Franklin Pierce Holds Off 
Assumption, 57-55
Ravens clinch postseason berth 
behind career-high 16 points from Clifton

WORCESTER, Mass. (February 1, 2006) – Franklin Pierce clinched a spot in the Northeast-10 Conference tournament for the second-straight year and fourth time in five seasons with a 57-55 victory over Assumption College in NE-10 women’s basketball action at Laska Gymnasium this evening.

            In addition to sewing up a postseason spot, Franklin Pierce also matched its previous high Conference victory total since joining the NE-10 in 2000 with its ten wins set last season.

            Senior forward Maria Clifton (New York, N.Y./Saint Michael’s Academy) led Franklin Pierce with a career-best 16 points (11 first half) as she hit 6-of-10 from the field, including 3-5 from three-point range, to go with four rebounds and two steals. Freshman Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England) added ten points and two steals, while senior Heather Jacobs (Stoughton, Mass./Stoughton) chipped in eight points (all second half) three boards, three assists and two steals.

            Junior Danielle D’Ettorre (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario/St. Mary’s) chipped in a season and game-high ten rebounds, while freshman Heather Benton (Valley Springs, Calif./St. Mary’s) grabbed eight boards (four offensive) and three steals. The Ravens out-rebounded Assumption 41-32, grabbing 17 on the offensive end.            

Freshman Beth Plasski (Fall River, Mass./Durfee) led the Greyhounds with a season-high 18 points to go with eight steals, three rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Charde Floyd (Worcester, Mass./Worcester Academy) also netted 18 points, hitting 9-of-12 from the field, to go with a team-best nine rebounds.

            While Plasski and Floyd were a combined 15-of-25 (60-percent) from the field, their teammates were just 6-23 (26.1%) on the night, including 0-6 from three-point range.

            Franklin Pierce was slow coming out of the gates as Assumption scored the first 13 points of the contest, led by five points from Plasski, over the first 4:55. The Ravens chipped away and used a 17-4 run over the next six minutes to forge a 17-17 tie after a Melissa Kapela (Queens, N.Y./Christ the King) basket with 9:01 left in the stanza. Kapela and Clifton led the rally with six and five points, respectively.

            Franklin Pierce opened up a nine-point bulge (32-23) with 2:23 left in the opening half with a 15-6 run, sparked by a pair of three-point plays by Clifton and five points from Leedham. The Greyhounds closed the half with a 6-2 run to close within five at the break (34-29).

            Assumption came out strong again in the second half and used a 7-1 run to take a one-point lead (36-35) after a Kerry Milahaven (Wantagh, N.Y./Our Lady of Mercy) free-throw with 12:30 to play. The Ravens got six-straight points from Jacobs (her first of the night) and a three-pointer from Clifton to regain an eight-point lead (46-38) with 8:06 to go.

            Assumption wouldn’t go away quietly, netting eight-straight points (four from Plasski), to force the sixth and final tie of the contest (48-48) with 4:26 left. However, D’Ettorre scored her first basket of the game to start a 9-2 run, also sparked by a conventional three-point play from Leedham, that put the Ravens up by seven (57-50) with 13.2-seconds to go and sew up the victory.  

Franklin Pierce (13-8, 10-6 NE-10) returns home on Saturday when it hosts American International College, ranked No. 20 in this week’s USA Today/ESPN Division II poll, at 1:30 p.m. Assumption (11-10, 7-9 NE-10) visits UMass Lowell Saturday at 2 p.m.

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