Lidke's career-best
23 helps Ravens seal second seed in upcoming NE-10 Tournament
RINDGE, N.H. (February 23, 2008) – Franklin Pierce
University, ranked 20th in this week's USA Today/ESPN/WBCA
Division II poll and third in the NCAA II Northeast Regional
rankings, led by as much as 30 points before posting a 75-55
victory over Saint Anselm College in Northeast-10 Conference
women's basketball action at the Fieldhouse this
afternoon.
With the victory, Franklin Pierce can finish no lower than second
in the Northeast-10 standings and could still capture a share of
the regular season title with a win at American International
College and Stonehill College loss at Saint Anselm on Tuesday. The
Ravens 22 wins are two shy of the program record accomplished
twice, in 1991-92 (24-7) and 1997-98 (24-6). Franklin
Pierce's seven-straight wins matches its season-high.
Senior Josie Lidke (Chaska, Minn./Chaska) poured
in a career-high 23 points (18 second half) as she drained 7-of-8
three-pointers and made 8-of-9 shots overall to lead Franklin
Pierce. It marks just the second time in the last two years (and
first this season) in which one of the Leedham sisters didn't
at least hold a share of the team scoring lead. Lidke also added
five rebounds on the day.
Sophomore All-American Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port,
England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) scored 15 of her 19
points in the opening half, to go with three assists, three steals,
two blocked shots and two rebounds. Junior Toby Martin
(Wayne, Maine/Maranacook) added eight points for the
Ravens. Senior Angelica Benjamin (Fremont, Calif./James
Logan) grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, while junior
Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy
(Conn.)) dished a game-high seven assists.
Saint Anselm was led by junior Meredith Amyot (Ashford, Conn./E.O.
Smith) with 13 points, a game-high eight rebounds and two steals.
Classmate Justine Lyons (Reading, Mass./Reading) posted 12 points,
two assists and two steals in 15 minutes off the bench. Sophomore
Kristen Doldoorian (Oxford, Mass./Oxford) chipped in eight points,
three rebounds and two assists off the bench.
Franklin Pierce shot 50-percent or better from the field for the
second-straight game, making 52-percent (26-50) of its shots,
including 10-for-24 (41.7%) from three-point range. The Ravens shot
53.8-percent (14-26) in the second half, including 7-for-14 (50%)
from beyond the arc. Saint Anselm shot 38% (19-50) on the day,
including 4-for-12 (33.3%) from three-point range, but were undone
by a 29.2% (7-24) shooting performance in the first half. Franklin
Pierce posted a 29-16 advantage in points off turnovers.
Franklin Pierce built a 20-point (36-16) lead at halftime and
extended that advantage to 30 (53-23) just over five minutes into
the second half. Lidke drained four three-pointers during that
opening stretch of the second half, while Jennifer Leedham added a
three of her own.
Saint Anselm would try to get back into the contest, trimming the
lead to 15 (65-50) after a Lyons lay-up with 5:37 to play, but
Franklin Pierce worked the lead back to 19 (71-52) after a Lidke
three with 3:24 to go that ended the threat.
Franklin Pierce (22-4, 17-4 NE-10) closes out the regular season on
Tuesday when it visits American International College, ranked sixth
in the Northeast Region, at 5:30 p.m. The Ravens will host an NE-10
Tournament Quarterfinal on Tuesday, March 4, at 7 p.m. Saint Anselm
(6-20, 3-18 NE-10) closes out its season on Tuesday when it hosts
13th-ranked Stonehill College at 5:30 p.m.
