Franklin
Pierce RINDGE, N.H.
(January 28, 2006) – Franklin
Pierce claimed its biggest win of the season with a 73-71 victory over
Bryant University, ranked sixth in this week’s NCAA Division II
Northeast regional poll, in a key Northeast-10 Conference battle at
the Franklin Pierce Fieldhouse this afternoon. Franklin
Pierce again dominated on the glass, finishing with a 47-38 advantage
on the boards as the Ravens snared 22 on the offensive end alone and
used a balanced scoring attack to post its ninth win over its last 12
games. The win was also the Ravens season-best fourth in a row and
first in six games this season against a regionally ranked opponent. Senior Pierre Sully (Jamaica Plain, Mass./North Cambridge) led Franklin Pierce with 17 points, hitting 5-of-10 from three-point range, to go with seven rebounds and two steals. Junior Sean Mayo (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) added a season-high 16 points, hitting 7-12 from the field (2-2 three’s), and seven rebounds (six offensive), while classmate Darryl Minnifield (Boston, Mass./Brookline) totaled 13 points (12 first half), three boards and three steals.
Senior
Justin Powell (Brookline, Mass./Brookline) finished with
12 points, aided by 8-of-10 shooting from the line, and grabbed a
game-high nine rebounds (seven offensive), including the 500th
of his career. He is just one of 16 in program history to reach the
milestone. Bryant
squandered a season-best effort from senior John Williams
(Springfield, Mass./Longmeadow), who netted a game-best 30
points on 9-of-21 shooting from the field, including 6-11 from beyond
the arc, while draining all six of his free-throw attempts. He also
added three rebounds (all offensive), three assists and three steals.
Junior Nathaniel Sudlow (Brooklyn, N.Y./Tilden) was the
only other Bulldog in double-figures, adding 21 points off the bench
on 8-9 shooting from the field (2-2 three’s) and four boards. While
the Bulldogs top scorers were a combined 17-of-30 (.567) from the
floor, the rest of the team was 8-28 (28.6%). Junior Dan Hammond
(Brunswick, Maine/Brunswick) matched the game-high with nine
rebounds to go with three blocks, while freshman Nick Pontes
(New Bedford, Mass./New Bedford) chipped in seven points and
six boards off the bench. Franklin Pierce committed just 14 turnovers, to 17 for Bryant, but the Bulldogs turned those into 23 points at the other end as the contest featured nine ties and 11 lead changes. The Ravens buried 50-percent (9-18) of their shots from three-point range despite shooting just 34.8% (23-66) from the field, compared to 43.1% (25-58) shooting for Bryant.
The
hosts settled for an eight-point lead at the break (42-34) after
leading by ten on three different occasions late in the first half.
Bryant stormed back and forced a 50-50 tie after a Williams
three-pointer with 12:40 to play. Bryant
completed a 12-1 run to take a four-point lead (55-51) after a
conventional three-point play from Sudlow with 11:52 on the clock.
Sudlow hit a three-pointer to put the Bulldogs back up three (61-58)
with 8:35 to go, but Powell scored a lay-up and converted a free-throw
to force the third tie of the half (61-61) with 7:32 to go. Senior
Tom Sadler (London, England/Farmington (N.H.) HS) canned
a jumper with 5:37 to go that put Franklin Pierce up three (65-62)
with 5:37 left, but Sudlow hit a lay-up and Williams buried a
three-pointer to give Bryant the lead (67-66) with 3:33 to go. Williams
hit two free-throws, then Mayo drained his second three-pointer of the
night to put the host in front for good (70-69) with 2:04 to go. After
a Bryant miss, sophomore Joseph Chatman (Boston, Mass./BC High)
scored a driving lay-up to put the hosts up three (72-69) with 1:16 to
go. Hammond pulled the Bulldogs back within a point with 46-seconds
left and the visitors were given a chance to take the lead, after the
hosts allowed the shot clock to run out. Junior Chris Burns
(Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack) missed a jumper just inside the
foul line with three-seconds left and Minnifield hit one of two at the
line to ice it with a second on the clock.
Franklin Pierce (12-7, 9-5 NE-10) is on the road Wednesday when it visits Assumption College at 7:30 p.m. Bryant (13-7, 8-7 NE-10) hosts UMass Lowell on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. |
