FRONT ROW : John Fultz, Claude English, Leon Mintschenko, Joe Zaranka, Mike Schanne, Ron Louder, Joe Van Oudenhove. REAR ROW : Coach Tom Carmody, Ed Molloy, Fred Kornblith, Bi ll Metkiff, AI Hazard, Harvey Fine, Ron Tiskevich, Asst. Coach Earl Shannon.
and English will be back next season and this combination could prove to be the best front court combi nation in the East. Several thousand fans flocked to Keaney Gymnasium to watch the Rams in the first game of the 1968-69 basketbal l season. St. Michael's, the Ram 's first-opponent, shocked the fans by walking off the floor at half-time with a marginal lead . However, the fans ' confidence was restored when the Rams began to find themselves in the second half of play and regained the lead ... for a short time. St. Michael 's staved off the rally and came up with a stunning victory. Final socre: St. Michael 's 59, U.R.I. 54. Unfortunately for the Rams, the St. Michael 's game set a precedent for the next four games. In the second game U.R.I. was shocked by Brown , 79-59. In game number three, Manhatten showed why they were favored by beating the Rams 7462. The Rams record changed from 0-3 to 0-4 when they lost their first Yankee Conference game to Massachusetts, 65-60. With a standing room crowd of 5,000 fans, the Rams took on the red-hot Providence College Friars. The Rams, hoping for their first victory, were dismayed as the Friars defeated Rhody, 86-76. The tide finally turned as U.R.I. t ravelled to Maine for their second Yankee Conference game. 190