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Providence has won the last six games, seven of the last eight and eight of the last 10 games against local rival Rhode Island.But none of those games were as big for the Rams as the rivalry renewal Saturday at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence.While the Friars have gone to the NCAA Tournament the last three years under Ed Cooley, the Rams have been building. Now, PC is in a bit of a rebuild after losing Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil to the NBA Draft -- and its the Rams, the 21st-ranked Rams, with the expectations.Its also the Rams coming off a tough loss at Valparaiso that may well knock them out of the top 25 (even though Valpo is looking like a ranked team) -- and losing to the Friars would certainly spell top 25 doom for URI.The Rams (5-2) fought hard and went right down to the final shot in the difficult road assignment at Valparaiso -- URI relying mostly on its starters in that game (the bench logged 35 minutes).We got a little tight with our rotation, Rhody coach Dan Hurley said Thursday. Stan (Robinson) and others will play more.It was clear again in that game that E.C. Matthews, who missed all but 10 minutes of last season with a knee injury and is still working his way back.Right now, hes going through the struggles that any player would go through coming back from an injury like that, URI coach Dan Hurley said after Matthews scored just six points, the last two coming on a late tip-in. We knew a large part of non-conference would be time for him to get his timing back and knock the rust off. By conference play, hell be more of his old self.Saturday is not conference play. But the game is huge and Matthews comes in just 12-for-39 from the floor in the last four games -- 0-for-5 from 3-point range in the last three.While Matthews, on the preseason watch lists for the Naismith, Lute Olson and Jerry West awards, comes in anything but hot, PCs Rodney Bullock comes off a career-high 36 points in a win over New Hampshire that lifted the Friars to 5-2 on the season.Bullock was 12-for-21 from the floor as Cooley, who notched his 200th coaching win in the game, said the basket looked like an ocean to his player. The Friars were also an impressive 12-for-21 from 3-point range in the game.It gets contagious, Cooley said. We had one of those days. Hopefully, we have more left in us.The Friars were 8-for-16 from 3-point land in a loss to No. 7 Virginia, making them 20-for-37 from deep in the last two games -- after a 2-for-20 stat in a win over Memphis.Talking about Bullock in his big game against UNH, Cooley said, It seemed like everything he threw up was going to go in. The basket looked like an ocean. Hopefully he continues to shoot like that. Were going to need it the whole year.Said Bullock, who was just 3-for-13 against Virginia: Today was one of those days I just had it going -- midrange and then stretching it out. Thats what coach recruited me for.The Rams have lost two of their last three, falling to then-No. 1 Duke in the final of the Naismith Hall of Fame Tipoff in Connecticut, then beating Belmont (behind Hassan Martins career-high 31 points) and losing to Valparaiso. 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Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. Cheap Custom Nets Jersey . Blackwood, 28, has played the last three seasons in the San Diego Padres system, including the past two summers with Class AA San Antonio of the Texas League. AMSTERDAM -- IAAF President Sebastian Coe called on athletes Thursday to follow the example of Russias Yulia Stepanova and to blow the whistle on doping.Its a golden opportunity, that is not necessarily going to present itself again, for our sport to grab this moment. This is a historic moment, Coe said of the momentum that Stepanova helped create.Theyre there, at the side of the track, theyre in the training groups. They know the coaches not doing it with integrity. They can help us and thats really important.More than a year ago, Stepanova helped to blow the Russian doping scandal wide open as she and her husband, a former Russian anti-doping official, gathered a trove of evidence on how doping has worked in Russia.On Wednesday, she competed in the European Championships as a neutral athlete, a breakthrough for athletes who might have information on doping but fear going public because of professional consequences.Unfortunately, she tore a ligament in her right foot during her 800-meter heat, further complicating her participation in the Rio de Janeiro Games next month.During her coming out over the past 1 1/2 years to expose doping, Coe said it was important that she felt she could sit down and spend time talking with anti-doping experts of the International Association of Athletics Federations. She did, and were through that process.First of all, I would like to say that I dont want this just to be the end of the story, Coe told a small group of reporters.And I make this offer to all athletes. If you think you can help us get through this pathology quicker, if you can help us understand the nature of the challenge that were dealing with, grab it with both hands and come forward.Stepanova said as much after meeting with Coe late Thursday.I hope what you did for me gives permission for more athletes, Stepanova said. IIf you want to do something right, people in the world will support you, she said.ddddddddddddRussian track and field athletes are banned by the IAAF from competing globally, including in the Rio Olympics, because of systematic doping, but Coe said 136 Russians have applied for clearances. Coe refused to address any individual cases.He said that after meeting with Olympic and track officials over the past weeks, we all coalesced around the concept of creating a level playing field for competitors, and this is a really important moment, not just for my sport but sport more broadly.Even though the IAAF and European Championships organizers have allowed her to compete, Stepanovas hopes of running in Rio are still in doubt. The IOC is holding to the principle that athletes have to compete under their national flag, and Stepanova said she would not be welcome on the Russia team after her doping admission and accusations.On Thusday, the IOC changed its position when it opened the door to the possibility of her participation as a neutral athlete. The Olympic movement said it was asking its ethics commission for advice on the issue and will then decide whether Stepanovas participation merits an exception to the rules of the Olympic Charter.Stepanova is the only Russian at the Europeans, running under a special neutral flag exemption.Coe wants others to take her lead.I dont mind athletes showing passion and being outspoken about this, but they also have a responsibility to help us and position themselves as part of the solution rather than just sitting there and saying `Well I didnt get a medal because.They do need to be in a position where theyre really prepared to stick their heads above the parapet. ' ' '