Durante leads Knights past Navy Prep

From Staff Reports
Posted 12/12/19

FROM STAFF REPORTS The CCRI Knights men's basketball team hosted the Naval Academy Preparatory Midshipmen Tuesday evening. A close battle all the way to the final buzzer was decided by sophomore Dylan Durante (Johnston) hitting the go-ahead three-pointer

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Durante leads Knights past Navy Prep

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The CCRI Knights men’s basketball team hosted the Naval Academy Preparatory Midshipmen Tuesday evening. A close battle all the way to the final buzzer was decided by sophomore Dylan Durante (Johnston) hitting the go-ahead three-pointer with seconds to spare. The dramatic win improves CCRI’s season record to 8-4 overall.

After a disappointing weekend, CCRI came into Tuesday’s game looking to get back to winning ways. The Midshipmen Candidates of Navy Prep would offer stiff competition, spreading the floor and playing incredibly tough half-court defense.

The game got off to a slow offensive start as both teams were struggling to score points. Navy Prep had a slightly better time accumulating points, holding a 28-23 lead with just over two minutes left in the first half. CCRI fought back to tie the game up at 29-29 as the teams headed into the locker rooms. Freshman Mikey Gamble (Hartford, CT) led the Knights at the halfway mark scoring eight points from the floor.

The second half saw similarly low scoring to that of the first half. CCRI stayed within striking distance the entire second 20 minutes of the game and tied the game up at 61-61 with 1:27 left in the game. With the clock reading 14.4 seconds remaining the Knights trailed 63-61 and drove the ball down the court. Sophomore co-captain Jeremy Remigio (Providence) took the ball down the right flank and drove to the basket before kicking it out to the left corner for Durante who knocked down the open three-pointer.

Navy Prep had about five seconds remaining and looked to break out off the corresponding rebound. Heads up play from Gamble and freshman Steve DelSesto (North Providence) forced the ball loose and CCRI gained possession of the ball and drew the foul with 0.9 seconds left in the game. Gamble, who drew the foul went to the line for one and one, knocking down both shots to give the Knights a 66-63 lead. Navy Prep took a last gasp shot from behind the halfway line but it didn’t fall and CCRI would hold on for the 66-63 win.

The Knights were led by Gamble scoring 12 points with four assists and two rebounds. Freshman Mitchel Noresca (East Providence) had a career-high 18 rebounds with eight points, two steals and one block. Freshman Reece Bullock (Coventry) registered nine points all from three-point land, nine rebounds and one block. Durante scored nine points, all from behind the arc and added two rebounds, one steal and one block.

Head Coach Rick Harris commented, “Very rewarding victory for the young men last night coming off our mentally and physically tough weekend at Genesee Community College this past weekend. The game last night versus Navy Prep was the same type of competition that we saw this past weekend and it was great to see our guys respond as they did. It was also nice to be on our home floor where we always seem to be able to raise up our play a notch or two higher. I felt we definitely competed in a composed manner and played total team ball. Eighteen assists with just seven turnovers is a strong ratio in a game like last night. The best assist of the night, Remigio to Durante was one I will long remember. I appreciate this team’s dedication to each other and look forward to what the second semester will bring following our wrap up game versus Central Maine this coming Saturday.”

The CCRI Knights men’s basketball will next be in action on Saturday, December 14th at 2:30 p.m. as they host the Central Maine Community College Mustangs. Lady Knights fall to Navy Prep The CCRI Lady Knights basketball team hosted the Midshipmen Candidates from the Naval Academy Prep School (NAPS) from Newport, RI on Tuesday Evening at the Vincent A. Cullen Fieldhouse.  The Lady Knights lost to NAPS 67-44. However, the Lady Knights got word that they had been awarded a forfeit victory in their game versus Orange County November 12th.  With the victory and loss added to their schedule the Lady Knights are now 3-9 on the season. 

The Lady Knight have been going through a very tough stretch in their schedule playing tough opponent after tough opponent. And Tuesday evening was not different in the Naval Prep squad that featured ten very talented and tall players from all over the United States. The CCRI offense got off to a good tart with scoring 14 points in the first quarter with five points apiece from freshman Jada Burton-Hall (Providence) and Sophomore Co-Captain Nicole Chamberlain (West Warwick).  However NAPS answered with eight points from Mackenzie Yim-Harvin  and six from Abigail Guidry to give the Naval Candidates a 23-14 lead at the end of the first quarter. Navy Prep was able to keep their offense firing on all cylinders in the second quarter scoring 17 points while the CCRI offense fell flat with only five points to give NAPS a 40-19 halftime lead.

In past games this is where the Lady Knights would lose confidence or intensity but on Tuesday CCRI was not having it.  The Lady Knights came out of the halftime break with something to prove to themselves and the Navy Prep squad. CCRI played arguably their best quarter of defense of the entire season as they held the high powered NAPS line-up to 14 points which is not small feat when CCRI was outsized at every position. Intensity and relentlessness helped the Lady Knights pour in 19 points of their own led by six points from Janessa Perry (Charlestown) who was all over the court, making steals getting deflections and ripping down rebounds while she scored six points including 4-4 from the free throw line in the quarter. Her effort also got NAPS’s Mackenzie Yim-Harvin in foul trouble with four fouls. Perry was helped by Jada Burton Hall who was also playing better defensively while scoring four points for CCRI. Co-Captain Jazlynn Jimenez (Providence) was also applying tremendous pressure at the point guard position to help get the Lady Knights in their transition offense while adding four points. Co-Captain Nicole Chamberlain added five more points including a 3-pointer to help CCRI cut the Navy Prep lead to 16 points 54-38 by the end of the third quarter.

Unfortunately for the Lady Knights all the effort they expelled in the third quarter came back to take its toll in the fourth as once again the CCRI offense stagnated and they only managed to score six points while Navy pre had 13 to go on to win by the final score of 67-44. Though the scoreboard may not show it this was a definite positive step for the Lady Knights’ squad. The team is very young but they are getting better every day and beginning to rust each other on the court and they will look to build upon this performance as they finish out the semester.

Leading the way for the Lady Knights was Burton-Hall with a team-high 15 points including a 3-pointer with six rebounds and assist and a steal. Perry had an excellent all-around game with nine points including 5-6 on free throws with nine rebounds, five steals, an assist and tremendous energy throughout the game. Chamberlain added 11 points including two 3-pointers, four rebounds and three assists. Co-Captain Jimenez added six points including a three-pointer with four assists, four steals and three rebounds.

The next game for CCRI will be Thursday when they will travel to Fall River, MA to play the Bayhawks of Bristol Community College at 7 p.m. in a Region XXI inter league game.

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