Lady Knights Cannot Stop Triumphant Tribunes

The Community College of Rhode Island Lady Knights basketball team suffered its second loss of the season in the Genesee Holiday Classic on Saturday to NJCAA Division I 20th ranked Tribunes of Monroe Community College 87-58. With the loss the Lady Knights drop to 8-2 on the season while Monroe CC improves to 8-3.

The Lady Knights took the floor against a very fast and strong Tribunes team. The Lady Knights were not able to slow down the fast attacking and long shooting Tribunes as they made 13 three pointers during the course of the game. The Lady Knights got behind early as Monroe buried four three-pointers during an early 18-2 run to take a 33-13 lead with seven minutes remaining in the first half. The Lady Knights would not quit and with back to back three pointers by Nicole Girard (Foster, RI) and Taylor Simmons (Norwalk, CT) they cut the Lady Tribunes lead down to 11 points with the score 41-30 with two and half minutes left in the first half. The Tribunes would close out the half with their 11th three pointer of the first half to take a 48-32 halftime lead.

In the second half the Tribunes were just to fast and to strong as they wore the Lady Knights down outscoring them 39-26. The Tribunes never were threatened in the second half as the closest the Lady Knights would get would be 15 points.

The Lady Knights were led by Nicole Girard (Foster, RI) who did everything in her power to keep the Lady Knights in the game in the first half, finishing the game with 19 points and six assists. Also in double-figures for the Lady Knights was sophomore Taylor Simmons (Norwalk, CT) who scored 13 points on 6 of 14 shooting. Tonisha Tate (Lynn, MA) added eight points and three rebounds while Sharniece Williams (Hartford, CT) added six points and six rebounds, and defensive specialist Lauren Harrington (Exeter, RI) led the Lady Knights on the glass grabbing a career-high 10 rebounds.

The Lady Knights are back in action on Sunday in the Holiday Classic when they play northeast rival and host Genesee Community College at 3:00 PM.

Lady Knights Fall Short to Genesee CC in Classic Battle

The Lady Knights dropped there second straight game of the season in the Genesee Holiday Classic as they lost to the hosting Lady Cougars of Genesee Community College 68-56. The loss drops the Lady Knights’ record to 8-3 on the season.

For the second straight day the Lady Knights struggled out of the gate as they spotted the Lady Cougars a quick 13 point lead as they fell behind 20-7. The Lady Knights attempted to answer with a Lauren Harrington (Exeter, RI) three-point play and Jackie Murray (Gloucester, MA) lay-up, but the Lady Cougars would score seven more points and take its largest lead of the game at 27-12. The Lady Knights would dig deep and show tremendous grit battling back into the game over the next three minutes with a 12-2 run capped by a Sharniece Williams (Hartford, CT) jump shot, cutting the lead down to seven with the score 31-24. However, that is as close as they would get, with Genesee expanding its lead to 11 points going into the half leading 39-28.

The excitement began in the second half as the Lady Cougars scored eight of the first 12 points to match its largest lead of the game with the score 47-32 with only 16 minutes remaining in the game. However, the Lady Knights would begin to chip away at the Lady Cougars lead with a Lauren Harrington three-pointer, two free-throws by Nicole Girard (Foster, RI) and a lay-up by Taylor Simmons (Norwalk, CT) to cut the Lady Cougars led down to just eight points. After Genesee’s De’yara Burrell made basket to get the Lady Cougars lead back to double figures Taylor Simmons exploded with seven unanswered points putting Lady Knights down by three points with the score 49-46 and 11 minutes to go in the game. However this would be the closest the Lady Knights would get as the Lady Cougars would slowly expand there lead back to double-figures to win 68-56.

The Lady Knights were led offensively by Taylor Simmons (Norwalk, CT) scoring 23 points with three rebounds and Lauren Harrington (Exeter, RI) scoring 13 points, pulling down seven rebounds and dishing out four assists. With their efforts both Simmons and Harrington earned a spot on the Genesee CC Holiday Classic All-Tournament team. Sharniece Williams (Hartford, CT) was another big contributor for the Lady Knights scoring eight points and pulling down a team-high 12 rebounds. Nicole Girard (Foster, RI) added four points and four assists while Jackie Murray (Gloucester, MA) added four points and pulled down six rebounds.

The Lady Knights will not be back in action until January 2nd after the semester break when they travel to Florida to play three Division I powerhouses: Palm Beach CC, Broward CC, and Miami-Dade College. The Lady Knights will play three games in six days: Palm Beach CC January 2nd at 2 pm, Broward CC January 3rd at 2 pm, and Miami-Dade College January 5th at 6 pm.

No. 5 ranked Knights Defeat Division I power ASA 81-70 to improve to 11-1!

The CCRI Knights men’s basketball team defeated their first division I team of the year when they defeated ASA out of Brooklyn, NY 81-70 in the opening round of the Genesee Community College Holiday Classic on Saturday. With the victory the Knights improve their record to 11-1 on the season.

ASA is a first year program under former Globe Institute (Manhattan, NY) Athletic Director and Men’s Basketball Head Coach who entered the game with a 3-1 record. Their program is so new they have yet to pick a mascot but Wilcox built a very strong National program at Globe very quickly so the Knights will be tested. The Knights knew they would be in for a battle but they would not be denied a chance to play in the Genesee Holiday Classic championship game on Sunday.

The Knights jumped out to a 16-4 lead on a basket by Esai Touze (Providence, RI) at the 11:04 mark of the first half. ASA would battle back and took a 19-18 lead on a basket by Dishawn Bradshaw with 5:26 left. Knights’ Co-Captain Jamal Johnson (Fall River, MA) scored seven of his game-high 20 points over the last five and a half minutes of the half lead the Knights on a 17-4 run to close out the half with a 35-23 lead. In the second half the Knights maintained control of the game, not allowing ASA to get within eight points of the lead as they cruised tot eh 81-70 victory.

Co-Captain Jamal Johnson (Fall River, MA) led the way for the Knights with an outstanding shooting night with 20 points on 8-10 shooting from the field including 4-6 on three-pointers and adding three steals and four rebounds. Fellow Co-Captain Lee Mitchell (New London, CT) added 11 points with a game-high five steals and three assists. Co-Captain Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) put forth another double-double with 10 points and a career-high 20 rebounds and added two blocked shots and point guard Apollos Wade (Taunton, MA) charted his first double-double of the year when he authored 10 assists and 10 rebounds to go along with seven points and two steals. Also having a big game was Tyrone Nared (Woonsocket, RI) with nine points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots, Adalberto Bueno (Providence, RI) added nine points, with 7-8 from the free-throw line, including 6-6 in the last four minutes of the game, with eight rebounds and two assists.

Head Coach Rick Harris commented after the victory: “Very pleased with our first win against a division I opponent in the 2008-09 season. We were a little sluggish and inconsistent at times as our 18 turnovers would suggest. All in all though, I am satisfied with our effort as the guys dug in and got big stops and offensive plays when they needed them. We will need solid and consistent play from beginning to end when we take on the high-scoring Genesee CC for the championship on Sunday. It will be a great challenge and opportunity for us to test our mettle. These are the kind of games that will help us to become the team we would like to be. It is the kind of game we put in the daily practice hours preparing for.”

No. 5 Knights Fall to Hot-shooting No. 8 Genesee 98-83 in Classic Championship

No. 5 ranked CCRI Knights men’s basketball team fall short versus hot shooting No. 8 ranked Genesee Community College 98-83 in the Championship game of the Genesee Holiday Classic on Sunday. With the loss the Knights drop to 11-2 on the season while the Cougars of Genesee CC improve to 11-0 on the season.

The good news for the Knights was that they sank nine three-pointers in the championship game versus the Cougars. The bad news was five Cougars scored in double-figures led by Curtis Jackson who scored a game-high 30 points including four three-pointers. Genesee shot an impressive 10-18 on three pointers but it was their 22-29 shooting from the free-throw line which compared to just 10-17 for the Knights proved to be the deciding factor in the game.

The Knights found themselves down 22-11 at the 13:33 mark after a Cougar basket by Laiquan Lyons but they would battle back to tie the score 25-25 at the 10:28 mark on a basket by Co-Captain Lee Mitchell (New London, CT) and would take the 27-25 lead on another basket by Adalberto Bueno (Providence, RI) with just 9:14 left in the half. However, the hot shooting of the Cougars’ Curtis Jackson built their lead back up to eight points by halftime with the score 47-39 Cougars. In the second half Jackson scored 20 of his game-high 30 points to keep the Knights at bay. The Knights would get as close as five points in the second half with the score 59-54 on a basket by Mitchell at the 15:11 but the Cougars extended their lead down the stretch to win by a final score of 98-83.

Co-Captain Lee Mitchell (New London, CT) paced the Knights with a team-high 21 points with six rebounds followed by Co-Captain Jamal Johnson (Fall River, MA) who scored 20 points including a sterling 6-8 from three-point range with three steals. For their great weekends Mitchell and Johnson earned All-Tournament honors. Co-Captain Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) provided his second double-double of the tournament scoring 11 points and 14 rebounds. Adalberto Bueno (Providence, RI) was outstanding off the bench scoring 10 points and eight rebounds, and Tyrone Nared (Woonsocket, RI) added eight points, seven rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot.

After the tourney Head Coach Rick Harris said: “This was a great test for us today. It was a tournament atmosphere and one that will benefit our team as the season progresses. We lost to an outstanding team on their home court. We will put this loss in the back of our minds and move on. Chances are good that we will run into Genesee CC down the road and will be better prepared for the challenge.”

The Knights next game will be this Wednesday the 17th when they will face Region XXI foe Bunker Hill CC at 7 pm at the Vincent A. Cullen Field house located on the CCRI Knight Campus in Warwick.

No. 5 Ranked Knights Cruise to Victory over the Crimson of Harvard JV 95-73!

The No. 5 ranked CCRI Knights men’s basketball team traveled to Cambridge MA, last night and defeated the Crimson of Harvard University JV 95-73. With the victory the Knights improve their record to 10-1 on the season.

The Knights jumped all over the Crimson JV in the first half after a slow start going in with a comfortable 47-30 halftime lead. In the second half they picked right up where they left off building their lead to 31 points with the score 71-40 late in the game before coasting to the 95-73 victory. 14 of the 15 Knights hit the scoring column with three in double-figures led by Co-Captain Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) who charted yet another double-double with game-highs in points with 19 and rebounds with 11, Co-Captain Lee Mitchell (New London, CT) added 16 points and Dave Storti (Exeter, RI) continued to improve his play adding 15 points to the Knights attack. Ultimately the Knights speed, athleticism and depth were too much for the Crimson to handle.

Pre-Season NJCAA Third Team All-American and Co-Captain Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) lived up to his billing leading the game with 19 points on a sterling 9-10 form the field and 1-1 from the free-throw line adding a game-high 11 rebounds followed by fellow Co-Captain Lee Mitchell (New London, CT) added 16 points and three assists and Dave Storti (Exeter, RI) added 15 points, two rebounds and an assist. Also having a big game was Adalberto Bueno (Providence, RI) added seven points, eight rebounds, and three assists, Pat Sturdahl (Exeter, RI) also added seven points with five assists, and Co-Captain Jamal Johnson (Fall River, MA) chipped in seven points and three assists. Rounding out the big night for the Knights were Sam Jones (New London, CT) had six points, four assists, and four rebounds, Colin Burns (Chepachet, RI) added five points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals, and Tyrone Nared (Woonsocket, RI) collected seven rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Head Coach Rick Harris commented after the victory “It was an enjoyable evening visiting Cambridge and the beautiful Harvard Campus. Our team play was also a pleasure to be a part of (28 assists). We are still a work in progress but definitely taking the steps in the right direction.”

The Knights next games will be in Batavia, NY for the Genesee CC Holiday Classic. They will face ASA Saturday the 13th at 6 pm and will play either in the championship (5 pm) or consolation (3 pm) game on Sunday against an opponent still to be determined.

The 10-1 CCRI Knights men’s basketball team continues to climb in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Men’s basketball Poll! Last week the Knights were ranked No. 10 and this week they have jumped into the top five at No. 5, this is their highest ranking since December in the 2005-06 season when they were ranked No. 2!

19th Ranked Lady Knights Navigate Past Navy Prep 80-59!

The 19th ranked CCRI Lady Knights took the 30 minute drive to Newport to take on the Rams of the Naval Preparatory School. The Lady Knights prevailed 80-59 improving their record to 8-1.

The first 14 minutes of the game for the Lady Knights was quite and interesting one as the Lady Knights and Rams looked like they were more involved in a track met then a basketball game. The two teams were running the floor and giving up easy baskets as the score with six minutes left in the half was 30-30. After a Navy Prep time out the Lady Knights came out dedicated to get stops over the last six minutes and would hold the Rams to just two points over that span of time. The Lady Knights however were not done scoring as they scored 13 more points to close out the half and take a 43-32 advantage into the locker room. The Lady Knights offensive attack was led by Taylor Simmons (Norwalk, CT) who scored 16 of her game high 23 points in the first stanza. Jackie Murray (Gloucester, MA) was also an offensive spark for the Lady Knights scoring all of her nine points in the first half coming off the bench.

Despite not scoring as many points in the second half the Lady Knights were much more under control on both ends of the floor. The Lady Knights offensive was much more efficient in the second half as they cut down on there turnovers and distributed the ball much more effectively. The Lady Knights made it a point to dig in on the defensive end coming out in second half and held a very good Rams offensive line up to just 27 points in the second half and just 29 points total over the last 26 minutes of the game. With good execution and solid effort on the defensive end the Lady Knights cruised to an 80-59 victory.

The Lady Knights were led by their starting guards: Taylor Simmons who scored a game high 23 points had six assists and pulled down two rebounds and Nicole Girard (Foster, RI) who scored a season high 13 points, dished out eight assists, pulled down four rebounds and had three steals. Also in double figures for the Lady Knights was Sharniece Williams (Hartford, CT) who scored 10 points and pulled down four rebounds. The Lady Knights got great production from its bench including: Jackie Murray led the way with nine points and pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds while Ashley Williams (Windsor, CT) who scored seven points and pulled down eight rebounds and Tonisha Tate (Lynn, MA) scored six points and had four rebounds.

Head Coach Kevin Monagle said after the game, “This was a great game for us to be involved in. We had a little challenge early getting out of the gate with getting our heads into the game. We responded in a positive way, especially defensively at the end of the first half, holding Navy Prep to two points in last six minutes. The second half went a little better with us valuing the ball resulting in a higher quality of possessions. Ashley Williams provided a nice spark for us off the bench and Jackie Murray was superb. We need to keep getting better everyday and learning lessons about what we need to do to be successful. We are a long way from where I want us to be, but we are starting to move in the right direction. We still need to play 40 minutes of Lady Knight’s basketball, and when that happens, I like our chances against anyone.”

Currently the Lady Knights are in the middle of playing 10 out of 11 on the road so far in the Lady Knights are 5-1 in that stretch. However, it does not get any easier as they Lady Knights go to Batavia to play in the Genesee Mixer. The two teams that they will be playing are Monroe Community College Saturday at 3 pm who is ranked No. 20 in the country in NJCAA DI polls and Genesee Community College Sunday at 3 pm who was has been to the last two NJCAA National Tournaments. These will be the last two games of the semester for the Lady Knights.

Nared and Storti Help Knights Hold off Late STCC Rally to win 82-73!

The CCRI Knights men’s basketball team defeated Region XXI combatant Rams of Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) from Springfield, MA 82-73. With the victory the Knights improve their record to 9-1 and 6-0 in Region XXI play.

The Knights survived a big second half rally from the Rams to secure their ninth win of the year. The Knights took a 49-36 lead into halftime as they rode the hot hand of the high flying Tyrone Nared (Woonsocket, RI) who scored 18 of his game-high and career-high 25 points in the first half. The Knights looked lie they would cruise to another double-digit victory. It was not to be as Springfield Tech showed why they are one of the top teams in Division III in the nation as the rallied back from 53-36 deficit after two quick baskets by Co-Captain Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) opened the half and were able to tie the score at 58-58 on a basket by Anthony Lewis with just 12:12 left in the game. The Knights would extend the lead back to six points on a basket by Mason Kenny (Topeka KS) with just 9:40 left but the Rams would rally back again and tie the game at 68-68 with only 6:44 left. The Knights closed the game with some clutch plays the first was a 20-foot jumper by Dave Storti (Exeter, RI) after point guard Apollos Wade (Taunton, MA) drove and kicked it out as the 35 second shot clock expired followed by a huge three point bomb from the star of the day Nared to give the Knights the 77-72 lead which they would not relinquish as they went on to win by the final score of 82-73.

Leading the Knights was Tyrone Nared (Woonsocket, RI) with a double-double scoring a career-high 25 points with 11 rebounds, with three steals and a blocked shot followed by Dave Storti (Exeter, RI) who continues to get better with each game also scored a career-high with 15 points with eight rebounds and three steals. Also having a big game for the Knights was Co-Captain Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) with nine points and six rebounds, Adalberto Bueno (Providence, RI) with nine points and two rebounds, Co-Captain Lee Mitchell (New London, CRT) added eight points and Co-Captain Jamal Johnson (Fall river, MA) added five assists and a three pointer. In all eleven Knights hit the scoring column with 35 points coming form the CCRI “Bench Mob”. STCC, the defending DIII Region XXI champions were led by three-point specialist Robert Hopkins who score 24 points while providence native Edgar Martinez and Ronnie Sullivan added eleven points each.

Head Coach Rick Harris commented after the win “Springfield Tech. is always a very tough opponent especially when they are shooting the three-pointer well like they were today. They forced us into some sloppy and inconsistent play though I was pleased with our execution down the stretch. We were fortunate to win the game especially since we did not play our best ball today. Tyrone Nared Who is a treat to watch as he develops into a special player saved the day. Dave Storti who is all heart and soul played ‘Robin’ to Tyrone’s ‘Batman’. They put us on their shoulders to help us grind out this victory. We will work harder on Monday to prepare for a very talented Harvard JV squad on Tuesday evening in Cambridge, MA.

The Knights will travel to face Harvard JV Tuesday at 7 pm in Cambridge, MA.

19th Ranked Lady Knights Roll as Five Players Reach Double Figures!

The Lady Knights bounced back from its only defeat of the season on Saturday as the defeated Bristol Community College 89-17. With the win the Lady Knights improve to 7-1 on the season and 2-0 in Region XXI action.

The Lady Knights jumped out quickly and never looked back. The Lady Knights scored the games first 22 points and would take a 48-5 lead into halftime. The Lady Knights would get solid production from all who played on Saturday especially its bench with four of the five players scoring in double figures coming off the bench. Leading the charge was freshman guard Brittany Eccleston (New London, CT) who scored a career-high 18 points, while pulling down four rebounds, dishing out four assists and stealing the ball three times. Also coming off the bench scoring a career-high was Kaitlyn Rachiele (Scituate, RI) who chipped in with 13 points on 5-7 shooting including three three-pointers.

A staple of the Lady Knights basketball is dominating the low post and once again they did that. However, this time there was a new face helping the Lady Knights returning from injury Ashley Williams (Windsor, CT) made her debut as a Lady Knight coming off the bench to score 12 points and pull down a game-high seven rebounds. Tonisha Tate (Lynn, MA) scored 13 points and pulled down five rebounds while Rachel Murray (Gloucester, MA) scored 11 points on 5-6 shooting from the floor. In limited action Sharniece Williams (Hartford, CT) pulled down seven rebounds and scored five points while Jackie Murray (Gloucester, MA) scored seven points, pull down four offensive rebounds, and had three assists.

The Lady Knights are right back in action on Monday night as they go to Newport to play Navy Prep on the Naval Base at 5 pm.

No. 10 Ranked Knights Gash Gateway 98-62 to Improve to 8-1!

The no. 10 ranked (NJCAA DII) CCRI Knights men’s basketball team defeated Region XXI foe Lions Gateway Career Technical College 98-62. With the victory the Knights improve their record to 8-1 on the season and improve to 5-0 in Region XXI play.

Six Knights scored in double figures as their talent and depth were too much for the visiting Lions as they cruised to victory. The Knights starters started the game well jumping out to a quick 22-16 lead led by Co-Captain Jamal Johnson (Fall River, MA), Tyron Nared (Woonsocket, RI), and Co-Captain Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) who each contributed 6ix points to the run. From there the Knights “Bench Mob” entered the game and were able to increase the lead to 10 16 points with the score 36-20 with just 5:48 left in the half. Both teams traded baskets to end the half with the Knights leading 53-37. The Knights were led in the first half by Jamal Johnson with 10 points including two three pointers, Alex Diaz with eight points, and four other Knights added six points each to the knights first half offensive attack.

In the second half the Knights used their deep bench to continue to increase their lead led by two freshmen Adalberto Bueno (Providence, RI) who contributed 11 second half points and Esai (“Isaiah”) Touze (Providence, RI) who scored seven of his 13 points in the second half. From there the Knights cruised to the 98-62 victory.

Co-Captain Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) led six Knights who scored in double-figures charting a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds followed by Esai Touze (Providence, RI) who added 13 points and seven rebounds. Also scoring in double figures for the Knights was Adalberto Bueno (Providence, RI) with 11 points, Co-Captain and Lee Mitchell (New London, CT) scored 10 points with six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Rounding out the key contributors for the Knights was Colin Burns (Chepachet, RI) with 12 points, five rebounds, two assists, and a steal, Co-Captain Jamal Johnson (Fall River, MA) added 10 points and three assists and Tyrone Nared (Woonsocket, RI) added eight points, eight rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot.

Head Coach Rick Harris said after the game “Great team victory against a very good Gateway team. We made them look not so good with outstanding defense holding Chazz McCarter (averaging 26 points per game) to 16 points and Jesse Pittman (averaging 24 ppg) to just six points. Both are ranked in the top 10 (NJCAA DIII) in scoring. We displayed great unselfishness with 27 team assists and just 12 turnovers. When we play defense the game can be fun for us with the talent level we possess. We now we will get ready for the best Division III team in New England Springfield Tech. who we will host on Saturday at noon.”

The Knights face Springfield Technical Community College Saturday at Noon at the Vincent A. Cullen Field house on the CCRI Knight Campus in Warwick!

CCRI Knights men’s basketball team enters the Top 10

The CCRI Knights men’s basketball team is ranked No. 10 in the December 2nd Division II Men’s Basketball Poll. The Knights have a 7-1 record including a perfect 4-0 record in Region XXI play with their only loss coming to No. 16th ranked Division I Monroe College who is 10-0. Against Division II and Division III opponents the Knights are a perfect 7-0! Below you will see the Top 15 Teams in NJCAA Division II Men’s Basketball for the Week of December 2nd.

No. 13 ranked Knights Overpower Orange County CC 90-66!

The No 13 ranked (NJCAA DII) CCRI Knights overpowered the Colts of Orange County CC 90-66. With the victory the Knights improve to 7-0 on the season while being 4-0 in Region XXI play.

The Knights’ trio of Co-Captain Lee Mitchell (New London, CT), Co-Captain Alex Diaz (Providence, RI), and freshman Tyrone Nared (Woonsocket, RI) all scored in double-figures to help the Knights coast to a 90-66 victory. The Knights took a 43-26 lead into halftime. They used a 14-2 run to open the second half to put the game out of reach. From there with a 57-28 lead the Knights utilized their strong bench the rest of the way and cruised to victory. In another great team victory thirteen Knights hit the scoring column in the victory.

Co-Captain Lee Mitchell (New London, CT) scored 15 points with three rebounds and an assist, followed by Co-Captain Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) who charted a double-double scoring 14 points with 12 rebounds and Freshman Tyrone Nared (Woonsocket, RI) also had a double-double adding 14 points including two three-pointers, 12 rebounds with two assists and two blocked shots. Also having a big game for the Knights was Co-Captain Jamal Johnson (Fall River, MA) who scored eight points including two three-pointers with two assists and two steals and Colin Burns (Chepachet, RI) scored eight points with three rebounds. While point guard Apollos Wade (Taunton, MA) added five points, dished out a game-high seven assists and swiped four steals and Pat Sturdahl (Exeter, RI) added six points, four assists and a steal.

Head Coach Rick Harris commented after the victory “It was a solid road performance which should help us when we take on No. 17 ranked Division I powerhouse Monroe College (8-0) on Sunday. It will be a major challenge for us but one we look forward to and one that will help us get better.”

The Knights take on Monroe College Sunday at 12 noon.

No. 13 ranked Knights fall to Division I No. 17 ranked Monroe College 91-74

The No. 13 ranked (NJCAA DII) CCRI Knights men’s basketball team lost their first game of the season to a very tough No. 17 ranked (NJCAA DI) Monroe College 91-74. With the loss the Knights fall to 7-1 on the season and the Mustangs remain perfect at 9-0 on the season.

The Knights put forth a valiant effort against the powerful Mustangs before succumbing to the Division I powerhouse 91-74. The Knights came out strong with an early 11-4 lead behind the three-point shooting of Co-Captain Jamal Johnson (Fall River, MA) who sank three of his four first half three-pointers in the opening minutes. However, the Mustangs began to run and shoot their way back into the game and took their first lead 18-16 behind the hot shooting of Providence College signee Kyle Wright who scored an impressive 22 first half points including four three-pointers giving them a 50-35 halftime lead. Johnson led the Knights with 12 first half points on four three-pointers while Lee Mitchell (New London, CT) and Colin Burns (Chepachet, RI) added eight points each for the Knights in the first half.

The Knights came out strong to start the second half cutting the Mustangs’ lead to just 56-46 on the solid inside play of Co-Captain Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) who had 10 second half points. The Mustangs proved to be too much for the Knights in the end as Justin Perryman, a Boise State signee, had nine second half points and Jermaine Turtt, a South Carolina State signee, added eight. The game seesawed back and forth between 10 and 15 point difference as Monroe repeatedly sank big three-pointers whenever the Knights threatened to cut the lead to single-digits. Co-Captain Jamal Johnson (Fall River, MA) led the way for the Knights scoring 16 points with five rebounds, four assists, a blocked shot and a charge taken followed by Co-Captain Lee Mitchell (New London, CT) with 14 points and three assists, and Co-Captain Alex Diaz (Providence, RI) added 10 points, all in the second half, with a team-high seven rebounds. Also having a big game for the Knights was Colin Burns (Chepachet, RI) with eight points and three assists, Adalberto Bueno (Providence, RI) added seven points, and point guard Apollos Wade (Taunton, MA) added three points, four assists and three steals.

Head Coach Rick Harris commented after the game “I was extremely pleased with our effort this afternoon against a ranked Division I opponent. We competed very aggressively and had some outstanding moments. At times the fast-paced up tempo style favored Monroe but our guys never backed down. It is a game that will down as our first loss will, but in actuality, make us a better team in the long run. We look forward to getting back to practice on Tuesday and taking on Gateway CC Wednesday at CCRI.”

The Knights are back in action Wednesday December 3rd at 6 pm when they host Gateway CC at the Vincent A. Cullen Field house located on the CCRI Knight Campus in Warwick.

Lady Knights Extend Win Streak to Six with 46-40 Win over Mercer!

The CCRI Lady Knights spent Thanksgiving weekend in West Windsor, NJ participating in the Mercer County Thanksgiving Mixer. The Lady Knights on Saturday open the Mixer with a scrappy 46-40 win over host school Mercer County Community College. With the loss the Lady Knights’ record improves to 6-0 on the season while Mercer suffered their first loss of the year and drops to 3-1 on the season.

The CCRI Lady Knights showed little to no effect of the Thanksgiving break bothering them in the first four minutes of the game as they were running right past the Lady Vikings’ defensive pressure to score 13 of the games first 15 points. Mercer County was forced to call a time out to try to stop the run. Mercer’s defensive pressure would pick up after this time out as they would hold the Lady Knights to just 13 more points the rest of the half. However the Lady Knights defensive was extremely stingy itself as they would take a halftime lead into its locker room 26-21.

With starters Nicole Girard (Foster, RI) and Taylor Simmons (Norwalk, CT) in foul trouble for almost the entire second half other Lady Knights would need to step up if they were going to win. The Lady Knights got that key contribution from defensive stopper Lauren Harrington (Exeter, RI). Led by Harrington, the Lady Knights held the Vikings to just 19 points in the second half, and with five minutes to go and only up by two points Harrington stole the ball from the Vikings on three straight positions before they could get across half court. When Harrington was not stealing the ball the Lady Knights were able to dominate the backboards with Rachel and Jackie Murray (Gloucester, MA) who combined for 26 rebounds. The Lady Knights also got great minutes from reserve Kaitlyn Rachiele (Scituate, RI) who added key rebounds, assists and steals when the Lady Knights needed them to secure the 46-40 victory.

Offensively the Lady Knights were paced by Rachel Murray (Gloucester, MA) who charted a double-double scoring a game-high 16 points, pulling down 10 rebounds while dishing out two assists. Jackie Murray (Gloucester, MA) helped her sister control the backboards as she pulled down a season-high 16 rebounds, 10 offensively, adding three steals and four points. Sophomore guard Taylor Simmons added 11 points before fouling out with eight minutes to go in the game. Coming off the bench to give the Lady Knights a spark was Tonisha Tate (Lynn, MA) scoring seven points with five rebounds. However, The Lady Knights would not have won this game if it were not for the minutes of Lauren Harrington (Exeter, RI) who played 40 minutes, reeked havoc on defense with five steals, pulling down four rebounds, dishing out two assists, and playing a major role at point guard when Girard was in foul trouble. Reserve Kaitlyn Rachiele (Scituate, RI) was the other key contributor playing extended minutes due to back court foul trouble coming up with three steals and two rebounds, all of which came late in the second half.

Head Coach Kevin Monagle said after the game, “Today was a good win for us. I would like to see our offensive production raise but any time you can hold a team to 40 points and dominate the backboards that is a key to becoming a national contender. We got key plays out of Lauren Harrington and also got outstanding contributions from Tonisha Tate and Kaitlyn Rachiele off the bench.”

Lady Knights fall to Burlington CC 67-56 Halting Win Streak at Six

Less then 24 hours after getting its sixth win of the season the Lady Knights had to bounce back and play a very bullish Burlington County College team who also came into the game 6-0. Burlington was just too much down the stretch for the Lady Knights prevailing 67-56. With the loss the Lady Knights drop to 6-1 on the season while Burlington improves to 7-0.

The Lady Knights got off to a slow start which led Burlington jumping out to a quick lead. However the Lady Knights’ Taylor Simmons (Norwalk, CT) would do everything in her power on the offensive end to try to keep the Lady Knights in reach. Simmons scored 14 of her game- high 27 points in the first half. With two minutes to go in the half Burlington would take its largest lead of the game 33-26. However, the Lady Knights would close that gap to three at halftime going in down 33-30. This would be the first time this year the Lady Knights did not lead at halftime.

The Lady Knight’s exploded for a 13-3 run over the first eight minutes of the second half to take their first and largest lead of the day at 43-37. However, that led would not last long as Burlington battled back to tie them game and regain the lead with eight and half minutes remaining in the game. With three minutes left Burlington would match its largest lead of the game at seven points 58-51. After a CCRI timeout the Lady Knights would get a lay up from Taylor Simmons then Nicole Girard (Foster, RI) would then make a steal at half court and dribble penetrate and kick to Lauren Harrington (Exeter, RI) who was standing out on the left wing and nailed a three pointer to cut the Burlington lead down to two points 58-56 with two minutes remaining. However, that is as close as the Lady Knights would get though they had opportunities they were not able to convert and Burlington closed the game with a 9-0 run to secure a 67-56 win.

The Lady Knights leading score on this day was Sophomore All-American candidate Taylor Simmons (Norwalk, CT) who scored a season-high 27 points on 10 for 25 shooting and was 7-8 from the foul line. Also in double-figures for the Lady Knights was Rachel Murray (Gloucester, MA) who had 15 points 13 rebounds, five blocks and two assists. Also contributing key baskets for the Lady Knights was Lauren Harrington (Exeter, RI) who finished the game with nine points, seven rebounds, and three steals.

Head Coach Kevin Monagle said after the game, “This was a fun game for us to be in, of course we would love to be on the other side of the scoreboard but we learned a lot about our ball club today. We also learned that we are not quite were we need to be on both ends of the floor. With a week to prepare before our next opponent we need to get better every day we step into the gym.”

The Lady Knights are back in action this Saturday at home vs. Bristol Community College at 2:00 PM. This is the Lady Knights last home game of the semester. It is also the Lady Knights only home game until January 14th 2009.