SOUTH KINGSTOWN — Lamonte Ulmer often has brought the Ryan Center crowd to its feet with his dunks at URI basketball games in the last three years. Yesterday, he did it with a blocked shot.

Ulmer’s block highlighted a late 8-0 blitz that keyed the Rams’ 77-69 victory over a tough Central Connecticut team. Freshman point guard Stevie Mejia, Delroy James, Will Martell, Kahiem Seawright and Jimmy Baron had big plays in the run, but Ulmer’s block was the one that had the crowd roaring.

Marcus Palmer had just hit a 3-point hoop for Central Connecticut as the shot clock was running down. That made it 60-59 Blue Devils with 6:15 remaining. The Rams came down and Mejia fed Martell, who scored from in close.

After a timeout, the Blue Devils tried a long inbounds pass against the URI press. Mejia raced back and intercepted it.

“I’m glad he played football last year,” URI coach Jim Baron said. “He looked like a defensive back on that play. That was a big play.”

URI came down and missed a shot, but Ulmer was there to rebound and put it back up and in. After a missed 3-pointer by the Blue Devils, the Rams got the ball to Seawright inside, which was the key all day. Seawright was fouled and made both free throws.

Again Central Connecticut went with a long pass against the press. This one connected and Robby Ptacek looked like he was going in for a layup. Baron was catching up to him as he approached the hoop and Ulmer was trailing.

“In my mind I was trying to think ahead,” Ulmer said. “The man was going to the basket. I faked like I was going to my man, but then I went back and gave help.”

Ptacek lofted the layup toward the hoop. Ulmer came flying over and, with is elbow about basket-high, swatted it away. With the crowd roaring, Baron got the ball, raced back, pulled up from about 15 feet and scored.

Central called timeout to try and stop the momentum, but the damage was done.

Ulmer finished with 10 points, his third straight game in double figures. His work included a couple more dunks.

“I like both,” he said of dunking and blocking. He hesitated, then added, “Dunking is the best. It gives the house a lot of energy.”

Guards are off the mark

The game did not follow the usual script.

The Rams rely on their backcourt. The team has started three guards this season and two, Baron and Keith Cothran, lead the team in scoring. Central Connecticut, with its small, quick team, gave the URI backcourt fits all day. Baron had 22 points, but was 2-for-12 on 3-pointers.

“He had to earn what he got,” said Central Connecticut coach Howie Dickenman.

Cothran was 0-for-5 from the field, had only one point, got into foul trouble (he picked up his fourth foul with 15:56 left) and never returned.

The Rams missed their first nine 3-pointers and did not hit their first until Baron drained one with 14:24 left. The team, which began the day 18th in the country in 3-pointers (414.4 percent), finished 2-for-15 behind the arc.

pkenyon@projo.com