Powell leads Ravens to first road
win since November
SPRINGFIELD, Mass.
(February 5, 2005) - Franklin Pierce collected a key 61-49
victory at American International College in Northeast-10
Conference men's basketball action at Butova Gymnasium this
afternoon.
The win ends Franklin Pierce's
eight-game skid on the road dating back to a win at Southern
Connecticut State in its NE-10 opener back on November 23. The
Ravens limited American International to 36.4-percent (20-55)
shooting from the field, including 3-of-18 (16.7%) from three-point
range, on the night. AIC hit just 24.1% (7-29) of its shots in the
opening 20 minutes, including an 0-9 effort from beyond the arc.
Franklin Pierce also forced 13 Yellow Jacket turnovers while
committing a season-low seven themselves.
Junior forward Justin
Powell (Brookline, Mass./Brookline) ended a two-game
scoreless streak with a game-high 23 points on 10-of-19 shooting
from the field to go with seven rebounds, three assists and two
blocks. Freshman Mitchell Johnson (Nassau,
Bahamas/Cushing Academy) totaled 16 points on 6-13
shooting from the field, including 4-9 from three-point range, and
team-best nine rebounds. Junior Pierre Sully (Jamaica
Plain, Mass./North Cambridge Catholic) finished with
ten points, seven boards and five
steals.
Junior John Huggins
(Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) led American
International with 17 points, five rebounds and two steals. Senior
Dwaine Clarke (Windsor, Conn./Kingswood
Oxford) was a perfect 5-5 from the field and
converted his lone free-throw attempt of the day for 11 points and
five rebounds, while classmate Danny Sandell (London,
England) added ten points. Junior Shelton
Powell (Philadelphia, Pa./Gloucester CC) snared a
game-high ten rebounds to go with six points.
Franklin Pierce used a 9-0 run to
open an eight-point lead (22-14) with 6:16 left in the first half.
Johnson drained a three and Powell scored four points in that span.
After Sutton ended a six-minute AIC drought with a lay-up, the
Ravens opened and ten-point advantage (26-16) after a Powell lay-up
with 5:07 left and he added a jumper with 44-seconds to go in the
stanza to put his team up nine (28-19) at the break.
The Yellow Jackets closed within
six points (37-31) after Clarke converted a conventional
three-point play 4:26 into the second half. The Ravens answered
with six-straight points, four from Powell, as they opened their
largest lead of the game with a 12-point advantage (43-31) with
12:38 left in regulation.
Sandell buried a jumper midway
through the stanza to cut the AIC deficit to five (43-38), but
Johnson answered with a three and the Ravens posted a 9-0 run to
take control of the game with a 15-point (55-40) edge with 3:44
left.
Franklin Pierce (8-14, 6-11 NE-10)
is back in action on Tuesday when it hosts No. 2-ranked Bentley
College at 7:30 p.m. American International (9-13, 5-12 NE-10)
visits Saint Anselm College on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
BOX
SCORE
