Leedham sisters combine for 54 points as Ravens ride big first half to win

Boxscore 

RINDGE, N.H. (January 8, 2009) - Franklin Pierce University, among teams receiving votes in this week's USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II poll, rode a big first half scoring effort to an 83-69 victory over Pace University in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at the Fieldhouse tonight.

Franklin Pierce got a combined 54 points from the Leedham sisters as it rode a 48-point first half on 51.4-percent (18-for-35) shooting from the field, including 8-for-14 (57.1%) from three-point range, to victory. The Ravens finished shooting 47.6% (30-63) from the field and three-point range (10-21) for the contest. Pace made 60.9-percent (14-23) of its shots in the second half, including 5-of-8 (62.5%) from beyond the arc, but could not overcome the Ravens hot start and its own 34.4% (11-32) shooting in the first half.

Junior All-American and Great Britain international Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) led all scorers with a season-high 37 points (two shy of her career best) on 12-of-24 shooting from the field, including 5-10 from three-point range, while converting 8-of-9 free-throw attempts. The reigning State Farm/WBCA Division II Player of the Year also added seven rebounds, four assists and two steals while playing all 40 minutes.

Senior Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) notched her first career double-double with 17 points and a career-best 12 rebounds to go with four rebounds and two steals. She made 6-of-9 shots from the field, including 5-of-6 three-pointers on the night. Sophomore Tori Ahrens (East Greenwich, R.I./East Greenwich) nearly picked up a double-double, finishing with nine points, a game-high nine rebounds (five offensive) and three blocked shots, while freshman Marielle Giroud (Martigny, Switzerland) chipped in nine points and seven boards (six offensive).

Sophomore Courtney Keegan (North Arlington, N.J./Queen of Peace) and freshman Brittany Shields (Cold Spring, N.Y./Haldane) each netted a team-best 16 points to lead four Pace players in double-figures. Keegan hit 6-of-11 shots from the field, including 4-of-7 three's, to go with four rebounds and three steals, while Shields was 6-for-10 from the field and made all four free-throw attempts.

Junior Taylor Losey (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) added 15 points, four rebounds and four assists, while sophomore Brittany Huggins (Windsor, Conn./Windsor) finished with 12 points, three rebounds and two assists off the bench. 

 Leading 12-11 just over eight minutes into the contest, Franklin Pierce used a 13-5 burst over the next three minutes to open a nine-point cushion (25-16) with 9:22 left in the half. The Leedham sisters combined for eight points during that stretch. After Pace answered with a jumper by freshman Maral Javadifar (Flushing, N.Y./Mary Louis Academy), the Ravens reeled off a 14-5 surge to gain a 16 point lead (39-23), sparked by two threes from Jennifer Leedham, as part of a controlling 21-8 run to gain a 20-point lead (46-26) with 1:15 left before halftime.

Johannah Leedham opened the second half with a three-pointer to give Franklin Pierce a game-high 23-point lead (51-28). Pace started chipping away, drawing within nine (61-52) after back-to-back lay-ups from Huggins capped a 12-3 run with 9:41 to play. A Leedham lay-up had the Ravens back up 15 (67-52) with 8:29 to go, when the Setters scored seven-straight points to pull within eight (67-59) with 6:30 remaining.

Jennifer Leedham answered with a three, followed by a Giroud lay-up, and Franklin Pierce regained a double-digit (72-59) lead with 5:29 left. Pace closed within ten points on three occasions down the stretch, but missed its last two field goal attempts over the final 2:16 and yielded two offensive rebounds at the other end to stall the rally.

Franklin Pierce (9-4, 6-3 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday when it hosts Southern Connecticut State University in a match up of the last two NCAA Division II Northeast region champions at 1:30 p.m. Pace (8-4, 5-3 NE-10) hosts the University of Massachusetts Lowell on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.