2017 -- H 5918

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LC002163

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CONGRATULATING THE UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MEN’S BASKETBALL

TEAM ON WINNING THE 2017 ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

CHAMPIONSHIP

     Introduced By: Representatives McEntee, Shekarchi, Craven, Tanzi, and McKiernan

     Date Introduced: March 15, 2017

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, The University of Rhode Island Men's Basketball Team picked the right

time of the season to play their best basketball, as they swept aside the competition at the 2017

Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament to win their first Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament

Championship in eighteen years, and earn a berth in the NCAA Basketball Tournament; and

     WHEREAS, The URI Men's Basketball Team has compiled an outstanding 24 and 9

record thus far in the 2016-2017 season thanks to the outstanding play provided all season by

Hassan Martin, the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year and All-Conference Second Team

selection, E.C. Matthews, Atlantic 10 All-Conference Third Team selection, Jeff Dowtin, an

Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team selection, and the innumerable contributions provided by Jared

Terrell, Kuran Iverson, Jarvis Garrett, Stanford Robinson, Nicola Akele, Cyril Langevine,

Christion Thompson, Andre Berry, Eric Dadika, Will Leviton and Mike Layssard. Additionally,

the Rams were blessed to be led by the innovative coaching and exemplary leadership provided

by Head Coach Dan Hurley, Associate Head Coach David Cox, and Assistant Coaches Jim Carr,

and Antonio Reynolds Dean; and

     WHEREAS, The Rams Men's basketball team entered the Atlantic 10 Conference

Tournament in Pittsburgh desperate for wins with all the national prognosticators declaring that

URI had to make a deep run in order to secure an NCAA bid. Many teams wilt under this kind of

pressure but the Rams seemed to welcome it as they stormed through the opposition and

dominated the tournament. They began their run by beating St. Bonaventure 74 to 63, putting

away the Bonnies in the second half with an 11 to 2 run. E.C. Matthews and Hassan Martin

combined for thirty-nine points in the Rams victory. In the Semi-Finals, URI thrashed Davidson

84 to 60, trailing for only twenty-four seconds in the game, and advancing to the title game

against Virginia Commonwealth University; and

     WHEREAS, With an NCAA Tournament bid on the line, the Rams men's basketball

team started the game on fire, storming to a big first half lead and withstanding a second half run

by VCU to win the Atlantic 10 Championship by the score of 70 to 63. The Rams were able to

cut the nets down in Pittsburgh thanks to the outstanding play provided by E.C. Matthews who

scored nineteen points, grabbed nine rebounds, and was named the Most Outstanding Player of

the Atlantic 10 Championship and a member of the All-Championship Team. Joining him on the

All-Championship team was teammate Hassan Martin, who contributed eleven points, five

rebounds and three blocked shots in the title game. Also making vital contributions were Jared

Terrell, who scored twenty-four points, and freshman Cyril Langevine who grabbed ten rebounds

and blocked two shots off the bench; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations hereby congratulates the University of Rhode Island Men's Basketball

Team on winning the 2017 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Conference Tournament. We

furthermore wish the team continued success in the 2017 NCAA Basketball Tournament; and be

it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Mr. Dan Hurley, Head Coach, University of

Rhode Island Men's Basketball Team.

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LC002163

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