#23
Franklin Pierce Stuns
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Junior
Vanessa Power (Mildura, Australia)
added a season-high 15 points for the Ravens on 6-of-11 shooting,
3-6 from three-point range, three rebounds and two steals. Freshman Tori Ahrens (East Greenwich, R.I./East Greenwich) notched her first collegiate double-double with season-best totals of 13
points and ten rebounds (six offensive). Senior Josie Lidke (Chaska, Minn./Chaska)
chipped in with 11 points, hitting all five shots from the field,
including a three-pointer, to go with four rebounds.
Senior Kaylie Schiavetta (Northport, N.Y.),
a transfer from the University of Massachusetts, added 11 points for
the Owls as she connected on 3-of-6 three-pointers and dished three
assists.
Franklin Pierce benefited from
56.4-percent (31-of-55) shooting from the field for the day,
including a blistering 64.3% (18-28) in the opening half, and
converted 6-of-11 (54.5%) from three-point range. Southern came out
firing in the first half as well, shooting at 64% (16-25), but
cooled off considerably in the second, hitting just 23.1% (9-39) of
its shots over the final 20 minutes to finish with a 39.1% (25-64)
shooting performance for the day. The Owls also made just 3-of-14
(21.4%) three-pointers in the second half after converting 5-10
(50%) in the opening frame.
Franklin Pierce turned the ball over two more times (23-21) than Southern, but posted a 29-17 in points off turnovers. The Ravens also enjoyed a 14-6 advantage in second-chance points and their bench out-scored the Owl reserves 35-10.
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Southern
held the early momentum in the contest, using an 11-2 run to open a
game-high ten point advantage (22-12) 7:45 into the game. Lynch and
freshman Logan Lentz (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg) canned three’s during that stretch and Lentz added a conventional
three-point play.
Franklin Pierce drew within a point
(37-36) after a pair of Leedham free throws with 3:56 to go in the
half and the Ravens scored ten of the last 12 points in the frame to
take a six point edge (45-39) into the lockerroom. Leedham scored
six of the Ravens ten points during that stretch.
The Franklin Pierce lead was still six
(49-43) just over three minutes into the second half, before the
Ravens scored six-straight points to open a 12-point lead (55-43)
with 13:10 to play. Southern was within nine (62-53) after a lay-up
by sophomore Jacqueline Johannes (Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug) with 8:08 left, but Franklin Pierce posted a 12-2 run to open a 19-point
bulge (74-55) and break the game open with 4:43 remaining. Power
canned two three’s and Leedham added a trifecta, while Ahrens
netted three points during the game-deciding stretch.
Franklin Pierce (12-1, 7-1 NE-10) returns home for the first time in a month when it hosts preseason NE-10 favorites Bentley College, among teams receiving votes in this week’s national poll, on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. Southern Connecticut State (10-4, 6-3 NE-10) is back in action on Thursday when it hosts Le Moyne College at 5:30 p.m.