Eagles out-score Ravens 23-10 off
turnovers, 22-3 at the free-throw line
FORT MYERS, Fla. (December
11, 2004) - Florida Gulf Coast University handed Franklin
Pierce its fourth-straight loss with a 64-52 decision in
non-conference men's basketball action at Alico Arena tonight.
Seniors Kevin Martin
(Maplewood, N.J.) and Ryan Hopkins
(Parkersburg, W.V.) led a balanced Florida Gulf Coast
attack with 11 points each and were the lone Eagles to reach
double-figures. Martin also added four rebounds and two steals.
Classmate Juan Cedeno (Maracay,
Venezuela) contributed seven points and a game-best
nine rebounds (six offensive).
The Eagles were held to
39.1-percent (18-46) shooting from the field, including 45.8%
(11-24) in the second half, but turned 22 Franklin Pierce turnovers
into 23 points and out-scored the Ravens 22-30 at the line,
including 15-2 over the final 20
minutes.
Freshman Mitchell
Johnson (Nassau, Bahamas/Cushing Academy) led
Franklin Pierce with a game-high 18 points (12 first half), hitting
six-of-ten from the field, including 5-9 from three-point range.
Junior Justin Powell (Brookline,
Mass./Brookline) added ten points and seven rebounds
(five offensive), while freshman Darrell Anderson
(Kansas City, Kan./The Winchendon School) chipped in
six points, four boards and three blocks.
After FGCU scored the first eight
points of the contest, Franklin Pierce responded and led by four
(18-14) with 6:26 to play in the first half after a Johnson jumper.
A 7-4 Eagles run, sparked by a Hopkins three, put the Eagles back
in front with 2:43 left in the half - a margin they would maintain
after trading points over the final 90-seconds of the stanza.
FGCU opened a quick six-point edge
five minutes into the second half after a pair of free throws by
sophomore Marcus Parker (Milton, Fla.),
but the Ravens responded with a 7-1 run, keyed by a Johnson three
to pull even (34-34) with 12:24 to play, but the Eagles responded
with a 9-2 run to open a seven-point edge after a three from senior
Kelvin Coggins (Alexandria, Va.) with
9:53 left on the clock.
Franklin Pierce would scratch back
within four (49-45) after another Johnson three, but the Eagles put
the game out of reach with an 11-2 run to open a 13-point lead
(60-47) with 1:53 to play. Hopkins drained a three-pointer and
junior Marcus Watts (North Port, Fla.)
added four points to key the stretch.
Franklin Pierce (2-5, 1-3 NE-10) is
off until after Christmas when it faces Bloomfield College at the
Comfort Suites Holiday Classic, hosted by Bryant University, on
Wednesday, December 29, at 7 p.m. Florida Gulf Coast (7-3) hosts
West Florida on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
BOX
SCORE
