FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 1, 2006

Rhode Island College Men’s Basketball Score Report
2006 ECAC N.E. Men’s Basketball Championship
Quarterfinal Game

Providence, RI

1

2

1OT

Final

^#5 Coast Guard (17-9)

29

34

5

68

^#4 Rhode Island College (18-9)

35

28

7

70

STANKO’S CAREER-HIGH 29 LEADS RIC PAST
COAST GUARD IN OVERTIME THRILLER, 70-68
Anchormen Advance to Face Top-Seeded Keene State on Friday Night

                Providence, RI—Junior forward Brian Stanko (Swansea, MA) scored a career-high 29 points to help fourth-seeded Rhode Island College down fifth-seeded Coast Guard, 70-68, in overtime in quarterfinal action of the 2006 ECAC New England Men’s Basketball Championship. He was 7-for-12 from three-point land, tying for the second-most treys made in a game in school history.

The Anchormen advance to face top seed and Little East Conference rival Keene State on Friday, Mar. 3 in semifinal action. RIC improves to 18-9 overall, while the Bears end their season with a 17-9 mark.

RIC led by as many as 11 points, but foul trouble allowed Coast Guard to creep back into the game. The Bears took the lead, 60-59, with 4:17 remaining in the second half. Stanko hit a key three-pointer with 3:44 left on the clock to put RIC back on top. Coast Guard tied the game, 63-63, on sophomore forward Craig Johnson’s (Medford, OR) basket with 26 seconds left in regulation. RIC junior guard Kamari Williams (Springfield, MA) missed a jumper at the buzzer, which forced the extra session.

Stanko scored the next five points to give RIC a lead it would never relinquish. Coast Guard had the ball with a chance to tie, but Johnson’s turnaround jumper missed as the buzzer sounded.

Johnson tied a career-high with 33 points, to go along with ten boards and two assists. It was the fourth time this season he has scored 30 or more points. Sophomore guard Grant Johnson (Grayson, GA) had 15 points and five boards, while sophomore forward Jeff Prebeck (Columbus, IN) grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.

In addition to Stanko, RIC senior guard Kevin Payette (Woonsocket, RI) had nine points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. Freshman forward Kaseem Johnson (New Haven, CT) had nine points, five boards and two steals.

-end-