Minnifield scores 13 of game-high
19 points after halftime to lead Ravens
MANCHESTER, N.H. (January
13, 2007) - Franklin Pierce finished off its first regular
season sweep of instate rivals Southern New Hampshire University
since 2000-01 with a 57-46 victory in Northeast-10 Conference men's
basketball action at the SNHU Fieldhouse this afternoon.
Senior captain Darryl
Minnifield (Boston, Mass./Brookline) scored 13 of his
game-high 19 points after halftime and also added a game-high eight
rebounds (four offensive) and two assists. Freshman Marcus
Wellman (Monroe, Conn./Hamden Hall) added 11 points, five
rebounds and four assists, while senior Sean Mayo (Saco,
Maine/Thornton Academy) contributed ten points and five
boards. Sophomore Jack Barrett (Reading,
Mass./Andover) chipped in eight points, four rebounds and
three assists.
Sophomore L.J. Hunter
(Cumberland, R.I./Dublin School) led Southern New
Hampshire with 13 points (10 first half), four rebounds and two
assists. Classmate Chris Brickley (Manchester,
N.H.) was the only other Penman in double-figures with 12
points, while junior Sam Carey (Manchester,
N.H./Central) chipped in six points and sophomore
Modestas Riauka (Kaunas, Lithuania) grabbed a
team-high six rebounds off the
bench.
Franklin Pierce shot 52-percent
(13-of-25) from the field in the second half to finish shooting
42.9% (21-49) overall, while limiting SNHU to just 28% (14-50)
shooting overall, including 8-30 (26.7%) from three-point range.
The game featured nine ties and 13 lead changes throughout.
The Ravens took a five-point lead
(14-9) after a pair of Mayo free throws with 7:59 to play in the
first half. The Penmen answered with an 11-0 run, capped by a
three-pointer from Hunter to take a six-point lead (20-14) with
3:57 left before intermission. A Hunter layup with 26-seconds left
in the half broke a 23-23 tie and gave the Penmen a two-point lead
(25-23) heading into the locker room.
The game was back-and-forth over
the first 11 minutes of the second half, before a 13-0 Franklin
Pierce run put the visitors up 12 (51-39) with 4:51 to go.
Minnifield sparked the run with a conventional three-point play and
netted six points in all during that stretch. The Penmen wouldn't
get within nine points the rest of the way.
Franklin Pierce (9-7, 7-5 NE-10) is
back in action on Tuesday when it hosts Le Moyne College at 7:30
p.m. Southern New Hampshire (2-14, 2-11 NE-10) hosts Bryant
University on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
BOXSCORE
& PLAY-BY-PLAY
