Ravens finish strong after
trailing at the break to win fifth-straight
WORCESTER, Mass. (February
1, 2006) - Franklin Pierce erased a five-point halftime
deficit and took control in the second half in posting a 73-57
victory over Assumption College in Northeast-10 Conference men's
basketball action at Laska Gymnasium tonight.
After being on the short end of a
22-12 rebounding margin in the first half, Franklin Pierce took
command of the boards in the second to the tune of 21-14. The
Ravens limited Assumption to 25.9-percent (7-27) shooting from the
field in the second half, while hitting 50% (14-28) from the field
themselves down the stretch for a 48.1% (26-54) shooting effort for
the night.
Senior Justin Powell
(Brookline, Mass./Brookline) led four Ravens in
double-figures with 15 points, hitting 6-of-10 shots from the
field, and six rebounds, while classmate Pierre Sully
(Jamaica Plain, Mass./North Cambridge) added 13
points, six boards and three steals. Freshman Timothy
Munch (Blauvelt, N.Y./Storm King Prep) contributed 13
points (11 second half), while junior Sean Mayo (Saco,
Maine/Thornton Academy) chipped in 11 points.
Senior Josh Melucci
(Cranston, R.I./Cranston East) led Assumption with 14
points, hitting 6-of-9 from the field, in 17 minutes off the bench.
Sophomore Greg Twomey (Groton,
Mass./Groton-Dunstable) added 13 points (eight first
half), four rebounds and five steals, while classmate
Corey Diethorn (Pittsburgh, Pa./Sewickey
Academy) chipped in seven points, eight boards (three
offensive) and two
blocks.
Franklin Pierce, winners of
five-straight for the first time since joining the NE-10 in 2000,
opened the second half with an 8-0 run to turn a five-point deficit
into a three-point lead (39-36) 3:01 into the half after
back-to-back Munch baskets. The score was tied (44-44) with 13:06
to play when the Ravens reeled off a 16-5 run to open an 11-point
lead (60-49) after Powell converted a conventional three-point play
with 6:07 left.
Freshman Patrick Shea
(Salem, Mass./Salem) hit a jumper with 3:04 to play
and that marked the Greyhounds final field goal of the night as
Franklin Pierce outscored the hosts 9-4 down the stretch to seal
the victory.
Franklin Pierce was just 4-for-10
from the free-throw line in the opening half, but after missing its
first from the line in the second, hit its next 11 at the stripe
and was 13-16 over the final 20 minutes. The Ravens also turned 24
Assumption turnovers into 32 points for the night (17-4 in the
second half).
The Ravens looked to run away with
the contest early, opening leads of 16-4 and 24-11 over the first
ten minutes of the contest. However, Assumption answered with an
18-5 run to forge a 29-29 deadlock after a Twomey basket with 4:19
left in the frame. The Greyhounds held Franklin Pierce without a
field goal over the final 6:40 of the half and closed out the
stanza with a 14-2 run to take a five-point lead (36-31) into the
intermission. Twomey sparked the run with seven points.
Franklin Pierce (13-7, 10-5 NE-10)
returns home on Saturday when it hosts American International
College at 3:30 p.m. Assumption (4-17, 2-14 NE-10) visits UMass
Lowell on Saturday at 4 p.m.
BOXSCORE
