Dolphins manage just enough second
half offense in defensive struggle
RINDGE, N.H. (January 16,
2007) - Le Moyne College scored the last five points over
the final three minutes of the contest to collect a 46-40 victory
over Franklin Pierce in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball
action at the Franklin Pierce Fieldhouse tonight.
Both teams shot below 30-percent on
the night with Le Moyne hitting 25-percent (14-of-56) of its shots
from the field, including a mere 1-of-21 (4.8%) from three-point
range, while Franklin Pierce managed slightly better at 26.7%
(12-45) shooting from the floor, including 5-25 (20%) from beyond
the arc. The Dolphins, who posted a 44-37 advantage on the glass,
out-scored the Ravens 21-3 on second-chance points. Le Moyne also
converted 17-of-21 (81%) free-throw attempts, while Franklin Pierce
hit 11-16 (68.8%) from the line.
Junior Jason Holmes
(Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) led all scorers with 21
points (12 second half) for Le Moyne to go with seven rebounds and
four steals. Senior Matt Cooper (Fulton,
N.Y./Fulton) was the only other Dolphin who netted
double-figures with ten points, aided by 8-of-9 shooting from the
line, and eight rebounds (four offensive). Freshman
Laurence Ekperigin (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter
Penas) grabbed a game-high 13 points (six offensive) to go
with six points and two blocked shots.
Senior Darryl Minnifield
(Boston, Mass./Brookline) led Franklin Pierce with 14
points, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals. Classmate
Sean Mayo (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) added ten
points and five boards, while freshman Marcus Wellman
(Monroe, Conn./Hamden Hall) chipped in six boards, five
points, two blocks and two steals.
Le Moyne was held without a field
goal over the first nine minutes of the contest, missing its first
11 shots from the field as Franklin Pierce built a 10-2 lead after
a Minnifield three-pointer 6:18 into the game. The Ravens lead grew
to as much as nine (13-4) after a Chris Lewis (Parkland,
Fla./Coral Springs Charter School) three-pointer with 8:42
left in the first half.
The Dolphins cut their deficit to a
point (15-14) after a Holmes free-throw with 6:26 left in the
stanza, but the Ravens regained their nine-point cushion (23-14)
following two Mayo free-throws with 1:44 to go before the break.
Le Moyne wrapped a 10-0 run around
halftime to take its first lead of the night (24-23) after a pair
of Cooper free-throws 1:27 into the second half. Franklin Pierce
regained the lead and pushed it to four points (32-28) after a
Jack Barrett (Reading, Mass./Andover)
three-pointer with 14:24 to go.
The Dolphins followed with a 9-0
run over the next five minutes to open a five-point lead (37-32) of
their own midway through the half. Franklin Pierce drew within a
point (41-40) despite senior Nazim Senaldi (Istanbul,
Turkey) missing two of three free-throw attempts with 3:03
to go, but the Ravens were held scoreless the rest of the way as
Holmes netted a jumper and split two free-throws before Cooper
sealed it with two free-throws with five seconds left.
Franklin Pierce (9-8, 7-6 NE-10) is
back on the road on Saturday when it visits Stonehill College at
3:30 p.m. The Ravens return home a week from tonight to host
Assumption College and open a three-game home stand at 7:30 p.m. Le
Moyne (8-9, 5-8 NE-10) hosts Bryant University on Saturday for a
non-conference clash at 3 p.m.
BOXSCORE
& PLAY-BY-PLAY
