Franklin Pierce Rolls RINDGE, N.H. (December 13, 2006) – Franklin Pierce, among teams receiving votes in this week’s WBCA/USA Today/ESPN Division II Coaches Poll, collected its eighth-straight win with a 78-61 victory over Southern New Hampshire University in Northeast-10 Conference women’s basketball action at the Fieldhouse this evening. Franklin Pierce is off to an 8-1 start for the first time since the 1984-85 season when the Ravens got off to an 8-1 start before dropping back-to-back decisions. The Ravens, unbeaten through its first seven Conference games for the first time in their NCAA Division II era (since 1988), used 51.6-percent (16-for-31) shooting effort in the first half, including 6-of-11 (54.5%) from three-point range, in building a 42-18 halftime lead and never looked back. Southern New Hampshire shot just 24.2% (8-33) from the field in the opening half, missing on all eight attempts from three-point range, and converting just 2-of-9 (22.2%) of its free-throws. While held under 20 points for the first time in her first collegiate season, freshman Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy) still led a balanced Ravens attack with a game-high 16 points, as she hit 7-of-12 shots from the field, to go with four rebounds and four assists.
Sophomore Vanessa Power (Mildura, Australia) added 14 points off the bench on 4-of-10 shooting from three-point range, while junior Josie Lidke (Chaska, Minn./Chaska) matched her season-high with ten points to go with five rebounds. Junior Stephanie Bergeron (Pointe Claire, Quebec/Dawson College) chipped in nine points and three steals, while classmate Megan McIntyre (Melbourne, Australia) registered a season and team-best eight rebounds to go with six points, five assists, five steals and two blocked shots. Freshman Julia Houghtaling (Franconia, N.H./New Hampton School) led Southern New Hampshire with 14 points, hitting 7-of-8 shots from the field, eight rebounds and two steals. Junior Sara Tucker (Red Hook, N.Y./Red Hook Central) also netted 14 points, shooting 6-9 from the field, and grabbed seven rebounds. Freshman Ashara Carrington (Marblehead, Mass./Marblehead) chipped in ten points, six boards and two blocks off the bench.
Southern New Hampshire scored the first four points of the contest, but Franklin Pierce quickly responded with 11-straight points, sparked by three-pointers from Lidke and Bergeron, and used a 20-3 run overall to open a 13-point lead (20-7) after Toby Martin (Wayne, Maine/Maranacook) scored a layup off her own steal with 9:56 left in the first half. The Ravens would extend their lead to 27 (42-15) with 39-seconds left in the first half before settling on the 24-point (42-18) halftime advantage. The Penmen quickly closed within 18 (42-24) with six-straight points to open the second half, but Franklin Pierce quickly recovered and used a 12-2 run to turn a 20-point lead with 15:57 to play into a game-high 30-point bulge (60-30) after a McIntyre jumper with 12:21 to play and were never threatened the rest of the way. Franklin Pierce (8-1, 7-0 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday when it travels to Saint Anselm College for an NE-10 battle at 6 p.m. The Ravens return home for a non-conference game with Molloy College on Wednesday, December 20, before the Christmas break. Southern N.H. (3-6, 2-6 NE-10) visits Assumption College on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. |
