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Knights Fall to Thunderwolves in District Tournament

03.12.18

Warwick, R.I. – March 13, 2018: March Madness took the CCRI men's basketball team to the Region III Tournament held at the campus of Monroe Community College in Rochester, NY. Friday evening was the first round which saw the Knights, seeded as the No. 5 team facing the No. 4 seeded Niagara CC Thunderwolves. A hard-fought battle went the way of the Thunderwolves as the Knights dropped the decision 94-98.

The Knights came off the bus after the long journey full of vigor and attacked the game from tip-off. Seven minutes into the action, CCRI held a 13-9 off prolific three-point shooting. The Knights would hit 7 first half threes whilst also managing balance in attack. On the other side of the ball, CCRI's 2-3 zone defense held the Thunderwolves to just 40% shooting as opposed the CCRI's 55%. Leading the Knights at the halfway point was David Cabeceiras (Warwick, RI) with 11 points while Josh Williams (Atlanta, GA) had 10 and Kevin Paygai (West Warwick, RI) had nine at the halftime buzzer. Going into the locker-room, the Knights trailed by one point, 46-47.

Niagara came out looking to improve on their less than stellar shooting in the first half. Less than two minutes after action resumed and the Thunderwolves held a 56-46 lead over the Knights. It was at this moment that All-American candidate Josh Williams went to work! Fresh in his mind was his record-setting 56-point performance and it appeared he was trying to replicate that magic. Williams drove the ball emphatically, drawing many fouls, he went 20-25 from the line. Adding in going 10-21 from the floor, 3-6 from beyond the arc totaled up to a 43-point game for the Georgia native. Williams also added six rebounds and three assists to his tally. Also coming up big for the Knights was Kevin Paygai who dropped 15 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block. J.C. Santos (East Providence, RI) chipped in with 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Coming off the bench with 11 points and four rebounds was David Cabeceiras.

Behind these valiant offensive efforts, the lead deficit dwindled to a mere 2 points, 92-90 in favor of the Thunderwolves with just 1:10 left on the clock. A tightly called game saw three Knights (Williams, Paygai and Igor Almeida) foul out. Igor Almeida (Praia, Cape Verde) was the lone big man for the Knights due to the unavailability of Chris Garcia (Queens, NY). This lack of stereotypical "big men" saw a shortage of rebounds for the Knights. Niagara outrebounded the Knights 51-33 of which 21 were offensive rebounds, giving the Thunderwolves second chances at points. The final seconds proved difficult without these three key players who have contributed so much over the course of the season. The Knights were unable to overturn the four-point deficit and the final score saw Niagara victorious 98-94.

Head Coach Rick Harris: "So proud of these young men. They played their hearts out tonight. They battled to the last seconds against a 20-9 team That's all a coach can ask of his team. These Knights represented our school, our fans, the athletic department, the coaches and themselves with class, effort, and determination. I thank them for all their dedication and efforts. It has been a fun ride!"

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The Community College of Rhode Island, New England's largest comprehensive community college, enrolls nearly 15,000 students in credit courses and thousands more in non-credit and job training classes. Its athletic program boasts 12 varsity programs and an academic support program for all student-athletes.