Raven post third-straight win behind balanced offensive effort

Boxscore 

RINDGE, N.H. (January 10, 2009) - Franklin Pierce University notched its season-high third-straight win with a 68-60 decision over Southern Connecticut State University in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at the Fieldhouse this afternoon.

Junior Terrell Ray (Brooklyn, N.Y./Fort Hamilton) led a balanced Franklin Pierce effort with a season-high 16 points in 19 minutes off the bench, making 8-of-12 shots from the field, to go with seven rebounds (six offensive) and a blocked shot. Sophomore Kinard Dozier (Dedham, Mass./The Winchendon School) notched his second double-double of the season (third career) with 11 points and a career-high 12 rebounds (six offensive). Senior Rimas Varanauskas (Kaunas, Lithuania/The Winchendon School) added 11 points (nine first half) in 13 minutes before fouling out, while sophomore Mike Barrow (Mattapan, Mass./Hebron Academy) chipped in eight points.

Junior Derrick Corbett (New Haven, Conn./Career) led four Southern Connecticut players in double-figures with 15 points (nine first half) on 6-of-13 shooting from the field off the bench. Senior Terron Jones (Bridgeport, Conn./Bassick) added 14 points, aided by 10-of-12 shooting from the free-throw line, and five rebounds, while classmate Preston Bell (Brooklyn, N.Y./Long Island City) posted a double-double with 13 points (11 first half) and 11 rebounds (six offensive). Senior Justin Gardenhire (Rosedale, N.Y./Globe Institute of Technology) finished with 11 points, while junior John Mazzarella (Wallingford, Conn./Lyman Hall) grabbed a game-high 14 points and blocked seven shots. 

Franklin Pierce finished shooting 40.3-percent (25-for-62) from the field, using a 43.8% (14-32) effort in the first half to build a ten-point halftime lead (39-29). Southern shot 37.9% (22-58) from the field for the game. The Ravens turned the ball over just nine times on the afternoon, compared to 18 for the Owls, and posted a 26-8 advantage in points off turnovers.

The game was back and forth over the first 12 minutes, when Franklin Pierce surged to a 12-point lead (33-21) with 5:18 left in the frame after an 11-0 run capped by a layup from junior captain Jack Barrett (Reading, Mass./Andover). Ray and Varanauskas each scored four points during that stretch. Southern got back within five (33-28) with seven-straight points, capped by a conventional three-point play from Bell with 3:07 remaining.

Franklin Pierce regained a ten-point margin (39-29) at the break, then used an 11-0 run early in the second half to open a 19-point cushion (50-31) after a Barrow jumper 4:12 in. While the Raven lead only got within single digits again in the final minute, they had to withstand several Southern challenges to get back in the game. Franklin Pierce's lead was 18 (59-41) after a Ray layup with 8:37 to go, when Southern closed within ten (59-49) with eight-straight points over a four-minute span.

Junior Marcus Wellman (Monroe, Conn./Hamden Hall) answered with a three-pointer to put Franklin Pierce back up 13 (62-49) with 3:06 left, but a Jones layup had Southern down just nine (64-55) with 56-seconds to go. The Ravens did enough at the line (4-for-6) down the stretch to keep the Owls at bay.

Franklin Pierce (7-6, 4-4 NE-10) returns to action on Wednesday when it visits The College of Saint Rose at 7:30 p.m. The Ravens return home next Saturday to host the University of New Haven at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on WEEI 93.5 FM Keene. Southern Connecticut (1-13, 0-10 NE-10) visits the University of Massachusetts Lowell on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.