Dolphins hold Ravens to 30.5-percent shooting in defensive battle

Boxscore 

RINDGE, N.H. (December 3, 2008) - Le Moyne College, among teams receiving votes in this week's USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II poll, posted its second-straight win over a nationally-ranked opponent with a 51-46 victory over No. 6 Franklin Pierce University in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at the Fieldhouse tonight.

Senior Katie Dunn (Whippany, N.J./Morris Catholic) was the lone Le Moyne player in double-figures, leading the balanced effort with 14 points, aided by 3-of-7 shooting from three-point range, and four rebounds in 22 minutes before fouling out with three minutes to play. Junior Courtney Coryea (Mooers Forks, N.Y./Northeast Clinton) added nine points, three rebounds, three blocked shots, three steals and two assists, while senior Vanessa Holden (Suffern, N.Y./Immaculate Heart) posted eight points, six rebounds and two blocks.

Junior All-American and Great Britain international Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) was the lone Franklin Pierce player in double-figures with 15 points (nine first half) to go with a career-high matching four blocked shots, three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Her two steals move Leedham into a tie for second on the program's career list with 225, joining Franklin Pierce Hall of Famer Dina Sawicki -  just six behind all-time leader and Hall of Famer Cassie Beckwith (231).

Senior Vanessa Power (Mildura, Australia) chipped in with seven points and three rebounds for the Ravens, while classmate Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) grabbed a game and season-high eight rebounds to go with five points, five assists and two steals.

Le Moyne held Franklin Pierce to just 30.5-percent (18-for-59) shooting from the field, including 5-for-23 (21.7%) from three-point range, while the Ravens converted only 55.6% (5-9) of their free-throws. The Dolphins didn't shoot much better overall, hitting 34% (17-50) of their shots, but connected at 40.7% (11-27) in the second half compared to 31% (9-29) shooting for Franklin Pierce in the frame. Franklin Pierce out-rebounded the visitors 46-32, but posted just a 10-8 advantage in second-chance points despite a 19-7 edge on the offensive glass.

Franklin Pierce raced out to a 16-4 lead nine minutes into the contest, led by five points from Johannah Leedham and a three-pointer from Power. Le Moyne cut the lead to four (20-16) after a three by junior Megan Murphy (Clinton Corners, N.Y./Millbrook) with 3:31 to play in the first half. The Ravens took an eight point lead (24-16) into the locker room, scoring the final four points of the frame.

Le Moyne took charge in the second half, holding Franklin Pierce scoreless over the first 6:20 of the frame, and knotted the score at 27-27 on a Coryea lay-up with 12:20 to go. Grad student Jacqueline Precious (Fonthill, Ontario/Governor Simcoe) gave the Dolphins their first lead (32-30) since hitting the opening basket of the game with a three midway through the half. The lead grew to seven (40-33) after a conventional three-point play by Dunn with 8:16 to go.

Franklin Pierce scored the game's next six points to draw within a point (40-39) with 2:54 left after four-straight points by Power. Senior Kathleen Gladstone (Cleveland, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) answered with a jumper for Le Moyne and the Dolphins made four-straight free-throws to extend the lead back to seven (46-39) with 1:46 to play.

The Ravens got within three points (46-43) after a lay-up by sophomore Tori Ahrens (East Greenwich, R.I./East Greenwich) with 19-seconds left, but Holden canned two free-throws to regain a two possession lead and Franklin Pierce couldn't get any closer than three points the rest of the way.

Franklin Pierce (3-2, 2-2 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday when it faces in-state rivals Southern New Hampshire University at 1:30 p.m. The game is being played at Keene State College's Spaulding Gymnasium and admission will be free of charge. The game is also being broadcast on WEEI 93.5 FM Keene. Le Moyne (5-2, 3-2 NE-10) visits Pace University in a game being played in New York City on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.