Franklin Pierce Edges Teikyo Post,
84-79

Sadler cans key three-pointer in closing seconds to lead comeback effort

 SMITHFIELD, R.I. (December 30, 2003) – Franklin Pierce posted its second win in as many days following the holiday layoff as it edged Teikyo Post University, 84-79, in day two action of the Comfort Suites Holiday Classic hosted by Bryant College tonight.

            Sophomore center Tom Sadler (Oxford, England) buried a three-pointer with 39-seconds left in regulation to put Franklin Pierce up for good (80-77) after senior guard Jimmie Hunt (Utica, N.Y./Mount Ararat (Maine)) pulled down an offensive rebound. The Sadler three was the key bucket in a game-ending 15-6 run after Teikyo Post held a 73-69 advantage with 4:53 to play. The Ravens held the Eagles to just one field goal over that span.

            Senior guard Derek Rodgerson (Newburgh, Maine/Hampden Academy) led five Franklin Pierce players in double-figures with 24 points on six-of-14 shooting from the field, including 4-7 from three-point range, to go with an 8-8 effort at the free-throw line. His pair with one second to play iced the game and he also added five assists and two steals on the night.          

Hunt contributed 18 points, aided by a 7-9 effort at the line, and six boards, while Sadler finished with 13 points, on 6-8 shooting from the field, nine rebounds and a block. Senior Kent Willingham (Queens, N.Y./McNair Academy) and sophomore Justin Powell (Brookline, Mass./Brookline) rounded out the Ravens double-figure scorers with 11 points each.

            Teikyo Post senior guard Ron Christy (Stratford, Conn./Stratford) led all scorers with 32 points to go with seven rebounds (four offensive) and two steals. Classmate Terence Wilkins (Brooklyn, N.Y./Carnarsie) added 18 points (14 second half) on 8-13 shooting from the floor to go with seven boards, three assists and two steals.

            The Ravens out-scored the Eagles 24-10 from the free-throw line, including 12-1 in the opening half, and hit 42.1-percent (8-19) of their attempts from three-point range compared to 21.7% (5-23) for TPU.

            Franklin Pierce held a ten point advantage (34-24) with 5:09 left in the opening half, but got just one field goal (a Hunt three at 2:21) over the next seven minutes of play wrapped around the intermission as Teikyo Post’s full-court press wreaked havoc on the Ravens, forcing many of their 19 turnovers in the game.     

The Eagles knotted the score twice over the first ten minutes of the second half and took their first lead of the contest (63-61) after a put back from senior Lauriston Beech (Bridgeport, Conn./Central) with 7:55 to play.

             Teikyo Post worked its lead to seven points (70-63) after a pair of Christy free-throws with 6:23 left in regulation to cap a 14-2 run. The Ravens answered as Rodgerson hit four free-throws and canned a three-pointer, while Willingham added six points over the next four minutes as the Ravens regained the lead (76-75) with 2:29 left on the clock.

            Wilkins scored the Eagles lone field goal over the final 5:24 with a lay-up with 2:16 to play to give TPU its last lead of the night (77-76) before Franklin Pierce closed the contest out with an 8-2 run sparked by the Sadler three.

Franklin Pierce (5-4, 2-3 NE-10) returns to Northeast-10 Conference play on Saturday when it hosts Saint Anselm College at 3:30 p.m. Teikyo Post falls to 4-4 with the loss.

 BOX SCORE