The CCRI Knights men’s basketball team traveled to Branchburg, New Jersey, to participate in the Raritan Valley Fall Classic Tournament this past weekend. On Saturday, the Knights took on Rockland Community College of New York. The Knights came out on top again with a 79-68 victory. The win brings the Knights to 3-1 on the season, and they remained 1-1 in Region XXI play.

The Knights did not start out as strong as they did versus Raritan Valley, falling behind 8-0 early to a motivated Hawks team. The first half was a back-and-forth battle, with the Knights working their way back into contention for the game and eventually taking a 2-point lead into halftime at 32-30. 

The Knights continued to fight throughout the second half and were able to build a double-digit lead.

After building the lead, the Knights were able to lock down defensively and see out the victory with a final score of 79-68. 

Grant Gillis  (North Kingstown, Rhode Island) led all scorers in the game with 19 points. He hit eight shots throughout the game and went 3-for-4 from the free throw line. He also chipped in with 10 rebounds, giving him a double-double for the game. 

Edvaldo Ferreira  (Praia, Cape Verde) also had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds on the day.  

Adrian La Fleur (Sydney, Australia) was an important part of the offense as well with 16 points and five assists on the day. 

Head Coach Rick Harris was excited about his team’s effort and performance over the weekend. He noted that it is “not easy to win two straight NJCAA road games. I am pleased with how we played as a team and the improvement we showed this weekend.” 

The Knights were able to rebound after a tough loss against Bunker Hill the week before the tournament.

“I told the team ‘You’re only as good as your last game,’ and they took that to task,” Harris said. “We are looking forward to the home game versus Massasoit on Tuesday.” 

As stated above, the team will look to keep their winning ways going against the Warriors of Massasoit in a Region XXI showdown. The Knights will play at 7 p.m. at Cullen Field House at the Knights’ campus in Warwick. 

Lady Knights beat Raiders of Oakland CC

The CCRI Lady Knights basketball team concluded play in the Monroe College Basketball Invitational Sunday by playing the Raiders of Oakland Community College from Bloomfield, Michigan. The Lady Knights defeated the Raiders, 53-45. With the victory, CCRI improves to 4-4 on the season.

The Lady Knights did not have the best day shooting from the field, but overcame that deficiency to down the Raiders of Oakland College.

CCRI took a comfortable advantage in the first quarter, leading the Raiders, 15-7, at the first break. The Lady Knights extended the lead to 29-15 by halftime. 

The Raiders battled back in the second half, outscoring CCRI, 21-11, in the third quarter to cut into the lead and make a late run, but CCRI outlasted the Raiders to win 53-45.

Leading the way for the Lady Knights were Ashley VanBemmelen (North Providence, Rhode Island) with 13 points, six rebounds, four steals and two assists and co-captain Mackenzie Brayman (North Stonington, Connecticut), who also scored in double-figures with 12 points to go along with two rebounds and an assist. Co-captain Kelsey Hernandez (New Britain, Connecticut) scored six points with seven rebounds and six assists, while Mercedes Faust (Warwick, Rhode Island) had six points with two rebounds, a steal and an assist. Dionna Jackson (Harriston, Mississippi) added five points and a team-high nine rebounds, while Tiondra Hands (Delray Beach, Florida) had four points, six rebounds and three assists.

The next game for the Lady Knights will be Tuesday when they face the Warriors of Massasoit Community College from Brockton, Massachusetts, at 5 p.m.