Ravens postseason hopes alive with two games to play

Boxscore

COLCHESTER, Vt. (February 19, 2008) - Franklin Pierce University's postseason hopes remain alive after a key 74-71 victory at Saint Michael's College in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at the Ross Sports Center tonight.

Franklin Pierce moves within two games in the NE-10 standings of American International College (7-13) and the University of Massachusetts Lowell (7-13), who both lost games tonight, with two games remaining in the season. AIC and UMass Lowell play head-to-head in Lowell on Saturday, while the Ravens visit AIC in Springfield to close out the regular season next Tuesday. Franklin Pierce holds the head-to-head tiebreaker with UML, while the Ravens only meeting with AIC comes in the finale next week.

Sophomore Terrell Ray (Brooklyn, N.Y./Fort Hamilton) led five Franklin Pierce players in double-figures with 17 points (11 second half), on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, and six rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench. Junior Rimas Varanauskas (Kaunas, Lithuania/The Winchendon (Mass.) School) notched his second double-double of the season with 11 points (all first half) and a career-high 12 rebounds (six offensive) to go with four assists.

Junior Timothy Munch (Blauvelt, N.Y./Storm King Prep) added 14 points, hitting 4-of-10 three-pointers, five rebounds and two steals. He moves within nine points of becoming the 27^th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. Freshman Kinard Dozier (Dedham, Mass./The Winchendon School) contributed 11 points, aided by 8-of-10 shooting at the free-throw line, six rebounds and four steals, while junior Craig Shepherd (Grantham, N.H./Trinity) chipped in ten points, hitting 3-of-5 three's, and four rebounds. 

Junior Jon Zylstra (Uxbridge, Mass./Whitinsville Christian) led Saint Michael's with a game-high 19 points as he hit 7-of-8 shots from the field, including his lone three-point attempt, and converted all four free-throw attempts, to go with four rebounds off the bench. Senior James Sorrentine (Pawtucket, R.I./Saint Raphael Academy) added 16 points (12 first half) and four assists, while freshman Nate Birr (Burnsville, Minn./Saint Thomas Academy) posted 15 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals. Senior Brian Monahan (Kinderhook, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) chipped in 12 points, nine rebounds, four steals and two assists.

Franklin Pierce out-rebounded Saint Michael's 48-34 for the night and thus posted an 11-4 edge in second chance points. The Ravens shot 36.2-percent (25-for-69), including 32.3% (10-31) from three-point range, compared to 39.7% (25-63) shooting for Saint Michael's, including 7-for-24 (29.2%) from beyond the arc.

The game was tight throughout with four ties and ten lead changes, and came down to the final possession. A Birr lay-up with 55-seconds to play gave Saint Michael's its only lead of the second half (71-70). After a timeout, Dozier was fouled going to the basket and made both free-throws to put Franklin Pierce back in front (72-71) with 24-seconds left.

Birr missed on his next attempt, with Dozier pulling down the key rebound and taking the foul. Dozier again hit both free-throws with 12-ticks left, setting up one last chance for the hosts. The Purple Knights original play for Sorrentine nearly resulted in a turnover and Monahan's off-balance three at the buzzer was off the mark as the Ravens notched just their second NE-10 road win of the year.

Saint Michael's rallied from a ten-point second half deficit to take a late lead. A Ray jumper had Franklin Pierce up ten (60-50) with 9:43 to go before a 7-0 spurt pulled the Purple Knights within three (60-57) after a Zylstra lay-up with 6:22 on the clock.

The Ravens regained a five-point edge (67-62) after a Shepherd three with five minutes to go, but the hosts scored the next five points to pull even (67-67) after two Birr free-throws with 3:11 to play. Munch answered the run with a three, but the Purple Knights were able to take its only lead of the half after Birr's lay-up with 55-seconds left to set up the final minute.

Franklin Pierce (9-16, 5-15 NE-10) hosts Saint Anselm College in its final home game of the season on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Saint Michael's (7-17, 5-15 NE-10) hosts top-ranked Bentley College on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.