RICHMOND, Va. (Interstat) — In a game defined by its final, frantic seconds, the Rhode Island Rams escaped the Robins Center with a 69-68 victory over the Richmond Spiders in an Atlantic 10 Conference men’s basketball clash on Wednesday night.

The decisive sequence unfolded over the last two seconds. With the game tied at 68, Rhode Island’s RJ Johnson sank a mid-range jump shot with 2.2 seconds remaining to put the Rams ahead. On the ensuing inbounds play, Richmond’s Mike Walz attempted a long pass, but it was intercepted by Rhode Island’s Tyler Cochran as time expired, sealing a dramatic road win for the Rams before a crowd of 4,571.

The contest was a taut, back-and-forth affair that featured 13 ties and 13 lead changes, with neither team ever leading by more than eight points. The statistical sheet was a study in contrasts that ultimately balanced out. Richmond shot the ball more efficiently from the field, connecting on 46.2% of its attempts compared to Rhode Island’s 41.1%, and dominated from beyond the arc, making nine three-pointers to Rhode Island’s three. However, the Rams compensated by attacking the rim and drawing fouls, attempting 26 free throws to Richmond’s 19 and making 20 of them. Rhode Island also won the battle on the offensive glass, grabbing 10 rebounds to Richmond’s six, which led to a 13-6 advantage in second-chance points.

The first half ended in a 33-33 deadlock, setting the stage for a second half where neither team could establish sustained control. Richmond’s Aiden Argabright, a local product from Richmond, Virginia, provided the offensive spark for the Spiders, scoring a game-high 20 points, including a clutch jump shot off a turnover that gave Richmond a 68-66 lead with 1:45 remaining.

Rhode Island answered through its senior guard, Tyler Cochran of Chicago. Cochran led the Rams with 18 points, and his driving layup with 2:43 left tied the game at 66. After a series of empty possessions for both sides, Cochran was fouled with 33.3 seconds left and calmly sank both free throws to knot the score again at 68, setting the stage for Johnson’s game-winner.

Beyond the leading scorers, both teams received balanced contributions. For Rhode Island, Keeyan Itejere and Jahmere Tripp each added 10 points, with Itejere pulling down a team-high five offensive rebounds. Myles Corey and RJ Johnson chipped in nine points apiece. For Richmond, Jaden Daughtry joined Argabright in double figures with 10 points, while Will Harper and Jaylen Robinson added six and four points, respectively.

The loss overshadowed a more efficient offensive night for Richmond, which scored 100.0 points per 100 possessions compared to Rhode Island’s 96.7. Both teams committed 13 turnovers, but Rhode Island’s 10 steals, led by three from Myles Corey, helped disrupt the Spider attack at key moments.

With the victory, Rhode Island improves to 11-8 overall and evens its conference record. The Rams snapped a two-game losing streak in A-10 play. Richmond falls to 13-7 and sees a two-game win streak halted. The Spiders had been installed as a 2.5-point pregame favorite, and the total score of 137 fell well under the over/under line of 143.

Rhode Island returns home to host George Mason on Saturday. Richmond travels to face George Washington, also on Saturday. The two teams will meet again in a rematch in Kingston on February 7.