Minnifield's career-high matching
21 points lead Ravens to fourth win in seven days
KEENE, N.H. (December 2,
2006) - Franklin Pierce collected its fourth win in seven
days with a 78-70 victory over Stonehill College, ranked
25th in this week's NABC Division II poll, in
Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at Keene State
College's Spaulding Gymnasium this afternoon.
Senior captain Darryl
Minnifield (Boston, Mass./Brookline) matched his
career-high with 21 points as he hit five-of-nine shots from the
field and converted 9-10 free-throws to go with five rebounds for
Franklin Pierce. Freshman Marcus Wellman (Monroe,
Conn./Hamden Hall) continued his hot start with 17 points,
draining 5-of-10 from three-point range, to go with six assists,
four rebounds and two blocks. Sophomore Timothy Munch
(Blauvelt, N.Y./Storm King Prep) added 13 points, aided by
6-6 shooting from the line, three steals and two blocks, while
senior Sean Mayo (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy)
chipped in ten points and six boards.
Senior Lance Clarke
(Cambridge, Mass./Cambridge R&L) and freshman
AJ Rudowitz (Monroe Township, N.J./Monroe
Township) each netted a team-high 15 points for Stonehill,
with Clarke hitting 6-of-8 from the field, including 3-5
three-pointers. Freshman Nikola Stevanovic (Belgrade,
Serbia) added 14 points on 6-11 shooting (2-3 three's),
while sophomore Nick Smith (Colonia, N.J./Colonia)
chipped in 12 points and four
rebounds.
Franklin Pierce hit 52.2-percent
(24-of-46) of its shots from the field, including 11-of-19 (57.9%)
in the second half, and converted 21-of-22 (95.5%) of its
free-throw attempts. Stonehill shot 49.1% (26-53) from the field,
but went to the line just 11 times, converting nine (81.8%).
Franklin Pierce led by as much as
13 in the first half (31-18) after a Minnifield layup with 8:35
left in the frame, as the Ravens hit 9 of their first 12 shots from
the field over the first ten minutes. Stonehill closed the half on
a 15-4 run, sparked by three-pointers by Clarke and Smith, to close
within a pair at the break (35-33).
Back-to-back Stonehill baskets 1:30
into the second half knotted the score at 37-37. With the score
tied at 49-49 with 12:42 to play, Franklin Pierce used a 12-2 spurt
to regain a double-digit lead (61-51) after a Jack Barrett
(Reading, Mass./Andover) layup with 6:11 left.
A Clarke three sparked
seven-straight Stonehill points to pull the Skyhawks within three
(61-58) with 3:49 on the clock, but a conventional three-point play
by Mayo put Franklin Pierce back up six and the Ravens drained all
15 free-throw attempts in the final 2:50 to seal the victory.
Franklin Pierce (5-2, 3-1 NE-10)
opens a two-game swing through Upstate New York on Tuesday at Le
Moyne College at 7:30 p.m. Stonehill (3-2, 1-2 NE-10) visits
Assumption College on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
BOXSCORE
& PLAY-BY-PLAY
