Franklin Pierce Tops 
Saint Michael’s, 63-59
Ravens complete valuable regular 
season series sweep

COLCHESTER, Vt. (January 24, 2006) – Franklin Pierce collected a key road victory with a 63-59 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 Ross Sports Center tonight.

            With its top two scorers in foul trouble most of the second half, Franklin Pierce’s supporting cast stepped up as the Ravens completed a valuable regular season series sweep of Saint Michael’s. Sophomore Stephanie Bergeron (Pointe Claire, Quebec/Dawson College) led the Ravens with 17 points as she hit 5-of-10 from the field, including 5-9 from three-point range, to go with three assists. Senior Maria Clifton (New York, N.Y./Saint Michael’s Academy) totaled 12 points, a game-high eight rebounds and three blocks in 28 minutes off the bench.            

Senior Heather Jacobs (Stoughton, Mass./Stoughton) contributed 13 points (eight first half), five rebounds, three assists and two steals for the Ravens, while freshman Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England) added 11 points, three assists and two steals in 22 minutes off the bench.

            Senior Brigid Hegarty (North Andover, Mass./Central Catholic) led Saint Michael’s with 16 points (13 first half), three assists and two steals before fouling out with just under a minute to play. Junior Dani Rayner (Westminster, Vt./Bellows Falls Union) added 13 points, five rebounds and three assists, while twin sister Jevy Rayner (Westminster, Vt./Bellows Falls Union) chipped in seven points, a team-high eight rebounds, two assists and two steals.

            Franklin Pierce led by as much as 12 points (32-20) after a Clifton jumper with 3:26 to play in the first half, but settled for a seven-point halftime edge (34-27) after Dani Rayner closed out the half with a pair of free-throws. The Ravens continued their momentum early in the second half, jumping out to a 13-point lead (42-29) after Clifton converted a conventional three-point play 5:54 into the stanza.

            Franklin Pierce’s advantage was nine (48-39) after a pair of Leedham free-throws with 8:00 on the clock when Saint Michael’s reeled off a 13-1 run to take its first lead since early in the contest (52-49) after a Hegarty three-pointer with 6:10 to go.

            The Purple Knights advantage was still three (54-51) after a Dani Rayner lay-up with 5:33 to play, when the Ravens scored five-straight points, capped by a Bergeron three-pointer, to regain the lead (56-54) with 3:45 left.

Sophomore Amy Pitchers (Oxford Mills, Ontario/North Grenville District) scored a jumper to knot the score, but after Clifton hit one of two at the line, the Ravens forced a miss and Jacobs converted a conventional three-point play to put the visitors back up four (60-56) with 58-seconds to go. The Ravens iced the game from there with 3-4 shooting at the line over the final minute.  

Franklin Pierce (12-7, 9-5 NE-10) returns home on Saturday when it hosts Bryant University at 1:30 p.m. Saint Michael’s (13-5, 9-5 NE-10) visits Southern New Hampshire University on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

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