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Sebastian Thomas poured in 19 points and drained a critical 3-pointer with 24 seconds remaining to help Rhode Island defeat in-state rival Providence 69-63 on Saturday afternoon in Kingston, R.I.

Thomas’ late triple came just over a minute after Bensley Joseph scored inside to pull the Friars (6-4) within 64-61 with 1:35 left. Joseph converted another layup with 10 seconds to go, but Providence ran out of time to complete a comeback.

Rhode Island is off to its first 9-0 start since the 1947-48 season.

Jaden House chipped in 18 points for the Rams, who also got 12 points and eight rebounds from David Green.

Joseph and Bryce Hopkins each finished with 16 points for Providence, with Hopkins also hauling in eight boards. Jayden Pierre supplied 12 points as the Friars outshot URI 43.9 percent to 42.6 percent from the field.

A Hopkins layup put the Friars up 46-38 with 14:07 left in the game, but Rhode Island responded emphatically.

Thomas and David Fuchs accounted for all the points during a 10-2 spurt that leveled the game at 48 with 9:20 to go. Jamarques Lawrence made good on a jumper 40 seconds later to provide the Rams with a 50-49 edge, URI’s first lead since the contest’s opening three minutes.

Neither team led by more than three until House’s layup put Rhode Island ahead 60-55 with 4:27 to play.

Providence got its deficit down to one, 60-59, but two layups from Green prevented the Friars from ever getting the upper hand ahead of the game-closing sequence.

Hopkins threw home a dunk and converted a layup to polish off a game-opening 11-4 run for Providence before the Rams answered with eight of the next 11 points.

The Friars never let Rhode Island move in front before the break, though, and the visitors saw their lead grow to 10, 28-18, when Joseph connected on a 3-pointer with 7:18 to go in the first half.

House drilled a trey with 1:51 remaining in the period to get Rhode Island within 35-28 at intermission.

–Field Level Media