#20
American International RINDGE, N.H. (February, 2006)
– American
International College, ranked No. 20 in this week’s USA Today/ESPN
Division II poll, rallied from a 13-point deficit midway through the
second half to post a 65-60 double-overtime victory at Franklin
Pierce, ranked ninth in the Northeast Region, in Northeast-10
Conference women’s basketball action at the Fieldhouse this
afternoon. Franklin
Pierce held American International to 30-percent (24-80) shooting from
the field, including 6-of-24 (25%) from three-point range, for the
contest. However, the Yellow Jackets forced the Ravens into a
season-high 30 turnovers, which resulted in 29 points at the other
end. The Ravens also shot themselves in the foot at the free-throw
line, canning just 9-of-20 (45%) on the day. Senior Sharmion Selman (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) posted a double-double to lead AIC, totaling 13 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and four steals. Junior Krystal Pressley (New Haven, Conn.) added 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three blocks and five steals, while senior Debbie Sampson (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) registered 12 points and three assists off the bench.
Sophomore
Stephanie
Bergeron (Pointe Claire, Quebec)
netted a game-high 17 points (11 first half) for Franklin Pierce.
Senior Heather Jacobs (Stoughton,
Mass./Stoughton)
notched the Ravens first double-double this season (women or men) with
ten points and a season-high 13 rebounds, while junior Danielle
D’Ettorre (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario/St. Mary’s)
added eight points and nine boards. The
Ravens out-rebounded the Yellow Jackets 58-47 in the contest, with
freshman Heather
Benton (Valley Springs, Calif./St. Mary’s)
also reaching double-digits on the boards with a season-best ten. Franklin
Pierce hit 50-percent (11-22) of its shots from the field, including
5-of-10 from three-point range, to take a nine point lead (32-23) into
halftime. Bergeron led the way in the opening stanza with 11 points,
draining 3-4 from three-point range. AIC
closed to within five on three occasions in the opening seven minutes
of the second-half, but Franklin Pierce used an 8-0 run, sparked by
five points from D’Ettorre, including a conventional three-point
play, to take a 13-point lead (47-34) with 12:23 to play. The Ravens lead was still 13 (51-38) after a Benton put back with 8:22 to go when the Yellow Jackets made their move. AIC, which would hold the Ravens to just three field goals the rest of the way, was down 11 (52-41) after Jacobs hit one of two at the line for Franklin Pierce with 4:37 on the clock.
AIC
closed out regulation with a 13-2 run, forcing the first tie (54-54),
since in was 5-5 three minutes into the contest, as Selman converted
one of two at the line with 44-seconds to play. Both teams had
possessions in the closing seconds of regulation, but both turned the
ball over and Selman missed a jumper with two seconds to go. Pressley
hit two free throws to give the Yellow Jackets their first lead of the
night (56-54) 1:41 into the first overtime. AIC was up a pair (57-55)
after senior Tiffany
Wooten (Mattapan, Mass./Randolph)
hit a free-throw with 55-seconds left, but Bergeron converted a
conventional three-point play to give the Ravens the lead back (58-57)
with 37-seconds on the clock. Junior Alissa
Rubino (Port Jefferson, N.Y./Comsewogue)
made up for her own turnover with a steal and was fouled with
17-seconds left, but made just one of two, knotting the score at
58-58. The Ravens missed a driving lay-up with eight-seconds left for
the win, forcing a second extra period. AIC
never trailed in the final five minutes, jumping out to a five-point
lead (63-58) with 2:28 on the clock, after a Sampson jumper and
Pressley three-pointer. Sophomore Josie
Lidke (Chaska, Minn./Chaska)
scored a lay-up to pull the Ravens within three (63-60) with 1:20
left, but that was as close as they would get, shooting 0-4 from the
field the rest of the way.
Franklin Pierce (13-9, 10-7 NE-10) is back on the road Tuesday for a key Conference match up with Bentley College, ranked eight in the region, at 5:30 p.m. American International (18-4, 13-4 NE-10) hosts Saint Anselm College on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. |
