Jan. 3, 2011

Stony Brook men's basketball assistant coach Dan Rickard has advanced to the quarterfinals of Collegeinsider.com's Shots from the Heart free throw tournament, aimed to raise awareness for heart disease. Rickard made 23 out of 25 free throws to defeat Mississippi State assistant coach Marcus Grant.

Head coach Steve Pikiell also participated in the tournament, but lost his second round matchup to Arizona head coach Sean Miller. Although Pikiell actually made more free throws than Miller (23-22), the Arizona head coach edged Pikiell in points 28-27. One of Pikiell's misses was the final free throw, which is worth three points. Nonetheless, Pikiell finishes the tournament having made 48 out of possible 50 free throws (96 percent).

Rickard will now face a stiff challenge in the Sweet 16, taking on Texas Tech assistant coach Brooks Jennings, who is a perfect 50-for-50 in the tournament so far.

"Shots from the Heart" is an event in which college basketball coaches will compete against one another in a free throw shooting tournament benefiting the American Heart Association. The event will also pay tribute to the late Skip Prosser who passed away on July 26, 2007 of a heart attack.

Quarterfinal matches will take place throughout the month of January with the results posted in February. For more information on the tournaments, visit Collegeinsider.com/shots.