. Tenacious. The kind of basketball you have to play to get in the upper half of the league and make some noise.''

Four Rhody players scored in double figures. Tavorris Bell had 13, including two big outside jumpers in the second-half surge. Preston Murphy had 12 points and 7 assists. Antonio Reynolds-Dean added 11 points.

Still, far and away the biggest star was Lamar Odom. Odom looked like one of the best players in the country as he did a little of everything. He had 26 points, matching his career high, as he hit 10 of 16 from the floor, 3 of 4 on 3-pointers. He also had 11 rebounds for his ninth double-double, and added 3 assists.

``I thought Odom put on an unbelievable show'' is the way Harrick summed up his star's work.

Odom said he felt better than he has all season. He had 18 of his points after halftime as the Rams scored often on the break, opened up the court and looked like a much smoother offensive team than they had been.

``My 3-point shot was falling for the first time all season,'' said Odom. ``I felt like anything I put up would go in tonight.''

Odom used hmself as a mirror of his team. He said Harrick has been preaching to his team -- and did it again at halftime last night -- to be more aggressive. For URI to be a good team, Odom has to be the one leading the aggression.

``Being aggressive on offense sometimes is not my nature,'' Odom said. ``Sometime I tend to be too much of a playmaker. I tend to sit back and look and try to make everything happen for everybody else.

``We didn't come out aggressive enough in the first half,'' Odom said. ``They were a little more aggressive getting to the loose balls, diving on the floor. They outrebounded us . . . we took that to heart and just wanted to come out a little harder in the second half.

``I tried to pick my spots in the first half,'' he continued. ``I think I played in the paint too much. I didn't use my ballhandling ability and my outside shot.''

Odom did all that and more in his 18-point second half. He and his teammates carried the play to UMass through the second half and dominated play as they won that half, 46-27.

The loss drops Massachusetts to 9-12 overall, 5-4 in the A-10. The Minutemen came out of it in huge trouble to keep alive the streak which has see the team qualify for postseason play seven straight seasons.

While his team has been struggling, it fought hard last night, said UMass coach Bruiser Flint felt.

``For the first time, we put our heads down,'' Flint said. ``I think that's why they got as many fastbreak baskets as they did.''

In addition to Monty Mack's 15 points, Chris Kirkland had 18 and Lari Ketner 11 for Massachusetts. But Ketner was just 4 for 13 from the field. Guard Charlton Clarke was 0 for 9.

UMass struggled to score all night. It went more than seven minutes without a field goal in the second half, during which time URI went from trailing 46-45 to a 64-49 lead.

URI, on the other hand, got points much easier as it got out and ran and had 15 fast-break points.

``When we get in the open court it helps our team tremendously,'' Harrick said. ``We got chances to do that in the second half. We pushed the ball. Murphy got out in the open court, got the ball to some guys. We're a lot better basketball team when we do that.''

MHERST, Mass. -- Sometimes you start to save your season in the strangest of places.

Like here in the Mullins Center, here in the place that John Calipari built, here in this place that paved the way to UMass's rise to the big-time, here in this place where the white banners that hang from the rafters are a testament to UMass's dominance in the Atlantic 10 in the 1990s.

The place the Rams came last night to try to save their season.

Because there is no margin of error anymore.

None.

Not if the Rams want their season to end in the NCAA Tournament, instead of a lament about what might have been, an offseason spent trying to explain how a season that began with such lofty hopes could end in dust and the residue of broken dreams.

It's all very simple now for the Rams: They either win games or they see this become the season that never was. They either win games or they spend eternity wondering about what might have been. For there have been too many squandered games, too many lost possibilities.

``There's no question there's a sense of urgency,'' Jim Harrick said. ``We're not out of the woods yet, that's for sure. But this is a big, big game for us.''

For sure.

We are all too familiar with the Rams' problems. Five players in search of some on-court chemistry, a team that's now spent three months trying to live up to the expectations they began the season with. A team that always seems as if the whole is not as good as the sum of the parts, even on those nights when everything is rhymin.'

But UMass has been worse.

Even in the glory years under Calipari, the Minutemen never were a team that made the scoreboard light up. Defense always was the trademark, that in-your-face, clutch-and-grab defense that was the cornerstone of Calipari's ``Refuse to Lose'' slogan. UMass didn't as much beat you as beat you up.

Well, the beat-you-up defense is still there. It's everything else that seems to have disappeared. Simply put, the Minutemen just can't score, and if you can't shoot, the game isn't easy.

Yet UMass is still tough in the Mullins Center. Just ask Kansas.

And at halftime last night it seemed as if this was going to be the night the Rams' season went slowly down the drain.

It was a half played at UMass's pace, a slow crawl of a halfcourt game, one of those grind-it-out specials the Minutemen are famous for. A script written by Bruiser Flint.

Once again the Rams seemed to lack any identity, once again seemed to be falling into that familiar trap of letting the other team dictate the game's tempo. Once again the Rams seemed to be their own worst enemy, strangely passive on defense, ineffective on offense.

Is it any wonder they were down five?

Any wonder why you could almost hear the guy with the trumpet warming up to play TAPS on the Rams' season?

So maybe it was only fitting that Lamar Odom had a second half to die for. The stats read that he scored 26 points on 10-for-16 shooting, and also had 11 boards. The stats don't go far enough.

What Odom really did was put his personal stamp all over the game, one big giant signature. All the skills were there on display. The ballhandling. The agility. The outside shooting, so rare in a player 6-foot-10. The kind of ability that allows him to take over a game. The kind of talent that makes him arguably the most unique player in all of college basketball. The kind of talent that one day is going to take him to all the NBA arenas in the country.

``It was time for me to go and make things happen,'' Odom said. ``I just wanted to take over.''

These are not familiar words coming from Odom.

There have been times this year when he's been unselfish to a fault. Times when he seems to lack the resolve to want to take over, as if it's simply not his nature. As if he's more comfortable passing the ball, setting up others, content to let his own offense come in dribs and drabs.

Not last night. Not in the second half anyway. This was the Lamar of legend.

For he, like all the Rams, understands the urgency of the moment.

``It's do or die for this team,'' he said. ``We all know that.''

Not that Odom was the only Ram story last night. They had four players in double figures. They got a strong game from Tavorris Bell, who had two jumpers to go with two highlight film dunks. They had big shots from Preston Murphy, especially during he stretch when they grabbed control of the game and took the heart away from UMass.

More importantly, they managed to push the pace in the second half, a pace UMass found impossible to match. And as Harrick said, ``Any time we push the ball we're better.''

He's right.

And this is the time the Rams have to be better. For they have seven games left, and there is virtually no margin of error anymore. Not if they want to save this season.

Last night was just another step along the way.

MHERST - After a tight, well-played first half, the University of Massachusetts men's basketball team unraveled on both ends of the floor. The University of Rhode Island reeled off a 19-3 run, largely on transition baskets, midway through the second half and ran away with a 73-62 win Thursday that heaped another straw on the already sagging back of the Minutemen's camel.

The loss was a critical one for the Minutemen, who fell to 5-4 in the Atlantic 10 (9-12 overall). That drops them to third place in the A-10 East, as the Rams leapfrogged past them into second place at 6-3 (13-9 overall). UMass needs to finish 5-2 in its last seven regular-season games against tough teams to finish at .500, the low-water mark to qualify for the National Invitation Tournament.

Lamar Odom grabs one of his 10 boards.

Fans on hand to watch URI star Lamar Odom got their money's worth. The much-heralded sophomore was brilliant. Displaying acrobatic leaping ability and NBA 3-point distance on his jumper, Odom scored at will. He had a game-high 26 points along with 10 rebounds.

"I thought Odom put on an unbelievable show," said URI coach Jim Harrick.

Three other Rams were in double figures - freshman Tavorris Bell (13), Preston Murphy (12) and Antonio Reynolds-Dean (11).

Chris Kirkland was a bright spot for UMass with 18 points and 10 rebounds (seven offensive).

"I thought he had a great, great game," Harrick said of Kirkland. "He did things I never dreamed he could do. But we didn't guard him very much."

UMass' Monty Mack added 15 points.

Lari Ketner again couldn't find the bottom of the basket.

While Lari Ketner had 11 rebounds, he made just 4-of-13 shots from the field en route to 11 points. URI junior Ed Brown helped take Ketner out of his game by continuously banging his 6-foot-8, 290-pound frame against him. "Ed Brown helped us a lot, getting a body on Ketner," Harrick said.

Charlton Clarke continued to struggle. After being benched for the final 16 minutes of UMass' loss to Texas Sunday due to what UMass coach Bruiser Flint termed "attitude problems," Clarke played 33 minutes. However, he missed all nine shots he took, including several open looks.

"It's tough because he's one of our top scorers and we don't really have anyone that can pick it up," said Flint who added that he was satisfied with Clarke's attitude.

The Minutemen reverted to some bad habits that plagued them early in the season.

"The thing that disappointed me is that after we missed shots, we put our heads down and we gave them easy shots," said Flint. "We got away from that and we won some games. But tonight they put their heads down and that's why Rhode Island got so many fast-break points."

Flint had a stern message for any player tempted to throw in the towel.

"If you think it's a lost season, then you shouldn't wear a uniform," Flint said. "I told them after the game, if anybody believes that, give me your uniform. You don't deserve to be on the team because you can't help us."

Monty Mack continuted his contribution to the offense, but it wasn't enough to defeat URI.

UMass was impressive early. Led by Kirkland and Mack, the Minutemen surged to a 19-12 lead with 7:27 left in the half. They went into intermission leading 32-27.

In the second frame, a drive by Mack and two free throws by Kirkland extended the UMass lead to 36-27, but that was the top of the mountain for the Minutemen.

An Odom score on a drive and his 3-pointer with Mike Babul's hand in his face sparked a 12-4 run that knifed the UMass lead to 40-39. The Minutemen held the lead a little longer until the Rhody avalanche hit.

A three by Preston Murphy gave the Rams their first lead, 45-44, but Kirkland scored over a double-team to give UMass its final lead, 46-45, with 13:17 left to play.

UMass didn't score another field goal for the next 7:30. The Minutemen mustered only two free throws by Kirkland and one by Ajmal Basit against URI's 19 points during that stretch, while the Rams dominated the boards and got every loose ball.

"We got some good looks at the basket and some offensive rebounds, but that's what happens," Flint said. "We didn't get any loose balls and any loose rebounds."

"We knew we could guard them," Odom said. In the second half, we just tried to stop them on every possession."

During the run, Odom stepped out and hit a 3-pointer from what seemed like Hatfield, and showed off some impressive hang time on two breathtaking dunks.

"In the first half I think I played in the paint a little bit too much and didn't use my ball-handling," Odom said.

The Minutemen play host to St. Joseph's Sunday at 2 p.m. in another A-10 matchup.

MHERST - A year ago, Charlton Clarke stood at the center of Basketball Nation at the University of Massachusetts.

The magic occurred, coincidentally, against the Rhode Island Rams - Thursday's opponent - on Feb. 18, 1998 at the Mullins Center.

The junior guard drained a last-second 3-pointer to cap a late comeback and send the game to overtime. There, he calmly sank three game-tying free throws with no time remaining to rescue the Minutemen once again from defeat and force a second overtime.

The Minutemen eventually lost that fight, 87-85, in double overtime, but Clarke won an individual battle. His clutch performance on national television earned him the label as the team's clutch shooter and floor leader - the kind of player every coach wants when the game is on the line.

But at times when UMass has longed for the same kind of leadership on the court this season, Clarke has not answered the call. In fact, he's been more of the problem recently.

Poor decision making and a low scoring average from the perimeter has forced the ball out of Clarke's hands and into the hands of teammates like Monty Mack, Lari Ketner and Chris Kirkland.

The three players combined to score 44 points Thursday in the rematch against Rhode Island, but Clarke's 0-for-9 shooting and zero points spelled disaster for UMass, which lost its second straight game, 73-62, at the Mullins Center.

"I can't even answer for Charlton Clarke," URI coach Jim Harrick said. "He was a force for them last year in that double-overtime game."

UMass coach Bruiser Flint admitted that without Clarke's production, the team will struggle.

"He hasn't hit many field goals in the last few games," Flint said. "That makes it tough, because he's one of your leading scorers."

Flint can't ignore the rising stock of Kirkland, though. As the season has progressed, the junior has been the one player Flint couldn't afford to take out of a close game.

On Thursday, Kirkland was easily UMass' most productive player. He took 16 shots, made seven, and scored a career-high 18 points. He also hauled down 10 rebounds in 36 minutes, seven on the offensive glass.

But the most impressive contribution can't be seen on paper. When UMass needed a response to any Rhody run, Kirkland was the one who made things happen at both ends of the court.

"He's the most improved player in the Atlantic 10, by far," Flint said.

After URI made eight straight shots to take a 45-44 lead with 13:54 to play in the second half, Kirkland positioned himself for an offensive rebound and scored on a baseline leaner to stop the bleeding.

And when UMass fell behind by nine points, 56-47, with 9:52 to play, Kirkland initiated contact on the other end and made two free throws.

However, Kirkland doesn't begin to see himself as the Minutemen's go-to-guy.

"The shots are there for me, so I have to step up and take them," Kirkland said. "My team has that confidence in me. But I'm just taking what the defense gives me."

As for curing the Minutemen's woes of late, Kirkland says Clarke is up to the task.

"Charlton has to step up and lead the team," he added. "He's struggling now. But we depend on him."

RHODE ISLAND (73)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Odom            39 10-16   3-6  1-11  3  3   26
Reynolds-dean   30  5-12   1-1   3-6  5  2   11
Clay            30   4-7   1-1   2-4  0  2    9
Bell            32   5-7   2-4   5-6  0  2   13
Murphy          38  5-10   0-0   1-2  7  1   12
Brown           21   1-5   0-0   2-6  2  0    2
Vinson          10   0-1   0-0   0-1  0  1    0
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         200 30-58  7-12 14-36 17 11   73
_______________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.517, FT-.583. 3-Point Goals:
6-11, .545 (Odom 3-4, Bell 1-1, Murphy 2-5, Brown
0-1). Team rebounds: 3. Blocked shots: 2 (Bell,
Brown). Turnovers: 12 (Odom 4, Reynolds-dean 3,
Clay 2, Murphy 2, Vinson). Steals: 3 (Bell,
Murphy, Reynolds-dean).

MASSACHUSETTS (62)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Kirkland        36  7-16   4-8  7-10  2  1   18
Babul           28   4-7   0-0   3-5  2  4    8
Ketner          35  4-13   3-5  6-11  1  1   11
Clarke          33   0-9   0-0   0-1  3  4    0
M Mack          39  6-14   0-0   2-4  2  1   15
Depina           8   0-2   0-0   0-1  1  0    0
Cruz             5   1-3   0-0   0-0  2  0    3
Rhymer           4   0-0   0-0   0-0  0  0    0
Basit           12   3-4   1-2   2-3  0  3    7
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         200 25-68  8-15 20-35 13 14   62
_______________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.368, FT-.533. 3-Point Goals:
4-18, .222 (Babul 0-1, Clarke 0-5, M Mack 3-8,
Depina 0-1, Cruz 1-3). Team rebounds: 4. Blocked
shots: 3 (Ketner 3). Turnovers: 10 (M Mack 3,
Basit 2, Cruz 2, Babul, Clarke, Depina). Steals:
9 (Clarke 4, Kirkland 2, Babul, Cruz, Ketner).
__________________________________
Rhode Island       27   46  -   73
Massachusetts      32   30  -   62
__________________________________
Technical fouls: None.  A: 7,561. Officials: Tim
Higgins, John Cahill, Duke Edsall.