Franklin
Pierce Defeats KEENE,
N.H. (December 2, 2006) – Franklin
Pierce collected its fourth win in seven days with a 78-70 victory
over Stonehill College, ranked 25th in this week’s NABC
Division II poll, in Northeast-10 Conference men’s basketball action
at Keene State College’s Spaulding Gymnasium this afternoon.
Senior
captain Darryl Minnifield
(Boston, Mass./Brookline) matched his career-high with 21 points
as he hit five-of-nine shots from the field and converted 9-10
free-throws to go with five rebounds for Franklin Pierce. Freshman Marcus Wellman (Monroe, Conn./Hamden Hall) continued his hot start
with 17 points, draining 5-of-10 from three-point range, to go with
six assists, four rebounds and two blocks. Sophomore Timothy Munch (Blauvelt, N.Y./Storm King Prep) added 13 points,
aided by 6-6 shooting from the line, three steals and two blocks,
while senior Sean Mayo (Saco,
Maine/Thornton Academy) chipped in ten points and six boards. Senior Lance Clarke (Cambridge, Mass./Cambridge R&L) and freshman AJ Rudowitz (Monroe Township, N.J./Monroe Township) each netted a team-high 15 points for Stonehill, with Clarke hitting 6-of-8 from the field, including 3-5 three-pointers. Freshman Nikola Stevanovic (Belgrade, Serbia) added 14 points on 6-11 shooting (2-3 three’s), while sophomore Nick Smith (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) chipped in 12 points and four rebounds.
Franklin
Pierce hit 52.2-percent (24-of-46) of its shots from the field,
including 11-of-19 (57.9%) in the second half, and converted 21-of-22
(95.5%) of its free-throw attempts. Stonehill shot 49.1% (26-53) from
the field, but went to the line just 11 times, converting nine
(81.8%).
Franklin
Pierce led by as much as 13 in the first half (31-18) after a
Minnifield layup with 8:35 left in the frame, as the Ravens hit 9 of
their first 12 shots from the field over the first ten minutes.
Stonehill closed the half on a 15-4 run, sparked by three-pointers by
Clarke and Smith, to close within a pair at the break (35-33).
Back-to-back
Stonehill baskets 1:30 into the second half knotted the score at
37-37. With the score tied at 49-49 with 12:42 to play, Franklin
Pierce used a 12-2 spurt to regain a double-digit lead (61-51) after a
Jack Barrett (Reading, Mass./Andover) layup with 6:11 left.
A
Clarke three sparked seven-straight Stonehill points to pull the
Skyhawks within three (61-58) with 3:49 on the clock, but a
conventional three-point play by Mayo put Franklin Pierce back up six
and the Ravens drained all 15 free-throw attempts in the final 2:50 to
seal the victory. Franklin Pierce (5-2, 3-1 NE-10) opens a two-game swing through Upstate New York on Tuesday at Le Moyne College at 7:30 p.m. Stonehill (3-2, 1-2 NE-10) visits Assumption College on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. |
