Franklin Pierce
Out-Runs RINDGE, N.H. (January 6, 2004) - Franklin Pierce snapped a five-game Conference losing streak with a 75-65 victory over Saint Michael’s College in Northeast-10 women’s basketball action at the Franklin Pierce Fieldhouse tonight. Senior Tara Bligh (Milton, Mass./Milton) led the Ravens to their first home triumph of the season with 17 points in 23 minutes off the bench, on seven-of-14 shooting, to go with four steals and two assists. Junior Susan Ocitti (Cambridge, Mass./Cambridge R&L) totaled 15 points as she hit 7-9 shots from the field to go with seven rebounds (four offensive) and two steals. Senior Erin Bailey (North Grafton, Mass./Nashua (N.H.)) was a perfect 4-4 from the field, including 3-3 from three-point range, as she chipped in 11 points. The Franklin Pierce bench outscored that of Saint Michael’s by a 55-4 margin as all three of the Ravens scoring leaders did not start the contest. All ten Ravens that played scored points and none played more than 23 minutes. Franklin Pierce recorded a 40-14 scoring advantage in the paint.
Senior guard Lindsay Brandt (Albany, N.Y./Bishop Maginn) and sophomore backcourt mate Brigid Hegarty (North Andover, Mass./Central Catholic) combined for 44 of Saint Michael’s 65 points in the contest. Hegarty netted a game-high 24 points on 9-16 shooting from the field, including 5-10 from three-point range, to go with three rebounds and three assists. Brandt finished with 20 points on 7-12 shooting, 3-4 from long-range. Freshman Jevy Rayner (Westminster, Vt./Bellows Falls Union) chipped in 11 points and grabbed a game-best eight rebounds for the Purple Knights. Franklin Pierce held a 38-23 halftime lead as it closed the first half with an 11-0 run, sparked by a pair of three-pointers from Bailey and another from junior CiCi Williams (Boston, Mass./East Boston). The Ravens also scored 16 points on 13 Saint Michael’s turnovers in the half. The Ravens scored the first five points of the second half to extend their lead to 20 points with 17:39 left to play, but the Purple Knights answered with a 17-0 run over the next four minutes to cut their deficit to three points (43-40) with 13:45 on the clock. Hegarty led the rally with ten points, while Brandt chipped in five.
Franklin Pierce answered with a 12-0 run, sparked by a pair of Bligh lay-ups and a Bailey three-ball, to give the Ravens a 15-point advantage (55-40) with 11:04 to play. Saint Mike’s made one last run at the Ravens with an 11-0 rally over the next four minutes as Hegarty netted five points to cut its deficit to four (55-51) with 7:41 left in regulation. However, that would be as close as the Purple Knights would get as an 11-1 Franklin Pierce run, sparked by seven points from Ocitti, pushed the Ravens lead back into double-digits (66-52) with five minutes to play. Franklin Pierce (6-5, 2-5 NE-10) returns to action Thursday night when it visits Pace University at 5:30 p.m. Saint Michael’s (5-6, 3-4 NE-10) hosts Bentley College on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. |
