Lady Knights’ Kelly Continues to Improve at t USATF NE Championships

The CCRI Knights and Lady Knights indoor track teams traveled to Harvard University to compete in the USATF New England Championship on Sunday. The USATF Meet featured a blend of college and club teams from all over New England.

For the Lady Knights Amanda Kelly (Cumberland, RI) continues to improve in the weight throw inching closer to the CCRI record of 15.2m set by Jasmine Jennings in February of 2005 with a 6th place 14.98m (49’1.75”) effort. Kelly also placed 10th in the Shot Put with an 11.32m (37’1.75”) throw.

Also competing Sunday at the USATF New England Championship for the Lady Knights was Kristin Vanhouwe (North Smithfield, RI) who placed 25th in the 800m run in a time of 2:45.40 and for the Knights Dennis LaFleur (Coventry, RI) who finished 28th in the 200m run with a time of 24.73. LaFleur also ran the 60m dash with a 30th place finish in a time of 7.73 seconds.

The Knights and Lady Knights now set their sights on the NJCAA Indoor Track National Championship March 7th and 8th at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois.

Tonight’s, Friday February 22nd, Men’s and Women’s Basketball games versus Notre Dame Prep are cancelled. They have been re-scheduled for Tuesday the 26th at 6:00pm (women) and 8:00pm (men). Below is the CCRI Athletics Weekly schedule:

CCRI Athletics Home Sports Schedule 2/25 – 3/2

Men’s Basketball

Tuesday February 26th CCRI vs. Notre Dame Prep @ 8:00 PM

Saturday March 1st

Region XXI Semi Final #1 – #1 CCRI vs. #4 Dean College @ Noon

Region XXI Semi Final #2 – #2 Massasoit CC vs. #3 Orange County CC @ 2:00 PM

Sunday March 2nd

Region 21 Final – Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 @ 2:00 PM

All Men’s Home Games are played at the Vincent A. Cullen Field House on the Warwick Campus

Women’s Basketball

Tuesday February 26th vs. Notre Dame Prep @ 6:00 PM

Sunday March 2nd

Region XXI Final – #1 CCRI vs. #2 Dean or #3 Orange County CC @ Noon

All Men’s Home Games are played at the Vincent A. Cullen Field House on the Warwick Campus

Knights Nipped by Bulldogs Half-court Buzzer Beater 80-79

The CCRI Knights men’s basketball team lost a heartbreaker last night at Region XXI rival Dean College 80-79. With the loss the Knights record falls to 18-11 and 3-1 in Division II Region XXI. The #1 seed Knights will face #4 seed Bulldogs in the rubber match in the Semi-final round of the Region XXI Tournament on March first.

Center Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) gave the Knights the lead with 3.5 second left making the score 77-79. Bulldog Head Coach Arnie De La Rosa, a former CCRI assistant coach, set-up an inbound play for point guard Arthur Ellis. The Knights guarded the inbound play tough enough that Pat Dame (Exeter, RI) was able to tip the ball that fell into Ellis’ hands where he took two quick dribbles and launched a running half-court shot that went off the back board, off the back of the rim and in as the Bulldog student section stormed the court in celebration. This was a disappointing ending to a great Region XXI game.

Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) led the way for the Knights charted his fifth double-double of the year with 14 points and tied a season-high with 15 rebounds. It was also Diaz’s third double-double in the last five games. Also having a big night for the Knights was Co-Captain Pat Dame (Exeter, RI) who led the Knight sin scoring with 19 points and four assists, and Co-Captain Jake Grimes (Pawtucket, RI) added 11 points and six rebounds. Former Bulldog Mike Noonan (Westport, MA) scored 12 points, including three 3-pointers, three assists and three steals and Jamal Johnson (Fall River, MA) added 10 points and two assists.

Head Coach Rick Harris said after the game “Disappointing loss in a great game. We need to bounce back and prepare for the post season play. We need to pick ourselves off the ground a move on.”

The Knight next game will be this Friday when they will host Notre Dame Prep at 6:00pm. This game was originally scheduled as a scrimmage but was re-scheduled as a game when the globe institute game in December was cancelled.

17th Ranked Lady Knights Win 5th Straight Regular Season Region XXI Title with 56-30 Win over Dean!

The CCRI Lady Knights clinched the Region XXI Regular Season Championship for the fifth straight with their 56-30 win over Dean College. This is the Lady Knights fourth straight win over the Bulldogs dating back to last season. With the win the Lady Knights improve to 3-0 in Region XXI action and 22-6 over all. This win improved the Lady Knights win streak to four in a row and their 10th win in their last 11 games.

The Lady Knights pounced on the Bulldogs early as they lead last night’s basketball game wire to wire. The Lady Knights struggled offensively at the start of the game however they were able to rely on their defensive to control the game. Knowing that they were having difficulty scoring the Lady Knights used their defensive pressure to create easy offensive. Denise Scott (Yonkers, NY) and Rachel Murray (Gloucester, MA) benefited the most from the easy offensive as they were able to get out in the open court and get lay ups. The easy lay ups lead to a 14-2 led for the Lady Knights in the first 10 minutes of the game. The Bulldogs responded with a 7-4 run of their own to cut the Lady Knights lead to 18-9. After Head Coach Marcus Reilly called a time out with three minutes left in the half the Lady Knights responded with an 11-0 run capped off by a Tonisha Tate (Lynn, MA) lay up with 16 seconds left. The run pushed the Lady Knights half time lead up to 29-9.

After a Taylor Simmons (Norwalk, CT) basket to open up the second, the Bulldogs proceed to score nine of the games next 11 points cutting the Lady Knights lead to 33-18. Looking for a spark coach Reilly turned to his bench to give him that lift that they need to put the game completely out of reach. The Lady Knights bench went on a 14-2 run and pushed its lead to its largest of the game 25 points. During the run the Lady Knights got four points each from Sharniece Williams (Hartford, CT), Tonisha Tate and LaSheena Boyd (Stratford, CT) and two points from Taylor Simmons. Boyd capped off the night with a fast break lay up with 20 seconds to go in the game to give the Lady Knights a 56-30 victory and their 5th straight New England Region Championship.

The Lady Knights were led by LaSheena Boyd (Stratford, CT) who had 12 points and two rebounds and Rachel Murray (Gloucester, MA) who also finished with 12 points, pulled down five rebounds, and had three blocked shots. Supporting the two leading scores, was freshmen forward Jillian Lewis (Barrington, RI) who had seven points, grabbed a team high six rebounds, and blocked two Bulldog shots. Denise Scott (Yonkers, NY) finished the game playing limited minutes with six points, five rebounds and three steals.

Head Coach Marcus Reilly said after the game, "We played well enough to win in a tough environment on the road tonight. However, to reach the postseason goals that are set for our program, we must find another level of execution and focus for the stretch run and I believe we are certainly capable of attaining that level with the proper discipline and leadership over the next few weeks."

Sophomores Shine as Lady Knights Gallop Past Globe Institute of Technology 94-64!

On Saturday the Lady Knights won there third straight game and there ninth out of there last ten games. With the 94-64 win over Globe Institute of Technology the Lady Knights improve to 21-6 on the season. With the loss Globe falls also to 21-6.

On a day where the athletic department honored its sophomores, sophomores LaSheena Boyd (Stratford, CT) and Denise Scott (Yonkers, NY) each took a half put the Lady Knights on their back. For the first nine minutes of the game the two teams were exchanging baskets. Globe however had a one point lead a 12-11 with 11 minutes to go in the half. This would be the last lead Globe would see the rest of the day. The Lady Knights would then turn to its bench and its sophomore leader LaSheena Boyd. Boyd’s 15 foot jump shot sparked a Lady Knights 14-5 run which gave them a 26-17 lead with 6:53 remaining in the half. After Globe scored five unanswered points, the Lady Knights responded with a 17-3 run in which was started when Boyd scored eight straight points. This run took the Lady Knights into halftime giving them a 43-25 lead with just 20 minutes to play. Boyd finished the first half with 13 points.

In the second half Boyd turned the spot light over to her other sophomore being honored on this day Denise Scott. Scott made sure that Globe would not even sniff a chance of victory on Saturday. Denise finished the second half scoring 22 of her 31 points as they Lady Knights would put up their highest point total in a half this season with 51 points. Capping off the sophomore scoring on the day was sophomore Guylene Nsiewe (Cameroon, Africa) who added two points on this special day as the Lady Knights cruised to 94-64 victory. The 94 points was the highest point total of the season and the first time this season that the Lady Knights surpassed 90+ point mark.

On sophomore day the Lady Knights were led by two great sophomores Denise Scott and LaSheena Boyd. Scott finished the game with 31 points, 7 rebounds, three assists and four steals. This is the second time this season that Scott has reached the 30+ point mark. For Boyd the 17 points scored on Saturday were a season-high, LaSheena also finished with thee assists three rebounds and two steals. Also in double figures for the Lady Knights was freshmen Taylor Simmons (Norwalk, CT) who scored 11 points and had two assists. Jillian Lewis (Barrington, RI) scored eight points with seven rebounds and Lauren Harrington (Exeter, RI) scored eight points, with four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Head Coach Marcus Reilly said after the game, "This was a quality win over a powerful and athletic DI club in Globe. It was nice to see our kids deliver the knock out punch when we had the chance instead of allowing an opponent to hang around. We hope that demeanor continues into our two final regular season games and into the postseason."

The Lady Knights are back in action this Wednesday as the take on Region XXI rival Dean College. This game will be played in Franklin, MA on the campus of Dean College tip is scheduled for 6:00 PM.

Knights Knocked out by Division I Powerhouse Globe Institute 84-55

The CCRI Knights men’s basketball team lost to Division I powerhouse Globe Institute from Manhattan, NY 84-55. With the loss the Knights record drops to 18-10 on the season.

In a game that was far closer than the score would indicate the CCRI Knights men’s basketball team lost a hard fought game with Globe Institute from New York. CCRI was playing without center Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) and had multiple other players battling flu symptoms and sprained ankles but nevertheless gave everything they had coming up short versus a much deeper and taller Division I Globe Institute squad.

The Knights found themselves down 7-0 by the 18:07 mark after a 3-pointer by Globe’s Victor Martinez. The Knights clawed their way back into the game and cut he lead to two points on a basket by Jamal Hinds (Brooklyn, NY) making the score 11-9 at the 13:08 mark of the first half. The Knights went on to tie the score at 21-21 after a three point play by Co-Captain Pat Dame (Exeter, RI) drove to the basket and was fouled at the 7:26 mark. The Knights would take their only lead of the game a few seconds later on another basket by Dame making he score 23-22 with 6:46 left in the half. Globe would answer with two quick baskets to take a three point lead 26-23 at the 5:19 mark and Dame would answer again with a 3-pointer to tie the game with 4:40 left. Globe would close the half on a 13-5 run capped by along 3-pointer by Mike Campbell as time expired to take a 39-31 lead into halftime.

Globe came out in the second half as quickly as they did in the first extending their lead to 11 points after back-to-back baskets by Roberto Coloneete making the score 45-34 with 17:12 left in the game. Pat Dame did his best to keep the Knights in the game scoring five straight points on a jumper and a three point play to cut the Globe lead to six with the score 45-39 at the 16:24 mark. Globe would answer Dame’s baskets with a few of their own to extend their lead back to 11 points with the score 52-41 with 12:56 left. The Knights had one more run in them as they battled back into the game again and score nine unanswered points capped by driving lay-up in traffic from Jamal Johnson (Fall River, MA) to cut the Globe lead to two points 52-50 with just 10:34 remaining. The turning point in the game would follow thirty second later as Pat Dame drove to the basket and sank a lay-up among many Globe defenders to score what looked like the tying basket and maybe a chance for the Knights to take the lead, only to be called for a charging foul with 10:04 remaining. This play seemed to take the wind out of the Knights’ sails as they would go cold over the final ten minutes of the game and Globe kept filling the scoring column closing the game with a 32-5 scoring run to win by the final score of 84-55.

Co-Captain Pat Dame (Exeter, RI) led the way for the Knights scoring a game-high 22 points including two 3-pointers and two assists followed by Co-Captain Carl Lee (Warwick, RI) who scored seven points with six rebounds and two blocked shots and Co-Captain Jake Grimes (Pawtucket, RI) added six points and four assists. Also contributing for the Knights was Jamal Hinds (Brooklyn, NY) who added seven points and three rebounds, Mike Noonan (Westport, MA) scored six points on two 3-pointers, and Jamal Johnson (Fall River, MA) added five points and three steals to the Knights effort.

Head Coach Rick Harris said after the game: “Hopefully this game was a temporary setback for us. Globe came in with their ‘A’ game and we were not able to match that for a full 40 minutes. We appeared to be a step slower both physically and mentally. This was due to Globe’s strong play and us being a little beat up health wise. Without Alex Diaz we got beat up on the boards and with a couple of our young men fighting the flu and injured ankles we could not match Globe’s depth, defensive intensity and talent. We will use this to become more determined in practice this upcoming week and prepare ourselves for our Region XXI match-up at Dean on Wednesday. This game will prove to be beneficial to us down the road.”

The Knights next game will be this Wednesday when they travel to play Region XXI rival Dean College at 8:00pm

Lee and Dame Lead Knights over Massasoit 95-86 to earn #1 Seed in Region XXI Tournament

The CCRI Knights defeated the Warriors of Massasoit CC 95-86. With the victory the Knights improve their record to 18-9 and 3-0 in Division II Region XXI and earned the #1 seed in the upcoming Region XXI Tournament to be held March 1st and 2nd at the Vincent A. Cullen Field house in Warwick.

In a game that was reminiscent of a good old ABA game or modern day Phoenix and Golden State game with plenty of scoring, CCRI wins a shootout versus Massasoit CC 95-86. Overall eight Knights made it to the scoring column which may have led to fatigue for many of the Warriors players.

The Knights came out of the gate firing with Carl Lee (Warwick, RI) and Jamal Hinds (Brooklyn, NY) hitting back-to-back 3-pointers followed by basket by Pat Dame (Exeter, RI) to give the Knights the 8-0 lead at the 18:30 mark. Massasoit’s Jared Callanan did everything in his power to keep the Warriors in the game by banging down three of his six first half 3-pointers over the next 2:40 making the score 15-11 at the 15:50 mark. The Knights would keep the pedal to the metal as they brought their lead to eight points on a basket by Jake Grimes (Pawtucket, RI) at the 7:43 mark making the score 37-29. The Knights would extend their lead to 11 points after back-to-back baskets by Lee making the score 49-38. After a few Warriors free throws the Knights went into halftime up 49-41.

After both teams were able to get some Gatorade and some last minute instructions from their coaches the Knights and Warriors came out for the second half and began where they left off scoring early and often. After a free throw by Pat Dame and back-to back baskets by Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) assisted by Dame the Knights went up 54-41 at the 18:04 mark. But Callanan would not let the Warriors go quietly as he hit his seventh 3-pointer making the score 54-44. Carl Lee would answer with basket and a 3-pointer to give the Knights their biggest lead of the night with the score 61-47 at the 16:12 mark. Massasoit would again chip away at the lead and cut it to eight points after another 3-pointer by Callanan making the score 69-61 with 12:23 left in the game. The Warriors would cut the lead to six points after a basket by Felix Espinal making the score 87-81 with just 4:12 left. The Warriors kept battling and cut the lead to three points on a basket by Marcus McLauren making the score 89-86 with 2:24 left. The Knights would show their toughness down the stretch as key free-throws from Pat Dame and baskets from Alex Diaz and Jake Grimes to pull away for the 95-86 victory.

Co-Captain Carl Lee (Warwick, RI) led the Way for the Knights scoring a team-high 25 points with eight rebounds and a career-high five blocked shots and Co-Captain Pat Dame (Exeter, RI) scored 22 points and tied a career-high with 14 assists and three steals. Also having an excellent night was Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) who charted a double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds and Co-Captain Jake Grimes (Pawtucket, RI) added 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots. Massasoit’s Jared Callanan led all scorers with 32 points including a game-high 10 3-pointers.

Head Coach Rick Harris Commented after the game: “Very satisfying win for our team, especially with two of our players out with injury and the flu (Jamal Johnson and Mike Noonan). I was very pleased with our inside and outside play. We also played defense when we needed to though we did have some lapses in between. We must remember Massasoit Cc is a very good offensive team. We continue to play a strong team game (22 assists) and hopefully we will come with our ‘A’ game when we take on Division I power Globe institute on Saturday. It should be a great challenge for us, one we look forward to.”

The Knights will host Globe Institute this Saturday at 3:00pm following the Lady Knights who will also face globe at 1:00pm at the Vincent A. Cullen Field house. This Saturday is also Sophomore Day where the Knights will honor sophomores: Jamal Hinds, Mike Noonan, Carl Lee, Jake Grimes, and Pat Dame. The Lady Knights will honor sophomores: Denise Scott, LaSheena Boyd, and Guylene Nsiewe.

Every Knight Scores as Knights Rock Roxbury CC 88-38

The CCRI Knights men’s basketball team defeated the region XXI foe Tigers of Roxbury CC 88-38. With the victory the Knights improve their record to 17-9 and 8-2 in Region XXI.

The Knights were able to coast to a much needed 88-38 victory over the Tigers of Roxbury CC. Following an emotional and draining win over TCI Saturday, the Knights were able to place all 12 players in the scoring column in an easy victory over the Tigers. With each player playing equal minutes, the Knights confidence level and talent were too much for Roxbury to overcome.

The Knights came out firing while using excellent defense to stifle the Tigers as they coasted into halftime with a 42-15 lead. In the second half it was much of the same with the Knights able to relax and coast to the 88-38 victory.

Co-Captain Carl Lee (Warwick, RI) led the way for the Knights scoring a team-high 14 points with six rebounds followed by Co-Captain Pat Dame (Exeter, RI) who scored 11 points with six assists and three steals, and Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) scored nine points, pulled down a team-high 14 rebounds with three steals and two blocks. Also contributing for the Knights was Mike Noonan (Westport, MA) who scored 10 points with three assists and two steals, Co-Captain Jake Grimes (Pawtucket, RI) scored nine points, five rebounds, and two assists, and Jamal Johnson (Fall River, MA) added seven points, six rebounds and five assists. Also giving good minutes for the Knights was Louis Ferreras (Providence, RI) who scored seven points with two assists and three steals, Jason Collier (Killingly, CT) who also scored seven with three rebounds and two assists, and Kris Wood (Central Falls, RI) added six points and five rebounds.

Head Coach Rick Harris commented after the game: “This was one of the first times this year we were able to sit back and relax. The players had fun yet got their work in. We also again played unselfish as our 20 assists will attest to. This group continues to gel together and play the game the right way. The players also understand that we still have room for improvement. With that attitude I am confident that we will meet all challenges head on and with confidence.”

The Knights next game will be Thursday when they host Region XXI Division II foe Massasoit CC at 7:00pm at the Vincent a. Cullen Field house located on the CCRI Knight Campus in Warwick.

Great Defensive Effort Helps Lady Knights earn 20th Victory in 46-34 Defeat of Essex CC

The CCRI Lady Knights reached a benchmark Sunday that all college basketball teams hope for when they begin there season, 20 victories. With there 46-34 victory the Lady Knights won their 20th game of the season. This is the fourth 20 win season in school history and their third in the last four years. The Lady Knights overall record on the season is now 20-6. With the loss Essex County College drops to 13-6 on the season.

The Lady Knights yesterday proved that if teams try to slow them down they are still going to have a difficult time beating them. The Wolverines of Essex held the Lady Knights to there lowest point total of the season. The Lady Knights jumped out early on the Wolverines as they were up 20-8 in the first 12 minutes of the game. From the eight minute mark to the thirty second mark in the first half the Lady Knights were held scoreless. However, the Lady Knights would not relinquish their lead. Knowing that they were not shooting the ball very well the Lady Knights dug in on the defensive end and held the Wolverines to just 18 first half points. The Lady Knights got back on the scoreboard when Sharniece Williams (Hartford, CT) made an uncontested lay-up with 30 seconds remaining in the half to give the Lady Knights a four point half time lead 22-18.

Seeing that the Lady Knights were struggling on the offensive end, 1st Team Preseason All American Denise Scott (Yonkers, NY) put the Lady Knights on her back. Scott had what could be considered her best half of basketball this season. Scott came out and scored 16 of the Lady Knights 24 second half points. Scott did get some help in the second half as Taylor Simmons (Norwalk, CT) chipped in five points to lead the Lady Knights to a 46-34 victory over the Wolverines.

Denise Scott showed why she is the Lady Knights go-to player down the stretch of big games as she scored 16 of her 18 points in the last 15 minutes of the game. Scott was very efficient on the day as she was 7-12 from the field and a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line. Simmons finished the game as the Lady Knights second leading score as she scored nine points pulled down four rebounds and had three assists. Rachel and Jackie Murray (Gloucester, MA) combined to give the Lady Knights another solid performance as they finished the game with seven points, 12 rebounds, three steals and four blocked shots.

Head Coach Marcus Reilly said after the game, "This was a solid road win to end a tough three game road trip at 2-1. Essex did a great job of controlling tempo but our kids showed a lot of growth tonight by executing throughout the second half and putting together a dominating defensive effort to secure a hard fought road victory."

The Lady Knights are back in action this Saturday for Sophomore Day as they will honor Sophomores Denise Scott (Yonkers, NY), LaSheena Boyd (Stratford, CT), and Guylene Nsiewe (Doula, Cameroon, Africa). The ceremony will start at 12:45 with tip off being at 1:00 PM when The Lady Knights will host Globe Institute of Technology at the Vincent A. Cullen Field House in Warwick, RI

Marcus Reilly Earns Words Unlimited Female Sport Co-Coach of the Year!

CCRI Head Women’s Basketball Coach Marcus Reilly (Cranston, RI) will be honored at the 62nd annual Words Unlimited Awards Banquet Sunday February 17th at 6:30pm at the Radisson Airport Hotel in Warwick. Reilly was voted the Female Sport Co-Coach of the year along with John & Phoebe Murphy Crew Coaches from Brown University. This honor is given to these coaches for their achievements during the 2006-07 academic year. Words Unlimited is a statewide organization of sports writers, sportscasters and sports publicists.

Brown University's crew, under the direction of John Murphy, won its fifth NCAA Division I Rowing Championships. Each of Brown's three crews made it into the Grand Finals. Phoebe, John's wife, coached the novice eights and second varsity eights to undefeated records during the regular season plus the Grand Finals at the EAWRC Sprints.

When Marcus Reilly took the job back in May of 2006 he was not quite sure what he was coming back to. Upon his return in May, Reilly was able to put together a very strong roster by gelling nine newcomers with five returning players. The roster that he put together had the opportunity to compete for a national championship.

Coach Reilly led the Lady Knights to 18 wins in the regular season and had the Lady Knights playing its best brand of basketball at the right time of the year. In the final national NJCAA division II poll Coach Reilly’s Lady Knights were ranked 20th.

On Thursday March 1, 2007 coach Reilly won his (the team’s fourth straight) first New England Championship. The Lady Knights beat Dean College 94-67 in the championship game. That win was followed up by a convincing 22 point (86-64) victory over Union County Community College in the Northeast District Championship. With the District Championship win Lady Knights represented the Northeast in the national tournament in Arizona. While at nationals they Lady Knights represented their school proudly with an appearance in the “Elite Eight.”

Not only does Coach Reilly take care of his players on the court he also makes sure that his players transfer on and do their work inside of the classroom. One player was quoted saying “Coach Reilly is like an Angel sent by God.” This shows how much his players respect him on and off the court. Coach Reilly has the trust and confidence of all of his players.

Athletic Director Lou Pullano (Pullano was the Director of Athletics during the time the award was given and also hired Reilly) said, “I am proud to have Marcus coaching our Women’s basketball team. He is one of the premiere coaches in the Northeast and the results this year have proven this.”

Reilly, a Cranston native who attended Cranston West has returned home to live in Cranston with his wife Lindsey and two year old son Owen.

Reilly will be honored at the Words Unlimited Awards Banquet Sunday February 17th at 6:30pm at the Radisson Airport Hotel in Warwick. The reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are priced at $35 each and may be obtained by contacting Johnson & Wales University director of athletics John Parente at (401) 598-1604.

Congratulations Marcus!

Lady Knights Post Players Dominate Orange County in 67-42 Victory

The CCRI Lady Knights bounced back after there loss on Friday in a big way on Saturday as they defeated Orange Country Community College for the second time this season. One night after giving up 82 points the Lady Knights rededicated itself on the defensive end holding the Colts to just 42 points. With the 67-42 win the Lady Knights improve to 19-6.

In the first half the Lady Knights used its size and strength down low to jump on the Colts. The Lady Knights pounded the ball inside early as Rachel Murray (Gloucester, MA) erupted for 11 points in the first 20 minutes of play. When Murray came off the court the Lady Knights continued to pound the ball inside through freshmen Sharniece Williams (Hartford, CT) and Tonisha Tate (Lynn, MA) who each ended the half with four points. The Lady Knights would take a 40-20 point lead into the locker room.

Orange County came out of the locker room scoring the half’s first six points cutting the Lady Knights lead to 14 points. Coach Reilly called a quick time out and the Lady Knights responded with an 8-0 run to push its lead back up to 22. From that point forward the Colts would not get any closer then 18 points and the Lady Knights cruised to its 19th victory of the season 67-42. A major key to the Lady Knights victory was there ability to hold Kelly Vaughan to just eight points. Vaughn is the 5th in the country in scoring averaging just over 20 points per game.

The Lady Knights were led by Rachel Murray who scored 13 points, pulled down nine rebounds and blocked five shots. Coming off the bench were Tonisha Tate who scored nine points and pulled down seven rebounds while Sharniece Williams scored eight points and also pulled down seven rebounds. Starters Jillian Lewis (Barrington, RI) and Lauren Harrington (Exeter, RI) scored seven points with six rebounds with three assists and two steals each while Taylor Simmons (Norwalk, CT) scored seven points with seven rebounds and two assists.

Head Coach Marcus Reilly said after the game, "Today was a great bounce back from a tough road loss last night. Jumping out to a commanding lead early allowed us to get everyone involved and contributing. The sharing of minutes and contributions is vital in the middle of these 3 games in 3 days stretch."

Union Outlasts Lady Knights in Thrilling 82-79 Finish

The CCRI Lady Knights had their seven game winning streak halted on Friday night by Union County College. The Owls got the best of the Lady Knights 82-79. This was the most points the Lady Knights have given up since their last lost to Genesee Community College (73) on January 20th. With the loss the 11th ranked Lady Knights drop to 18-6.

The First half saw Union score early and often as they sprinted out to a 9-2 lead. The Lady Knights found themselves in an uphill battle from that point on. In the first half the Lady Knights had no answer for forward Allukeisha Guy who had 16 of her 23 points in the half. The Lady Knights were able to keep the game close thanks to their freshman center Rachel Murray (Gloucester, MA) who also scored 16 first half points. For the first time in seven games the Lady Knights found themselves trailing at the half 39-32.

The second half was one of the most exciting halves of the season. Union was able to build its lead up to 11 points it’s largest of the game. However, the Lady Knights would chip away, cutting the lead to with in one with ten minutes remaining. After a Porscha Isom 3-pointer the Lady Knights Rachel Murray went one for two from the free throw line. Isom answered again for the Owls as she came down and hit her second 3-pointer. This gave Union a six point lead with just seven minutes to play in the game. After Head Coach Marcus Reilly called a time out the Lady Knights would use a 6-0 run to tie the game up for the first time. However Union would never let the Lady Knights have a taste of the lead they scored two quick baskets to retain the lead. Finding themselves back down six points with 50 seconds to go the Lady Knights Nicole Girard (Foster, RI) would hit a step back three cutting the Owls lead in half. After getting a much needed stop on the defensive end the Lady Knights would have an opportunity to send the game into overtime, however they were unable to get a clean look at a three and time expired.

The Lady Knights were led by two freshmen: Taylor Simmons (Norwalk, CT) finished the game with 25 points, 19 in the second half, she also had three assists and three steals. Freshmen Rachel Murray finished the game with 22 points and six rebounds. Also in double figures for the Lady Knights was point guard Nicole Girard who had 10 points all coming in the second half. Controlling the glass for CCRI was Jillian Lewis (Barrington, RI) who had eight rebounds to go along with eight points.

Head Coach Marcus Reilly said after the game, "Union came out and gave us their best tonight and deserved the victory. By the time we matched their energy level, we had dug too big a hole for ourselves - especially on the road. To our kid’s credit, they worked extremely hard to get ourselves back in position to steal this road win but couldn't get over the hump. We have to be ready for everyone's best on every night."

Vanhouwe Sets CCRI School Record in the Mile Run at Wesleyan Meet

The CCRI Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track Team traveled to Wesleyan University for the second time this year on Saturday to take part in another invitational Meet. At that Meet Sophomore Kristen Vanhouwe (North Smithfield, RI) and Freshman Amanda Kelly (Cumberland, RI) shined.

Second year runner Kristin Vanhouwe set a school record in the mile run, running a career best by over 16 seconds to place a strong 6th place in a time of 5:43.73. Vanhouwe broke the school record by over 14 seconds that was held by Sandra Barbosa (5:57.00 in February 2005). That wasn’t enough for Kristin she also came back and hour later to run her personal best in the 1000m run with an 8th place 3:36.21. Amanda Kelly placed 2nd in the weight throw with a toss of 14.46 m and than came back with a 2nd place season’s best throw in the shot put of 11.77m. Kelly is currently ranked 3rd in the nation in the weight throw and 8th in the shot put.

Freshmen Dennis LaFleur (Coventry, RI) continues to improve in the sprint events. LaFleur placed 11th in the 55m dash in a time of 7.16 and ran 24.76 in the 200m run for a great a 6th place finish.

Head Coach Gregg Cornell said after the Meet: “It’s great to see a hard working runner like Kristin Vanhouwe get her name in the record books. Of all the athletes I’ve coached over the past years she is one of the most deserving. It’s nice to see hard work pay off.”

All Five Knights’ Starters Score in Double Figures to Topple TCI 88-85

The CCRI Knights men’s basketball team snapped a thirteen game win streak of Division I power Technical Career Institute from New York, NY with a hard fought 88-85 victory Saturday at the Vincent A. Cullen Field house in Warwick. With the victory the Knights defeat their second Division I opponent this year (Palm Beach CC) and improve their record to 16-9 on the season.

The Knights found themselves down 6-0 quickly after TCI’s Jamel Jackson hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the first minute of the game. Jackson scored 15 of his game high 28 points in the first half including four 3-pointes. The Knights would take their first lead of the day on a 3-pointer by Co-Captain Jake Grimes (Pawtucket, RI) at the 15:07 mark giving them the 9-8 lead. The Knights would extend their lead to five points on a 3-pointer by Co-Captain Carl Lee (Warwick, RI) at the 10:21 mark making the score 17-12. Knights’ sharp-shooter Mike Noonan (Westport, MA) would give the Knights their largest lead of the half when he sank a basket with 2:42 left in the half making the score 32-24. The Generals of TCI would battle back and cut the lead to three points by the half with the score 37-34 Knights.

In the second half the Knights would extend their lead to seven after a three point play by Center Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) making the score 47-40 at the 17:52 mark. TCI went to full court pressure that forced the Knights into back-to back turnovers and easy baskets by TCI who was able to cut the Knights’ lead to two points 47-45 at the 17:27 mark. Mike Noonan answered the Generals run with back-to back 3-pointers to extend the Knights lead to nine points with the score 58-49 at the 14:40 mark. TCI would again cut the Knights’ lead back down to five points on a deep 3-pointer by Jamel Jackson making the score 66-61 at the 11:20 mark. The Knights would put together a 12-5 run to extend to their biggest lead of the night on a basket by Co-Captain Pat Dame (Exeter, RI) making the score 78-66. Though TCI made a late charge to try and steal a road victory, clutch free-throws down the stretch from the Knights’ Co-Captains Jake Grimes, Pat Dame and Carl Lee would secure the hard-fought Knights 88-85 victory.

Co-Captain Carl Lee (Warwick, RI) led five Knights who scored in double figures scoring 19 points with five rebounds, two assists, and two blocks followed by sharp-shooter Mike Noonan (Westport, MA) who also scored 19 points while shooting 5-8 from 3-point land. Co-Captain Jake Grimes (Pawtucket, RI) added 15 points with five assists, and two blocked shots, Co-Captain Pat Dame (Exeter, RI) authored another double-double scoring 12 points with 10 assists, while Center Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) also charted a double-double with 11 points and a team-high 12 rebounds. Rounding out he scoring for the Knights were Jamal Johnson (Fall River, MA) and Sam Jones (New London, CT) who each scored six points.

Head Coach Rick Harris Commented after the game: “Solid team victory for our program. We have continued to work hard each day and have dealt well and learned from some of our close defeats. Today was the reward for that perseverance. I am very proud of our guys and hopefully we will use this victory to become the team we believe we can become.”

The Knights next game will be Monday the 11th when they go on the road to play Roxbury CC at 6:00pm before returning home to face Massasoit CC on Thursday at 7:00pm at the Vincent A. Cullen field house in Warwick.

Four Knights Score in Double Figures to Stymie #10 Ranked STCC 80-72

The CCRI Knights men’s basketball team defeated #10 ranked (NJCAA Division III) Rams of Springfield Technical Community College 80-72. With the victory the Knights improve their record to 15-9 and 7-2 in Region XXI with the loss Springfield’s record drops to 20-5 on the season.

The Knights knew they were going to be in for a battle against #10 ranked Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) who came into this game with an impressive 20-4 record. The Knights were up to the task as in the first half they rode the shoulders of Co-Captains: Carl Lee (Warwick, RI) who scored 14 of his game-high 21 points in the first half and Pat Dame (Exeter, RI) who scored eight of his 16 points in the first half. The Knights jumped out to a quick 15-7 lead 14:11 into the first half on a 3-pointer by Carl Lee. Springfield was game and they were not going to let this game get away from them so they ratcheted-up their defense led by Edgar Martinez (Providence, RI/Central HS) who blocked two shots well above the rim on CCRI fast-break opportunities which slowed down the Knights tempo. Springfield cut the lead to just five points on a basket by Ulysses Wannamaker making the score 25-20 with 3:59 left in the half. The Knights and Rams traded baskets for the rest of the half with the Knights going into halftime with a 34-28 lead.

In the second half the Knights were able to extend their lead to 13 points by the 11:00 mark. The Knights were led by Co-Captain Jake Grimes (Pawtucket, RI) who scored nine of his 15 points in the second half and Center Sam Jones (New London, CT) who scored nine of his career-high 13 points in the second half. The Knights kept the Rams at bay limiting their leading scorer Edgar Martinez under his s coring average (15 ppg) limiting him to just two points in the second half. The Knights were able to keep their lead in double digits with free throws from Pat Dame that made the score 69-59 with just 4:44 left. From there the Knights coasted to the 80-72 victory.

The Knights were led by their Co-Captains: Carl Lee (Warwick, RI) who scored a game-high 21 points with four steals, four rebounds, and two assists, Pat Dame (Exeter, RI0 who score 16 points with seven assists, and Jake Grimes (Pawtucket, RI) who scored 15 points with five rebounds, and five assists. The Knights also benefited from a huge night from Center Sam Jones (New London, CT) who scored a career-high 13 points with four rebounds and an assist, Mike Noonan (Westport, MA) who scored seven points with a season-high five assists, and Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) who was in foul trouble all nights played limited minutes and still led the Knights with nine rebounds.

Head Coach Rick Harris said after the game: “Solid team win against a very good (#10 ranked DIII) STCC team. When you get a win against STCC you have earned it. I was very pleased with our total team effort (21 assists). I was also pleased with 19 points contributed by the bench (13 from Sam Jones). We hope this game propels us to a great effort this coming Saturday against TCI, a very good Division I opponent.

The Knights next game will be this Saturday versus Technical Career Institute (New York, NY) at 1:00pm at the Vincent A. Cullen Field house located on the CCRI Knight Campus in Warwick.

Go Knights!

13th Ranked CCRI Lady Knights Humble 6th Ranked and Undefeated Hagerstown CC 74-42!

The CCRI Lady Knights saved their best game of the year for the 6th Ranked and 21-0 Hagerstown Community College. The Lady Knights jumped out early and never looked back as they cruised to a 74-42 win. With the win the 13th ranked Lady Knights improve to 18-5 and extend their season high win streak to seven. For Hagerstown they suffered their first loss on the season and fall to 21-1.

The Lady Knights started out quickly as they forced the Hawks to do things that they were not comfortable doing. They Lady Knights were able to do this with their high intensity defensive. The Lady Knights were able to force the Hawks to turn the basketball over and transition to easy lay-ups in the first ten minutes of the game which led to a quick 11 point lead, 21-10. The Knights however would not be able to pull ahead by much more as the Hawks would not go away. The Hawks cut the Lady Knights led down to six with about seven minutes left in the first half but that would be as close as they would get the rest of the game. The Lady Knights started to pull away as Taylor Simmons (Norwalk, CT) was able to get into the open court and to the free throw line where she was a prefect seven for seven on the day. Simmons ended the half for the Lady Knights with nine points. This helped the Lady Knights open their lead back up to 12 points going into halftime, 36-24.

In the second half the Lady Knights brought their defensive intensity and the level of execution to a whole another level. With the game still in doubt coming out of the half the Lady Knights wanted to make sure that there was no doubt which team was better on this day. The Lady Knights outscored the Hawks in the second half by 20 points. Freshmen center Rachel Murray (Gloucester, MA) led the second half charge by scoring 12 of her game high 18 points in the second half. To go along with the solid execution and defensive intensity the Lady Knights had their best day on the season from the free throw line going 15-18 and went on to a 74-42 victory.

To go along with Murray’s 18 points she matched her career high with 14 rebounds set the day before at Nassau. The Lady Knights had three other ladies in double figures including: Taylor Simmons who finished the game with 16 points seven rebounds and three assists while Jill Lewis (Barrington, RI) scored ten points and pulled down five offensive rebounds. Leading the defensive effort once again was Lauren Harrington (Exeter, RI) who had 10 points, four steals and seven rebounds. Another key to the Lady Knights success yesterday was the play of the Lady Knights point guards. Nicole Girard (Foster, RI) and LaSheena Boyd (Stratford, CT) once again combined to play a near perfect game as they finished with eight points, eight assists, four rebounds and had only two turnovers.

Head Coach Marcus Reilly said after the contest, "Our kids wanted to make a statement today and they did so in a big way. We were the aggressors and really dominated the game in all aspects against the only undefeated team left in the country, #6 Hagerstown. I believe our players are starting to realize the special things they are capable of when they work together and focus on constant improvement. We will try to continue these efforts throughout our tough three game road trip through New Jersey and New York coming up this weekend."

The Lady Knights have some much needed time off as they just went a perfect 4-0 in a stretch that saw them play four games in five days. The Lady Knights are back in action this weekend as they play Union County College on Friday night in New Jersey.

13th Ranked Lady Knights Nail Nassau County 54-41!

On Saturday the Lady Knights took a trip to Garden City, New York to face Nassau County CC. The Lady Knights took care of business with a 54-41 win over the Lions. With the win the 13th ranked Knights improved to 17-5 while the Lions drop to 12-6 on the year.

The first half was close affair with neither team able to get out to a lead larger then seven. The Lions of Nassau really confused the Lady Knights by using a variety of different zones. The Lady Knights were unable to figure out how to attack the zone as they were trying to shoot over the top of it and were unable to hit many jump shots. However the Lions were not able to capitalize as they could not solve that Lady Knights full count zone and man pressure. The combination of the two teams’ defensives led to a low scoring first half as the Lady Knights took a slim one point lead into the locker room at 22-21.

Coming out of the locker room in the second half the Lady Knights had come up with the answer to the Lions zone defensive and that was to throw the ball inside to their dominant front court players. In the second half the Lady Knights were able to get the ball to Rachel Murray (Gloucester, MA), and Sharniece Williams (Hartford, CT) who combined to score 10 second half points. With these two dominating it open up jump shots for the Lady Knights with Lauren Harrington (Exeter, RI) and Taylor Simmons (Norwalk, CT) hitting key 3-pointers to open up the Lady Knights lead. The Lady Knights used good defensive and solid offense execution in the second half to slowly pull away from the Lions for a 54-41 victory.

Rachel Murray led the Lady Knights as she scored 14 points, pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds, 10 offensive end of the court and blocked three shots. With Murray the only Lady Knight in double figures the rest of the scoring was very balanced as they had nine other ladies score. Of that group Taylor Simmons scored nine points while sophomore Denise Scott (Yonkers, NY) scored seven points and had three steals. Jackie Murray’s (Gloucester, MA) 10 rebounds, Nicole Girard’s (Foster, RI) seven rebounds, and Sharniece Williams’ six rebounds all helped the Lady Knights dominate there opponent on the backboards. All three of these girls finished the game with four points.

Head Coach Marcus Reilly said after the game, "Nassau came in with a quality game plan and forced us to settle for too many jump shots in the first half. Our ladies deserve the credit for keeping their composure through a close game early which allowed us to improve execution in the second half and come a way with a convincing road win. We look forward to staying on a roll in tomorrow’s national showdown with #6 Hagerstown at home"

The Lady Knights are back in action on Sunday when they host the 6th ranked team in the country Hagerstown Community College who is 21-0 entering the game. The game will be played on the Warwick Campus in the Vincent A. Cullen Field House at 1:00 PM

Lady Knights Fast Pitch Softball Team Ranked #14 in Pre-Season Poll

The CCRI Lady Knights Women’s Fast Pitch Softball Team is ranked #14 in the NJCAA Division II Pre-Season Poll.

The Lady Knights return five sophomores including: outfielder Angela Kue (Providence, RI), outfielder Alyssa Raymond (Warwick, RI), third baseman Jenna Bassett (Warwick, RI), and All-Region XXI Team Members infielder Lindsay Johnston (Pawtucket, RI), and outfielder Alison Balzano (Warwick, RI). In addition the Lady Knights have an excellent recruiting class including: First Team All-Stater (RI) shortstop Julie Paradis (Lincoln, RI), Pitcher/Infielder and third Team All-Division I selection Courtney St. Germain (Lincoln, RI), and First Team All-Division II Pitcher/Infielder Alyssa Gering (West Warwick, RI), and First Team All-Division II Catcher Daina Lamb (Cranston, RI) who attended Cranston East and also played on the Puerto Rican Junior Team.

The Lady Knights will kick-off their season March 9th when they travel to Florida for their Spring Training at Disney World where they will face top talent from across the Nation before returning home to begin their Region XXI Schedule.

CCRI Knights and Lady Knights Announce Sophomore Day Saturday February 16th

The CCRI Knights and Lady Knights basketball teams will honor their sophomores during their basketball doubleheader on Saturday February 16th. That day they will both face Globe Institute the Knights will play at 1:00pm and the Lady Knights will play at 3:00pm.

The Knights will honor sophomores: Co-Captain Pat Dame (Exeter, RI), Co-Captain Jake Grimes (Pawtucket, RI), Co-Captain Carl Lee (Warwick, RI), Mike Noonan (Westport, MA), and Jamal Hinds (Brooklyn, NY). The Lady Knights will honor sophomores: Denise Scott (Yonkers, NY), LaSheena Boyd (Stratford, CT), and Guylene Nsiewe (Duola, Cameroon, Africa).

The Sophomore Day celebration will be prior to each game on Saturday the 16th, with the Knights celebration just prior to 1:00pm and the Lady Knights celebration just prior to 3:00pm. Come root on your Knights and Lady Knights while showing appreciation for the sophomores who have given so much to the CCRI Men’s and Women’s Basketball Programs.

Dame’s 28 not enough as Knights are Nipped by Nassau County CC in Overtime 80-77

The CCRI Knights men’s basketball team lost a very hard fought road game to Nassau County CC 80-77 in overtime. With the loss the Knights’ record drops to 14-9 on the season while Nassau improves to 16-11 on the season.

The Knights and Lions were locked in a back and forth battle which ended with the lions holding off the Knights in overtime. In the first half the Knights trailed the Lions 32-22 but closed out the half with a 15-5 run to tie the score at 37-37 going into halftime. In the first half the Knights were sparked by their leading scorer Pat Dame (Exeter, RI) who scored 15 of his game-high 28 points in the first half and Jamal Johnson (Fall River, MA) who came off the bench to score nine points.

In the second half the knights were able to keep their momentum going establishing a 10 point lead with the score 54-44 before the Lions came roaring back. The Knights were up 70-69 when they got a rebound from a Nassau missed basket and with 14 second on the clock fouled Co-Captain Pat Dame sending him to the line to shoot two. Dame made the first but could not convert the second, his only free-throw miss of the night. Nassau came down and got a driving lay-up from Rodney Callwood tying game with just two seconds left and which sent them into overtime.

In overtime Nassau County guard Lee Eccleston hit two 3-pointers to give the Lions the lead and with the Knights down by three points and time expiring Jamal Johnson had a 3-pointer bounced off the rim with the Knights losing by a final score of 80-77.

Co-Captain Pat Dame (Exeter, RI) led the way for the Knights scoring 28 points with three assists followed by co-Captain Jake Grimes (Pawtucket, RI) who scored 11 points with nine rebounds, and six assists, and Jamal Johnson (Fall River, MA) who scored 12 points. Also contributing for the Knights was Mike Noonan (Westport, MA) who scored 11 points including two 3-pointers, Co-Captain Carl Lee (Warwick, RI) added eight points and four rebounds, and Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) pulled down seven rebounds and scored two points.

Head Coach Rick Harris said after the game: “Solid effort by our club but not quite good enough to grab a road victory against a very determined and game Nassau team. We played pretty well overall, but our lack of making a free-throw or two more or grabbing some key rebounds, prevented us securing the win. Nassau executed very well and we came up one shot short of getting the job done. We will have to re-group in practice and get ourselves ready for Springfield Tech on Wednesday evening.”

The Knights next game will be Wednesday the 6th at 7pm when they host Springfield Tech CC at the Vincent A. Cullen Field house on the CCRI Knight Campus in Warwick.

Tonisha Tate’s Career-High 25 points Lifts #13 Lady Knights over UCAP 89-32

With one of their most important weekends of the season coming up the CCRI Lady Knights are heading in with a lot of confidence as they rolled past UCONN-Avery Point last night 89-32. With the win the Lady Knights keep their winning streak intact as it increases to five. With the win last night the Lady Knights improved to 16-5 and 2-0 in Region XXI action. The loss drops UCAP to 11-7.

After having struggled on the offensive end the night before verse Navy Prep the CCRI Lady Knights made sure that they were sharp heading into an important weekend. The CCRI Lady Knights in the first half had their best offensive output in a half that they have had all year. The Lady Knights jumped on UCAP early by scoring the games first 24 points. Freshmen Taylor Simmons (Norwalk, CT) scored 11 of them and Rachel Murray (Gloucester, MA) scored five. After six UCAP points the Lady Knights used another scoring spurt to make sure the game was completely out of reach as freshmen Tonisha Tate (Lynn, MA) come off the bench to score 15 first half points in the final five minutes of the first half. At the half the Lady Knights lead 53-15.

Getting everyone involved in the second half the Lady Knights jumped out to a 31-5 run to start the second half. The run was capped off by a Tonisha Tate three point field goal. Those would be the last points of her game for Tonisha. Tate scored a game and career high 25 points on 11 for 15 shooting from the field and 2-5 behind the 3-point arc. The Lady Knights coasted to a comfortable 89-32 victory.

The Lady Knights led by Tate’s 25 points, five rebounds and two steals had two other girls in double figures. Taylor Simmons and Lauren Harrington (Exeter, RI) each finished with double figures. Simmons finished the game with 13 points three rebounds and three assists, while Harrington finished with 10 points, seven steals, six rebounds and five assists. Once again the Lady Knights got solid contributions out of their point guard position. Nicole Girard (Foster, RI) and LaSheena Boyd (Stratford, CT) combined for 15 points 11 assists, eight rebounds and only one turnover.

Head Coach Marcus Reilly said after the game, "In addition to a very solid defensive effort, we were firing on all cylinders tonight offensively. We shared the basketball throughout and everyone was involved. This was a great way to head into two big games this weekend. I want to personally invite the entire college community to our home game this Sunday at 1:00 - as the #13 team in the nation; we look forward to hosting the only undefeated team left in the country in #6 ranked Hagerstown. We'll make sure everyone is out in plenty of time for the Patriots as well.”

The Lady Knights kick off their weekend as they go to Long Island and play Nassau Community College who is 11-5 and is receiving votes in the NJCAA Division III national poll. On Sunday they come home to the Vincent A. Cullen Field House in Warwick and play host to the only undefeated team left in the country #6 Hagerstown CC at 1:00 PM.