Ravens win opener behind strong
second half effort
BRIDGEPORT, CONN. (Nov. 20,
2004) - The Franklin Pierce men's basketball team opened
up their season with a 93-77 win over non-conference foe Teikyo
Post University today in the first game of the Bridgeport Purple
Knight Invitational hosted by Bridgeport College. Newcomers
Mitchell Johnson (Nassau,
Bahamas/Cushing Academy) and Pierre Sully
(Jamaica Plain, Mass./North
Cambridge) excelled in their debuts in Ravens
uniforms, while sophomore Darryl Minifield (Brookline,
Mass./Brookline) registered a double-double.
After playing to a 38-38 tie after
one half of play, Franklin Pierce sizzled from the field in the
second half, shooting 68.0% from the field. The Ravens outscored
Teikyo Post 55-39 in the half, making five of their 12 three point
attempts. Franklin Pierce finished the game with a commanding 43-29
rebounding advantage and also made 17 of 24 free throws.
Johnson shined in his debut. The
freshman forward poured in a team-high 15 points on 6-of-12
shooting and also added a team-high eight rebounds (five offensive)
to go along with eight assists. Fellow rookie Pierre Sully netted
12 points on four-of-seven shooting. The junior guard was a perfect
three-for-three beyond the arc. Minifield totaled 11 points and a
team-best 10 assists from the point guard position, while junior
forward Justin Powell
(Brookline,
Mass./Brookline) grabbed seven boards. Freshman guard
Darrell Anderson (Kansas
City, Kan./The Winchendon School) came off the bench
to spark the Ravens in his collegiate debut, notching 15 points on
five-of-nine shooting.
Teikyo Post had three players with
double-digit scoring efforts. Senior forward Alex Tonne
(Burlington, Vt./Cheshire
Academy) led all scorers with 17 points, while
sophomore guards Gary Shick
(Bloomfield,
Conn./Bloomfield) and T. Ron Christy
(Stratford, Conn./Central Connecticut) added 16
apiece. Christy also contributed a team-best seven assists in
defeat.
The Bridgeport Invitational
concludes tomorrow with a second doubleheader. In the first game,
Franklin Pierce (1-0) will take on Bloomfield at 2 p.m. That will
be followed by a meeting between host Bridgeport and Teikyo Post
(0-2) at 7:30 p.m.
BOX
SCORE
