Jo. Leedham notches 20th career double-double with 34 points and 12 rebounds

Boxscore 

RINDGE, N.H. (November 19, 2008) - Franklin Pierce, ranked No. 4 in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II preseason poll, scored 56 points in the second half to defeat the University of Massachusetts Lowell, 83-80, in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at the Fieldhouse tonight.

Junior All-American and Great Britain international Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)), the reigning State Farm/WBCA Division II Player of the Year, led the way for Franklin Pierce as she notched her fourth-straight double-double (20^th career) dating back to last season, totaling a game and season-high 34 points (18 second half) to go with 12 rebounds, six steals, four assists and three blocked shots. She made 11-of-28 shots from the field and converted 9-of-11 free-throw attempts. The 30-point outing was the 16^th of her career and she has now scored in double-digits in all 60 games of her collegiate career.

Senior Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)), older sister of Johannah, added 17 points as she converted 9-of-11 free-throw attempts to go with six assists. She moved within 11 points of the 1,000-point plateau. Sophomore Tori Ahrens (East Greenwich, R.I./East Greenwich) chipped in six points, seven rebounds and three blocks.

Junior Megan Berry (Ipswich, Mass./Ipswich) led four UMass Lowell players in double-figures with 19 points as she hit 7-of-17 shots from the field, including 5-of-12 from three-point range, to go with five rebounds and two assists. Senior Revital Carmon (Bat-Yam, Israel) posted a double-double with 12 points and ten rebounds, while junior Jen Valente (Prospect, Conn./Woodland Regional) totaled 15 points, aided by 9-of-11 shooting from the free-throw line, and eight rebounds. Junior Rahshala Valentine (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) chipped in with ten points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Franklin Pierce finished shooting 40.7-percent (22-for-54) from the field after hitting 60.9% (14-23) in the second half. UMass Lowell made 42.9-percent (15-35) of its shots in the second half to finish shooting 37.9% (25-66) for the night.

UMass Lowell closed out a back-and-forth first half with a 9-4 run to take a four-point lead (31-27) into the break. Berry sparked the run with a three-pointer, while sophomore Krissy Little (Concord, N.H./Concord) capped the half with a three as well. The River Hawks lead grew to seven (35-28) after a pair of Valente free-throws a minute into the second half. 

UMass Lowell's lead was still five (47-42) after a Valente lay-up with 13:20 to play, but Franklin Pierce began chipping away at the lead, drawing even (55-55) after a free-throw from freshman Marielle Giroud (Martigny, Switzerland) with 9:10 to go. Leading by a point (57-56) with 8:23 to go, Franklin Pierce posted an 11-3 run over the next three minutes to open a nine-point cushion (68-59) after a Johannah Leedham jumper with 5:16 left. Leedham also buried a three-pointer during that stretch.

Franklin Pierce's lead was still nine (75-66) after a three-pointer from senior Vanessa Power (Mildura, Australia) with 2:19 to go, then UMass Lowell made one last run. Berry drained a three to pull the River Hawks within three (78-75) with 33-seconds to go, then UML was within a point (81-80) after another Berry three with eight seconds to go.

Senior Toby Martin (Wayne, Maine/Maranacook) was fouled and made both free-throws to put the Ravens back in front by three with six seconds left. UMass Lowell had one last shot to force overtime, but Berry's off-balance three at the buzzer caromed off the backboard.  

Franklin Pierce (2-0, 1-0 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday for a key early season match up at No. 8 Stonehill College at 1:30 p.m. The Ravens return home on December 3 to host Le Moyne College at 5:30 p.m. UMass Lowell (2-1, 0-1 NE-10) visits Bloomfield College for a non-conference contest on Saturday at 2 p.m.