SOUTH KINGSTOWN — He’s going to have change his name.

He’s much more than merely a Marquis now.

He's a Count.

No, more.

A Duke.

No, more.

A baron.

No, more.

A prince.

No, even more than that.

The University of Rhode Island’s calm, ultra-cool, quite-collected, and oh-so clutch sophomore point guard — his Royal Highness, Marquis Jones — is, at the very least, King of Kingston and Supreme Monarch of all Rhode Island that wears Keaney Blue after his last-millisecond bouncer of a basket won a nerve-wracking, palm-sweating, heart-palpitating thriller of a college basketball game against Dayton Wednesday night at the rowdy Ryan Center.

With the clock running down and the score tied, 91-91, in overtime, Jones, who’d more than held his own despite being harried throughout the game by the Flyers’ quick and tenacious London Warren, had the ball, and the game, in his hands as he dribbled at the top of the circle.

Would he try to get it inside to Kahiem Seawright, who’d carried the Rams in o.t.? Would he attempt to pass it to sharpshooting Jimmy Baron, deadly from anywhere this side of Narragansett Pier?

Neither.

Instead, he blew past Dayton’s 6-10 center, Kurt Huelsman, at the foul line and headed down the lane and toward the basket. There’d be no dish. Jones wasn’t looking for someone to pass to. He was looking toward the basket.

Flyers guard Mickey Perry came over to put a body on him. There was contact – but no whistle – as Jones went into the air, twisting his body so far around that his back was almost to the basket as he softly tossed the ball left-handed at the hoop.

It bounced once on the back of the rim. It bounced again. Then it fell through.

The horn went off.

And Jones immediately disappeared from view – first under a swarm of teammates. And then in the midst of a deliriously happy throng of his fellow students, who came pouring out of the stands and on to the court to celebrate what truly was a marvelous victory for the Rams.

It was their ninth win in their last 10 games, making them 10-4 in the Atlantic 10 and just one-half game behind conference-leading Xavier. The 10-3 Musketeers play tonight at St. Joe’s, in Philadelphia.

"This was unbelievable," coach Jim Baron exulted. "It’s one of the most exciting games I’ve ever seen."

Even caught up in the emotion of the moment, that wasn’t an overstatement.

From the opening tap, the game was physical, fast-paced, and emotional.

Not to mention critical to the Rams’ hopes of winning the A-10 title.

"The kids really stepped up," Baron said. "They showed a lot of tenacity."

The Rams were, indeed, tenacious.

It was a game that a lesser team might have let slip away. URI had led by eight at halftime, 52-44. They were up by five, 78-73, with 1:35 left in regulation. They had the ball at the end of regulation but never got off a shot.

They fell behind in the overtime, then went up by three, only to have Marcus Johnson bury a trey that tied the game at 91-all with 12 seconds left in overtime.

That’s when the Rams inbounded the ball to Jones.

"My team played good defense," Dayton coach Brian Gregory said. "You have Baron, Seawright, and (Keith) Cothran on the court. We were will to take our chances with Jones taking the game-winning shot. You make a guy make a tough play. That was a tough play."

It was a play worthy of King James, himself – Lord LeBron of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"I tried to get fouled," Jones said afterwards. "As I went up, I kind of moved my body around."

There was no foul. There was a basket. Then a celebration. And what should have been a coronation.

Jones is no longer merely a Marquis. He’s King of Kingston.