Knights Fall to No. 3 Sharks 95-90 in OT
11.26.18
Warwick, R.I. – November 26, 2018: The CCRI Knights men's Basketball team played their second game in as many days as they faced the No. 3 ranked (NJCAA DIII Poll) Sharks of Suffolk County Community College in day two of the NCC Thanksgiving Classic. A tough battle lasted past the 40-minute mark and spilled over into overtime. The Knights would fall just short and would lose the game 90-95. The loss drops CCRI's season record to 5-2 overall with a 4-1 record in Region XXI play.
The Sharks and Knights both came into the game with good momentum as CCRI were coming fresh off a solid team performance and Suffolk County owning a perfect 5-0 record. The two teams played 45 minutes of intense, fast, well executed basketball. CCRI and Suffolk played to a level 40-40 halftime score. Sophomore Tri-Captain Peter Wilson (Providence, RI) led all Knights at the halfway mark with 15 points.
The second half saw Wilson and the Sharks' Steven Tynes trade basket for basket as both tried to spur their team to victory. The Knights held a two-point lead, 79-77 with eight seconds left on the clock. Sophomore Oscar Iteji blocked the Sharks layup attempt but the Knights failed to secure the rebound and the following Suffolk shot sent the game into overtime.
Suffolk scored first and never trailed, outscoring CCRI 16-11 in the extra frame. The Sharks would win the game with a final score of 95-90 in overtime.
CCRI had four in double figures. Scoring was led by Peter Wilson who dropped 30 points and added seven rebounds and five assists. Sophomore Tri-Captain JC Santos (East Providence, RI) tallied 23 points on the afternoon with seven rebounds, six assists and three steals. Freshman Jason Palmer (Narragansett, RI) registered his second double-double in as many days, scoring 10 points and snatching 10 rebounds. Palmer added two steals and one block for good measure. Oscar Iteji also knocked down 10 points whilst adding seven rebounds, a career-high five blocks and two assists.
Head Coach Rick Harris commented: "Exciting game, tough one to lose. On a couple of occasions, we were one play away from winning the game. A rebound, made free throw or executed pass could have won it. We will be better for this game!"
For all things CCRI Athletics, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube by clicking on these links!
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.