Franklin Pierce Stuns RINDGE,
N.H. (January 7, 2006) – Franklin
Pierce picked up a key Conference victory with a commanding 73-57
decision over Saint Michael’s College, receiving votes in this
week’s USA Today/ESPN Division II Coaches Poll, in Northeast-10
Conference women’s basketball action at the Franklin Pierce
Fieldhouse this afternoon.
Franklin Pierce shot an impressive 56.8-percent (25-44) from
the field to post its eighth win over its last nine contests and hand
Head Coach Mark Swasey his 100th career
victory (100-78). Saint Michael’s has its eight-game winning streak
halted with the loss, shooting 45.2-percent (19-42) from the field.
The Ravens turned 25 SMC turnovers into 29 points at the other end. Junior forward Danielle D’Ettorre (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario/St. Mary’s) led a balanced Franklin Pierce attack with 19 points, hitting 7-of-9 shots from the field and converting all four free-throw attempts on the afternoon. Senior Heather Jacobs (Stoughton, Mass./Stoughton) added 14 points, on 6-8 shooting, six rebounds, five assists and four steals. Sophomore Josie Lidke (Chaska, Minn./Chaska) rounded out the Ravens double-figure scorers with ten points, while senior Maria Clifton (New York, N.Y./Saint Michael’s Academy) added six points and six boards and freshman Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England) chipped in nine points, six assists and three steals.
Senior
Brigid Hegarty (North Andover, Mass./Central Catholic)
carried Saint Michael’s with a game-high 20 points, hitting 7-of-10
shots from the field, including 4-5 from three-point range. Junior Jevy
Rayner (Westminster, Vt./Bellows Falls Union) added eight
points, while freshman Meghan O’Connor (Georgetown,
Mass./Georgetown) chipped in six points off the bench.
Franklin Pierce held a seven-point lead at the break (33-27),
then opened the second half with a 10-0 run to open a 16-point bulge
(43-27) after a Clifton layup 4:53 into the frame. A conventional
three-point play by Jacobs sparked a 9-0 spurt midway through the half
to extend the lead to 25 (57-32) with 8:37 to play and the Ravens
never looked back from there.
A Hegarty three-pointer 2:49 into the first half put Saint
Michael’s up a point (8-7). It proved to be the last lead of the day
for the Purple Knights as Franklin Pierce opened an 11-point edge
(23-12) after a pair of D’Ettorre free throws with 9:05 left in the
half. SMC closed within a point (25-24) after an Erica Masi (New
Hartford, N.Y./New Hartford) lay-up with 5:15 left in the
stanza, but the Ravens closed out the half with an 8-3 run, sparked by
three points from Leedham.
|
