Coaches are asked to send in game results by email – pjsports@providencejournal.com – or by calling the Sports desk between 6 and 10 p.m. on weeknights, at (401) 277-7340.

▶BOYS BASKETBALL

Division I

East Providence 55, Mount Pleasant 53

The Townies built enough of a lead in the first half that despite being outscored, 32-29, in the second frame, they were able to hold on to edge the Kilties. Tyler Gomez scored 15 points and Franklin Lopez added 10 more in the win. Ledell Henton and Benji Mordan topped the Kilties in scoring with 18 and 14 points, respectively, in the loss.

La Salle 78, North Kingstown 61

Nick Tarro poured in a game-high 21 points and teammates Jake Marcone had 19 and Lucas Gillis added 10 more as La Salle upended North Kingstown and moved to 3-0 on the season. Landon Boddington led the 1-1 Skippers with 17 points.

Barrington 60, Cumberland 40

The Eagles improved their record to 2-0 in D-1 with a dominant win over the Clippers. Barrington jumped out to a 12-0 lead and were never really challenged after that. Ryan Rigamonti scored 14 of his game high 20 points in the third quarter to pace the 2-0 Eagles and Caleb Satisfield and Colin McDermott also finished in double figures with 16 and 14 points, respectively.  The Clippers were led by Ben Jahnz‘s four three pointers and 16 points and teammate Dylan Briere, who finished with 15.

Division II

Juanita Sanchez 67, Chariho 55

Robert Frazier-Robinson led all scorers with 27 points and Tyrelle Paye added 11 as the Cavaliers evened their record at 1-1 on the young season. Sean Westnedge led the Chargers with 21 points and Kian Underhill added 13 in the loss.

▶GIRLS BASKETBALL

Division I/II

South Kingstown 33, Cranston East 21

Makenzie Ribeiro led the Div. I Rebels with 13 points and Abigail O’Rourke added 5 to even SK’s record at 1-1. For the Div. II Thunderbolts (0-3), Ceanaa Tuazon scored a team-high 8 points and Isabella Dupret had 7 in the loss.

Division II

Narragansett 54, Johnston 18

Delaney Bonneau paced the Mariners with 15 points and recorded 6 rebounds and 3 steals in the win. Grace Blessing had 13 points, 8 assists and 9 boards and Brooke Caffrey added 12, as Gansett improved to 3-1. Annabella Gesualdi led the Panthers (1-3) with 9 points in the loss.

Division III

Davies 68, Times2 28

Aniyah Gomes poured in 17 points and teammates Jojo Ali and Deidra Delille scored 14 points apiece as Davies overwhelmed Times 2 in D-III contest. The Patriots’ win spoiled a solid outing by the Eagles’ Hadiya Jennings, who pumped in a game high 21 points in the loss.

More: D-III is the biggest division in RI girls hoops. Here are 10 players you’ll need to know

▶BOYS HOCKEY

Nonleague

Ponaganset 5, Mount St Charles 5 (Tuesday)

Jake Steinkamp recorded a hat trick as Ponaganset scored twice with two minutes left to knot their nonleague contest with Mounties. Brennan Printer and Cody Sabatos also scored for the Chieftains. In net, Ponaganset goalies AJ Murgida and Rootie Boisvert made 15 saves apiece. (No stats were provided for Mount St. Charles.)

BOYS BASKETBALL

Mount St. Charles at Juanita Sanchez, 6 p.m.

Portsmouth at Hendricken, 6:30 p.m.

Times2 vs. St. Patrick at RI School for the Deaf, 7 p.m.

Coventry at Westerly, 7 p.m.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Bay View at St. Raphael, 3:45 p.m.

Central at PCD, 4:30 p.m.

Juanita Sanchez vs. Moses Brown at Wheeler School, 5:30 p.m.

Scituate vs. Rogers at the Martin Recreation Center, 5:30 p.m.

Paul Cuffee/St. Patrick at Mount Pleasant, 5:30 p.m.

Shea/Tolman at Classical, 6 p.m.

Westerly at Portsmouth, 6:30m p.m.

Coventry at East Providence, 6:30 p.m.

Achievement First at Burrillville, 6:30 p.m.

Hope at Prout, 6:30 p.m.

Ponaganset at Barrington, 7 p.m.

Cranston West at La Salle, 7 p.m.

South Kingstown at North Kingstown, 7 p.m.

Cumberland at East Greenwich, 7 p.m.

Tiverton at Lincoln, 7 p.m.

Middletown at Exeter-West Greenwich, 7 p.m.

BOYS ICE HOCKEY

Pilgrim vs. Moses Brown at Thayer Arena, 3:45 p.m.

Portsmouth vs. Ponaganset at Levy Arena, 5 p.m.

South Kingstown/Westerly vs. Narragansett/Chariho at Boss Arena, 6:30 p.m.

Coventry/Johnston vs. Cumberland at Lynch Rink, 7 p.m.

Barrington at Burrillville, 7 p.m.

Smithfield vs. Hendricken at Thayer Arena, 7:15 p.m.

West Warwick/Exeter-West Greenwich vs. East Greenwich/Toll Gate at Benny Magiera Rink, 8 p.m.

Rogers Co-op vs. North Kingstown at Boss Arena, 8:15 p.m.

Prout vs. La Salle at Smithfield Rink, 8:30 p.m.

GIRLS ICE HOCKEY

Smith/Cov/MB vs.TG/Pilgrim at Thayer Arena, 5:30 p.m.

East Bay Co-Op at Cranston Co-Op at Cranston Vets, 8:10 p.m.

BOYS SWIMMING

PCD vs. East Greenwich at McDermott Pool, 6 p.m.

GIRLS SWIMMING

Smithfield vs. BVP/CF at MacColl YMCA, 4:30 p.m.

Toll Gate vs. Tolman/Shea/St. Pats at Pawtucket Boys and Girls Club, 5 p.m.

PCD/St. Rays vs. East Greenwich at McDermott Pool, 6 p.m.

Mt. Hope vs. Burrillville at Smithfield YMCA, 6:15 p.m.

BOYS INDOOR TRACK

RIIL Meet at PCTA, 5:30 p.m.

GIRLS INDOOR TRACK

RIIL Meet at PCTA, 5:30 p.m.

Our corner of New England was well-represented on Jeopardy! Wednesday night, as three different clues pertained to Massachusetts and Rhode Island – including one about Fall River’s most infamous resident.

It’s not uncommon for either the Bay State or the Ocean State to be part of a Jeopardy! clue, but it’s hard to remember an episode in which both were featured so prominently as they were on December 18.

In the first round, the category “That’s Weird” had a clue that was definitely an easy one for any person on the SouthCoast.

Host Ken Jennings read, “The Weird U.S. Travel Guide includes such sights as the Fall River, Massachusetts house of this accused murderess,” and an image very similar to this one appeared on the board:

Contestant Ashley had the correct answer: Lizzie Borden.

The Double Jeopardy round had the category “D.C.’s Statuary Hall” with two locally-themed clues.

The $1200 clue was: “Vermont has a statue of him, despite or maybe in part because of the fact he was run out of towns in Massachusetts and Connecticut.”

Ashley guessed wrong on that one, answering “Who is Benedict Arnold?” The correct answer was Ethan Allen. Obviously, Ashley never bought furniture in New England, at least not from an Ethan Allen store. Maybe from an Ashley Furniture store, though.

Rhode Island got in on the fun with the $1600 clue from the same category.

The clue was, “Rhode Island honors Nathanael Greene and this man, which seems the least the state could do, as he founded the original colony.”

Do you know it? Here’s a hint: there is both a zoo and a university named after him.

“Who is Roger Williams?”

PROVIDENCE –The citizens-advocacy group Common Cause has filed a complaint against the political ally at the center of the “ILO” contract controversy that has dogged Gov. Dan McKee since he ascended to the state’s top office in March 2021.

Though Attorney General Peter Neronha found insufficient evidence to file a criminal charge against anyone connected to the “ham-handed” award of a $5.2 million education consulting contract to ILO, Common Cause Rhode Island on Thursday filed a complaint with the secretary of state against McKee ally Michael Magee.

What is Common Cause alleging?

The allegation: That Magee aggressively lobbied the executive branch to award a contract to the newly created ILO Group headed by Julia Rafal-Baer – who had been an associate at his nonprofit “Chiefs for Change” – without officially registering as a lobbyist.

In a letter to the lobbying arm of Secretary of State Gregg Amore’s office, Common Cause Rhode Islandrequested an investigation of Magee’s alleged failure to register as a lobbyist, as well as sanctions for his alleged violation of the state’s lobbying law.

Filed by Common Cause Executive Director John Marion, the letter references documents released by Neronha and the Rhode Island State Police in late October, at the conclusion of their investigation into the awarding of a state contract to the ILO Group, LLC.

More: AG’s office releases results of ILO investigation. What does it mean for McKee?

“The investigation into how the ILO Group was awarded a state contract exposed politics at its worst, including a procurement process full of back-scratching,” Marion said Thursday.

“We are disappointed that the state’s public integrity laws did not protect against the unethical behavior revealed in the ILO Group investigations,” Marion continued. “While ultimately few may be held accountable, Rhode Islanders deserve to know this behavior won’t be repeated.”

Among the findings Common Cause cited as evidence of unregistered lobbying:

• A Zoom call on March 5, 2021 with McKee, the governor’s then-Chief of Staff Anthony Silva, then-Director of Administration James Thorsen and state Purchasing Agent Nancy McIntyre during which “Magee introduced the idea of hiring ILO as a consulting firm.”
• “Following that meeting, Magee sent an email to Thorsen and McIntyre in which he attempted to narrow the field of those firms able to bid on the contract by including terms favorable to ILO.”
• “The state police [concluded] that, ‘When read in the context of Magee’s prior communications tothe governor’s office, his advocating for one vendor to DOA officials suggests Magee’s continued intent to have [ILO Group CEO, Julia] Rafal-Baer receive the contract.’”

Common Cause also requests an Ethics Commission investigation

Based on Neronha’s publicly reported findings, Common Cause also petitioned the state’s Ethics Commission to amend its gift rules to encompass the unusual situation that came to light during the attorney general’s ILO probe.

The investigators uncovered a previously undisclosed contract in which Chiefs for Change engaged another company, SKDK, at $15,000-a-month, to provide then-Lt. Gov. McKee and his staff with advise in the lead up to his ascent to governor.

In the petition to the Ethics Commission, Marion noted the narrow wording of the current $25 limit on gifts from those who have a “direct financial interest in a decision that the person subject to the Code of Ethics is authorized to make or participate in [making] as part of his or her official duties.”

“Common Cause Rhode Island believes that the current requirement that there be a financial nexus for the ‘gift rule’ to apply is insufficiently protective of the public interest,” he wrote.

He asked the Commission to amend the gift rule to include “lobbyists as a class.”

His argument: “When registered lobbyists, who by definition are paid to influence public officials, are giving gifts to those same public officials, it undermines ‘the public trust,’ gives the ‘appearance of impropriety,’ and suggeststhat public officials are using their official positions for ‘private gain.’”

He also asked:

• That the Commission require public officials and employees to disclose any gift received if, “under the totality of the circumstances, it is more likely than not” they would not have received the gift were it not for their public office or position.
• That the Commission to consider a policy to “better protect the procurement process from political interference.”