No. 6 Ranked Knights fall to Navy Prep 74-63

12.15.21

Warwick, R.I. – December 15, 2021: The No. 6 ranked (NJCAA DIII Men’s Basketball Poll) CCFRI Knights men’s basketball team hosted the Midshipmen Candidates from the Naval Academy Prep School (NAPS) from Newport, RI to the Cullen Fieldhouse Tuesday evening. The Knights lost to NAPS 74-63. With the loss CCRI falls to 8-2 on the season.

The Knights had recently received some very good news as they moved-up two spots in the NJCAA Division III Men’s Basketball rankings to No. 6 on Monday afternoon. However, they also knew they had a very tough task on their hands versus the talented squad from the Naval Academy Prep School who had already beaten them in a scrimmage earlier I the season at NAVY Prep. The Knights were looking to exact some revenge on their home court.

Tuesday would not be the Knights’ night as NAPS utilized great court spacing, crisp passing and precise shooting to cruise past the Knights on Tuesday evening. NAPS jumped out to a lead which ballooned to 10 points mid-way through the first half which they grew to 12 points by the half where they took a 38-26 lead into the intermission. The Midshipmen Candidates were led by Cam Cormany who scored 14 points in the first half. The Knights were paced by Mitchel Noresca (East Providence, RI) who scored eight points in the first half.

In the second half NAPS extended their comfortable lead to as many as 20 points. The Knights would not just roll over on their home court and mounted a comeback to make this a game. The Knights’ defensive pressure led to a flurry of turnovers by NAPS. Freshman forward Theo Jadotte (Providence, RI) made back-to-back baskets including a rim-rattling dunk that cut the NAPS lead to just seven points with the score 58-65 with about five minutes left in the game. Navy Prep called a timeout to right the ship and were able to converted on back-to-back possessions and before you knew it had their 10 point lead again before going on to win the game by the final score of 74-63.

Leading the way for the Knights was co-captain Mitchel Noresca who charted his ninth Double-Double in 10 games scoring a team-high 18 points with a team high 12 rebounds. Co-captain Luke Fusaro (Charlestown, RI) scored 13 points including three 3-pointers with a rebound and an assist. Freshman Forward Theo Jadotte (Providence, RI) added 11 points with six rebounds.

After the game Head Coach Rick Harris commented: “Navy Prep played a great game. Well coached and disciplined team. We will learn from the experience, rest up and then begin preparing for our second semester schedule. We are looking forward to the challenging regional games coming up.”

The next game for the Knights will be after the New Year when they will travel to Quincy College for a game at 8:30pm.

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The Community College of Rhode Island, New England’s largest comprehensive community college, enrolls nearly 10,000 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.