Saint Michael’s Rallies
Past Franklin Pierce, 70-50
Purple Knights erase nine-point halftime deficit, holding Ravens to 13 second half points in season opener for both

COLCHESTER, Vt. (November 17, 2006) – Saint Michael’s College erased a nine-point halftime deficit in posting a 70-50 victory over Franklin Pierce in non-conference women’s basketball action on day one of the 2006 Doubletree Doc Jacobs Classic at Ross Sports Center this evening.

            Saint Michael’s held Franklin Pierce to just 13 points in the second half on 6-of-28 (21.4-percent) shooting from the field, including 1-11 (9.1%) from three-point range, and forced 29 Raven turnovers. The Purple Knights turned the ball over 30 times (just 11 in the second half), but converted on 61.5% (16-26) of their chances in the second half to claim the 30-point swing.

            Senior Jevy Rayner (Westminster, Vt./Bellows Falls Union) led four Saint Michael’s players in double-figures with 15 points on five-of-eight shooting from the field, converting all five free-throw attempts, to go with five rebounds. Sophomore Megan O’Connor (Georgetown, Mass./Georgetown) came off the bench to score 12 points, hitting all five shots from the floor, including 2-2 from three-point range, to go with four points.

            Junior Adrienne Carpenter (Princeton, Mass./Wachusett Regional) added 11 points (nine second half), six assists and four steals, while sophomore Anna Florent (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider) chipped in ten points (eight first half) and five boards.

            Freshman Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy) led Franklin Pierce with a game-high 20 points (16 first half) in her collegiate debut, on 8-of-16 shooting from the field (4-4 at the line), six rebounds, five assists and two steals. Sophomore Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy) added 14 points (10 first half) and four steals, while freshman Toby Martin (Wayne, Maine) chipped in eight points in her collegiate debut.

            Franklin Pierce took a nine point lead into the break after a 9-4 run over the final five minutes of the stanza. The Ravens lead was 11 (39-38) after a Jennifer Leedham layup 2:32 into the second half, but Saint Michael’s reeled off a 30-6 run over the next nine minutes to reverse the score line and take an 13-point lead (59-45) with 8:30 to play after a Carpenter three-pointer and never looked back.

            Franklin Pierce (0-1, 0-0 NE-10) is back in action tomorrow afternoon when it faces LIU-C.W. Post on day two of the Doc Jacobs Classic at 1 p.m. Saint Michael’s (1-0, 0-0 NE-10) hosts C.W. Post on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Click for Boxscore and Play-by-Play