Ahrens leads balanced Ravens effort after lengthy layoff

Boxscore

RINDGE, N.H. (December 22, 2008) - Franklin Pierce University, ranked 23^rd in the most recent USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II poll, held Merrimack College to just 16 second half points to build on an eight point halftime lead and cruise to a 76-44 victory in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at the Fieldhouse this afternoon.

The win marks the 100th for Head Coach Mark Swasey in his seventh season at Franklin Pierce. Swasey, who has led the Ravens to a 100-82 (.550) clip, now owns a 156-108 (.591) career coaching record over ten years.

Sophomore center Tori Ahrens (East Greenwich, R.I./East Greenwich) led a balanced Franklin Pierce effort with a career-high matching 14 points (eight second half) on 7-of-11 shooting from the field to go with a team-high matching eight rebounds (five offensive), two assists and two blocked shots. It marks just the third time over the last three seasons that one of the Leedham sisters has not led the Ravens in scoring. Senior Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.) finished with eight points, six assists and four steals, while junior All-American Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) sat out with an injury.

Sophomore Cynthia Gaudet (Coventry, R.I./LaSalle Academy) also matched a career-high with 13 points (nine first half) to go with two assists, while senior Toby Martin (Wayne, Maine/Maranacook) posted 11 points (eight first half), five rebounds and three assists. Freshman Jewel White (Worcester, Mass./Doherty Memorial) chipped in with season-highs of eight points and eight rebounds (five offensive).

Freshman Hannah DeGraffinreed (Raleigh, N.C./Millbrook) led Merrimack with 11 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Junior Casey Miller (Fairbanks, Alaska/West Valley) also netted 11 points (nine first half) on 4-of-6 shooting from the field, including 3-for-5 from three-point range. Sophomore Sarah Benischek (Shrub Oak, N.Y./Lakeland) chipped in nine points, hitting 3-of-4 three-pointers, three rebounds and two assists.

Franklin Pierce shot 43.9-percent (29-for-66) from the field for the contest, including 45.5% (15-33) in the second half, while Merrimack finished shooting 35.4% (17-48) after hitting just 23.1% (6-26) of its shots in the second half. The Ravens posted a 41-29 rebounding advantage (19-20 on their offensive end), while turning 26 Merrimack turnovers into a 39-12 edge in points off turnovers. 

Merrimack led by five (21-16) after a three-pointer from freshman Gennifer Roy (Granby, Mass./Granby) midway through the first half, but Franklin Pierce answered with ten-straight points, sparked by threes from Gaudet and Martin, as part of an overall 20-5 run that put the Ravens up ten (36-26) with 2:26 left before the break. Jennifer Leedham also added a three during that stretch, while White converted a conventional three-point play.

Franklin Pierce opened the second half with a 13-2 spurt over the opening 6:02 to take a 19-point lead (49-30) after a steal and lay up by Leedham. The Ravens lead by 18 (55-37) with 9:23 remaining, when they posted a 13-3 run over the next seven minutes to seal the win.

Franklin Pierce was returning to action for the first time in nearly two weeks after the University was shut down for eight days due to the ice storm which hit the Northeast on December 11-12. Merrimack was returning from a 16-day layoff due to final exams.

Franklin Pierce (5-3, 4-3 NE-10) is back in action on Sunday when it faces No. 15 Shippensburg University at the Grand Canyon Trip Sports Classic in Mesa, Ariz. The Ravens are back home on Sunday, January 4, to host Wilmington (Del.) University at 1 p.m. Merrimack (2-6, 1-4 NE-10) visits Western Washington University for a game on December 31 at 8 p.m.