Knights Valiantly Vanquish Vikings 70-68 in OT!

11.04.19

Warwick, R.I. – November 4, 2019: The CCRI Knights men’s basketball team continued their opening weekend as they hosted the Mercer County Community College Vikings on Sunday afternoon. Another nail bitter, this time going to overtime where the Knights emerged victorious, 70-68. The win improves CCRI’s season record to 1-1 overall.

Looking to bounce back from a close defeat to Nassau the day before. Mercer came out shooting, going 9-0 up in the first four minutes before CCRI settled things down. The teams went back and forth and Mercer held onto six-point lead going into the locker-room at halftime.

The battle continued throughout the second half and forced some changes for the Knights. The starters needed a rest and off the bench came the same high intensity and drive to push CCRI forward. The full-court press was initiated with the fresh legs and was the springboard in which the Knights used close the gap and get within striking distance.

CCRI went on a 9-3 run, which cut the Mercer lead to just two points, 60-58 with 1:38 left in regulation. The Knights tied the game up and had a chance to win in regulation but could not seize the moment.

A strong showing in overtime along with some clutch free-throws guided the Knights to a 70-68 victory in overtime.

The Knights were led by sophomores Elijah Lewis (Bridgeport, CT) and Jeremy Remigio (Providence, RI) who both scored 17 points. Lewis added seven rebounds four assists, one steal and one block. Remigio once again led the team with six assists and added four rebounds and two steals. Freshman Reece Bullock (Coventry, RI) tallied 12 points with five rebounds, one assist and one steal. Freshman Mitchel Noresca (East Providence, RI) registered nine points with seven rebounds, one assist and one steal. Freshman Logan Grosek (Yarmouth, MA) was a force at the basket, snatching a team-leading 11 rebounds and chipping in with four points and one steal.

Head Coach Rick Harris commented: "Very strong early season tournament which will benefit all the teams as they prepare for their conference play. Our young team played hard all weekend and on Sunday were able to play with more poise and composure which led to the great comeback overtime victory. Looking to continue to see our young players continue to grow."

The CCRI Knights men’s basketball team will next be in action on Saturday, November 9th at 2:00 p.m. as they travel to Middletown, NY to take on the Orange County Community College Colts.

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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.