Prout Shocks Top-Seeded Rogers

The Crusaders never panic and execute down the stretch in a 49-43 upset of No. 1 Rogers in the Division II playoffs.

PROVIDENCE – Balanced scoring and tough defense led to a 49-43 upset of No. 1 Rogers at the hands of No. 8 Prout in the Division II girls’ basketball playoff quarterfinals at Rhode Island College. The Crusaders trailed 7-1 and 16-7 in the first half, but rallied to trail only 23-18 at the half. Rogers got up by nine at various points in the second half, but couldn’t shake Prout or get up by double digits. Rogers led 32-24 early in the second half, and 34-26, but Prout refused to fade away. The Crusaders went on a 12-2 run, capped by senior Brittany Donovan banking in a 3-point shot, to take a 38-36 lead. When asked what he thought as Donovan launched the 3, Prout head coach Phil Quinn said, “No no no no no no!” After the game, Donovan …

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Prout Stuns Clippers; Rebels Play Tonight

In the Rhode Island high school boys’ basketball state tournament, Prout stuns the favored Cumberland Clippers.

Thanks to 23 points from wing Eric Ramieka, and 14 points and 14 rebounds from center Justin Bristol, the Prout Crusaders upset Division II champion Cumberland 61-57 in the Sweet Sixteen of the boys’ basketball state tournament. The Providence Journal has a small write-up and a box score on its website. The South County Independent also provided updates via its Facebook page throughout the game. With the win, No. 13 Prout will face No. 5 North Smithfield at 8:30 p.m. Sunday at Alumni Hall on the Providence College campus. It’ll be a Hoosiers-like story for either winner, with the “underdog” narrative in play for both the low-ranked Crusaders and the Division III Northmen. The winner between Prout and North Smithfield will play in the Final…

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Prout Girls Advance; Boys Play Tonight

The Crusaders advance to the quarterfinals, thanks to 16 from Maddie Hagerty and 14 from Olivia Hirst.

WAKEFIELD – Senior Maddie Hagerty and junior Olivia Hirst combined for 30 points Wednesday night as the No. 8 Prout Crusaders hit a slew of open shots in a 58-45 win against No. 9 West Warwick in a preliminary round game of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Division II girls’ basketball playoffs. Hagerty finished with 16 points, using a variety of head fakes, spins and drives to get free in the paint. The senior co-captain also had a block and a steal. Prout head coach Phil Quinn said Hagerty was a game-time decision following an injury suffered in the regular season finale. “I knew she would play, but I didn’t know how long she could play,” he said, likening her to an NBA player. As a result, he said they kept her out of most …

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Rebels Advance; Prout Plays Today, Tomorrow

South Kingstown pulls off a minor upset of Portsmouth, and the basketball playoffs start for Prout on Wednesday and Thursday.

Thanks to 17 points from Mary Eden, per The Providence Journal, the South Kingstown girls’ basketball team will play on in the Division I playoffs. Eden had three 3s, as No. 9 South Kingstown beat No. 8 Portsmouth 45-36. Maggie Buell had seven points, and Michaela Lawler and Stephanie Laraway each had six points. South Kingstown gets the privilege of playing No. 1 seed La Salle 6:30 p.m. Friday at Rhode Island College. (Note: This game time was shifted from an earlier article.) If the Rebels win in the quarterfinals, they play 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 5 at Rhode Island College. The Rebels were Division II second place finishers in 2000-01, and 2001-02, and Class C champions in 1990-91. The Rebels had three winning seasons from 2007 to 2010, …

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SPORTS: Prout Falters, Gansett vs. EG for Seeding

With the basketball seasons winding down, several local teams are jockeying for position.

As usual, playoff seeding for the Division II girls’ basketball could come down to a grudge match between Narragansett and East Greenwich. The game starts at 7 p.m. at East Greenwich High School. The Mariners are 13-2 in Division II play, and the Avengers, at 12-3, need a win to force a tiebreaker for the regular season division crown. According to The Providence Journal, on Tuesday the Mariners beat West Warwick 51-37. However, the Avengers beat Prout (9-6 Division II) the same night on layup by Keri Pallister for a 46-45 win. Narragansett won the Division II title in 2011-12, although with a much different roster. Mercedes Harris, a dominant center and the daughter of a University of Rhode Island men’s basketball assistant coach, led the…

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Prout Basketball Coach Leaving for La Salle

Eric Simonelli is moving on to coach La Salle boys' basketball, according to The Providence Journal.

Five Things

5 THINGS: You Know, Just Coffee Talk, No Big Whoop

Join me at Cool Beans at noon, or check out these other wonderful events this weekend.

Here are the Five Things for Friday, February 24, 2012, and the two weekend days: Cawfee chat. I’ll be hosting a low-key event today, and by “hosting” I mean “sitting around at a local coffee place.” I’ll be at Cool Beans at noon, and sticking around until 1 p.m. at the least. Feel free to swing by and discuss the important (or not so important) news of the day. (Next week will be Coffee Connection, and if you have any other suggestions for me, feel free to send them to Stephen.greenwell@patch.com.) Take me down to the Paradise City Park where the grass is green and the girls are pretty. Tonight is the opening night for the Contemporary Theater Company’s Paradise Park at the Towers. The performance starts at 7 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m., …

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Five Things

5 THINGS: Danger! Star Wars References Inside!

If you don’t believe in the Force, well, don’t be such a muggle.

Here are the Five Things for Thursday, February 23, 2012: “There is a great disturbance in the Force… It’s as if a million voices cried out, because vacation is more than half over.” Maury Loontjens Memorial Library continues its week of fun for the kids during February vacation today. From 11 a.m. to noon, cartoonist Corinne Adams will show your kids how to draw their favorite characters from Star Wars and Harry Potter. A show and tell, and a prize drawing, will also be held. Pre-registering is advised, so call the library at 789-9507. “There is no civility, only politics.” – Chancellor Palpatine. At town hall tonight, the Land Conservancy Trust meets at 5:30 p.m. The Zoning Board of Review meets at 7 p.m. Mr. Palpatine will not be at …

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Cox Sports to Air High School Hoops Selection Show Tonight

Seedings for the state playoffs will be announced live at 9 p.m.

At 9 p.m. tonight, Cox Sports will air the Varsity Life Selection Show for the Rhode Island Interscholastic League’s 2012 basketball playoffs on Channel 3. Girls and boys teams from the state who have already qualified for the postseason will find out who they’re playing, as seedings are announced live during the show. For the second straight year, boys’ teams from all divisions will compete against each other in the playoffs to determine a champion. The show will include bracket analysis from NBC 10’s Frank Carpano and John Gilooly of The Providence Journal. Mike Lunney and Tom Mezzanotte will represent the RIIL and discuss the tournament formula. The selection show will also include interviews with several coaches of playoff-bound teams…

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