#8 North Dakota Rolls Past 
Franklin Pierce, 81-59
Balanced attack lifts Sioux to 7-0 start, 
Jacobs, D’Ettorre lead Ravens

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (November 25, 2005) – The University of North Dakota, ranked No. 8 in the WBCA/USA Today/ESPN Division II preseason poll, opened a 12-point lead at the break and never looked back in posting an 81-59 victory over Franklin Pierce in non-conference women’s basketball action at Betty Englestad Sioux Center tonight.

            Junior Carissa Jahner (Fargo, N.D./Fargo North) led a balance North Dakota effort with 15 points, five rebounds, seven assists and two steals, while sophomore Ashley Langen (Kennedy, Minn./Kittson Central) added 14 points, on 6-10 shooting from the field, and four rebounds. Senior Kristi Boese (Rochester, Minn./Rochester Mayo) totaled 11 points, six rebounds and three steals, while freshman Kierah Kimbrough (Greenbush, Minn./Badger-Greenbush-Middle River) chipped in 11 points and four boards off the bench.            

Senior Heather Jacobs (Stoughton, Mass./Stoughton) and junior Danielle D’Ettorre (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario/St. Mary’s) led Franklin Pierce. Jacobs finished with a game-high 16 points to go with five rebounds and two steals, while D’Ettorre totaled 15 points (12 first half), aided by 4-of-6 shooting from three-point range, five rebounds and two assists. Freshman Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England) chipped in ten points and three assists.

            The Ravens jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead thanks to a pair of D’Ettorre three’s, but North Dakota reeled off a 10-0 run to take its first lead just 3:11 into the contest. Franklin Pierce battled and held a two-point lead (25-23) after a D’Ettorre lay-up with 8:42 to play in the first half. However, The Fighting Sioux closed out the stanza with a 12-2 run that turned a two-point lead into a 12-point cushion at the break (43-31).

            Franklin Pierce cut its deficit to five points (47-42) after a Josie Lidke (Chaska, Minn./Chaska) lay-up 3:30 into the second half, but UND out-scored the Ravens 24-5 over the next 12 minutes to break the contest open.

            Franklin Pierce (1-2, 1-1 NE-10) is back in action tomorrow when it visits Minnesota-Moorehead to round out its Thanksgiving trip to the Midwest at 7 p.m. (EST). North Dakota (7-0) hosts Minnesota-Crookston on Saturday at 4 p.m.

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