Dolphins turn around ten-point
second-half deficit, end Ravens four-game win streak
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (December 5,
2006) - Le Moyne College rallied from a ten-point halftime
deficit to claim a 69-60 victory over Franklin Pierce in
Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at Ted Grant Court
tonight.
Franklin Pierce, perhaps showing
the effects of a five-game stretch in ten days, hit just
33.3-percent (10-of-30) of its shots from the field in the second
half after shooting 52% (13-25) in the first half, while Le Moyne
connected on 60.9% (14-23) over the final 20 minutes and finished
shooting 54.2% (26-48) for the night. The Ravens also went cold
from three-point range, going 0-for-10 in the second half after
hitting 4-of-8 in the first.
Senior Matt Cooper (Fulton,
N.Y./Fulton) led Le Moyne with a game-high 19 points as he
hit 8-of-9 from the floor and converted all three free-throw
attempts to go with three rebounds and two assists. Junior
Jonathan Joshua (Inglewood, Calif./Inglewood)
totaled 16 points and seven rebounds, while classmate Jason
Holmes (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) added ten points and
a team-best eight boards. Junior Mark Covin (Culver City,
Calif./Santa Monica) chipped in a game-high nine
assists.
Sophomore Timothy Munch
(Blauvelt, N.Y./Storm King Prep) led Franklin Pierce with
18 points and three steals, while senior Sean Mayo (Saco,
Maine/Thornton Academy) added 13 points and a team-best
eight rebounds (three offensive). Senior Darryl Minnifield
(Boston, Mass./Brookline) scored ten of his 12 points in
the first half and also registered five rebounds (four offensive),
four assists and three blocks.
Franklin Pierce took immediate
control of the first half building a double-digit lead (21-11)
midway through the stanza after a Munch three-pointer. The Ravens
advantage was eight at the break (37-29) and a Mayo layup
55-seconds into the second half regained their double-digit lead
(39-29).
Franklin Pierce's lead was still
ten (43-33) after a Jack Barrett (Reading,
Mass./Andover) layup with 16:24 to play, but Le Moyne
reeled off a 21-6 run over the next seven minutes to take its first
lead of the contest and open a five-point advantage (54-49) with
9:01 to go. Freshman Laurence Ekperigin (Cortlandt Manor,
N.Y./Walter Panas) and Cooper each sparked the run with
conventional three-point plays.
Franklin Pierce made a couple of
mini-runs at the hosts, with a Munch layup pulling the Ravens
within four (62-58) with 1:59 to play, but the Dolphins hit five of
six free-throws and got a key fast break layup from Joshua to
extend their lead to 11 points with a half-minute to play and seal
the victory, snapping the Ravens four-game winning streak.
Franklin Pierce (5-3, 3-2 NE-10) is
back in action on Saturday when it visits the College of Saint
Rose, receiving votes in this week's NABC Division II poll, at 3:30
p.m. The Ravens return home to host in-state rivals Southern New
Hampshire University on Wednesday, December 13, at 7:30 p.m. Le
Moyne (3-4, 2-3 NE-10) visits Saint Michael's College on Saturday
at 1:30 p.m.
BOXSCORE
& PLAY-BY-PLAY
