Senior standout Johannah Leedham tosses in 33 points to pace
Ravens
BOXSCORE
NYACK, N.Y. (November 17, 2009) - The No. 2-ranked Franklin Pierce
University women's basketball team opened its 2009-10 season with a
convincing 86-51 win over Nyack on Tuesday evening at Bowman
Gymnasium in Nyack, N.Y. The Ravens (1-0) got a game-high 33 points
from senior standout and preseason national player of the year
Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England) to earn
the win.
Leedham shot 10-of-19 from the
field, 12-of-17 from the free throw line and pulled down 10
rebounds to complete the double-double. She also dished out six
assists and swiped five steals to add to her evening. With the 33
points scored Tuesday, Leedham now stands just 21 points shy of
becoming the leading scorer in Northeast-10 women's basketball
history. She will get her chance to set the record on Saturday
afternoon at 3 p.m. in the friendly-confines of The Fieldhouse when
the Ravens play host to Molloy in their 2009-10 home-opener.
Sophomore forward Marielle
Giroud (Martigny, Switzerland) and junior center
Tori Ahrens (East Greenwich, R.I.) were the other
double-figure scorers for Franklin Pierce on the night as they
dropped in 14 and 12 points, respectively. Giroud shot 6-of-8 from
the floor, while Ahrens collected three steals and blocked a shot.
Jasmine Minter and Vicky Sweet were Nyack's two double-digit
scorers with 13 and 11 points, respectively. Nyack had a tough time
handling Franklin Pierce's defense and shot just 31 percent
(18-of-58) from the field for the game.
Franklin Pierce dominated the game
in several areas, including: points in the paint (40-22); points
off turnovers (29-12); and bench points (19-4).
Nyack raced out to an 8-3 lead two
minutes into the contest. However, the Ravens responded with
a jumper from Giroud and a three from Leedham to knot the game at
8-8 moments later.
Nyack answered at the other end of
the court with a basket to retake the lead at 10-8. The advantage
was short lived as Franklin Pierce reeled off 15 of the game's next
21 points to open up a 23-16 lead with 12:18 to go in the half. The
run was sparked by a layup from Leedham and aided by three-pointers
from Cynthia Gaudet (Coventry, R.I.) and
Kirsten Doldoorian (Brimfield, Mass.).
Franklin Pierce would slowly add to
its lead in the ensuing minutes and with 6:44 remaining until
halftime Leedham hit a pair of free throws to give the Ravens their
first double-digit lead at 34-24. Franklin Pierce led by as many as
19 points in the first half when Giroud converted a three-point
play on a jumper and free throw to give the Ravens a 45-26
advantage with 2:42 to go. The Ravens ended up taking a 48-30 lead
into the locker room at halftime.
Nyack had no response for the
impressive late surge by the Ravens to conclude the first half.
Franklin Pierce kept up the intensity in the final 20 minutes and
led by as many as 40 points twice. Leedham drained a pair of foul
shots with 5:44 left to stake the Ravens to an 81-41 lead for their
first 40-point advantage of the evening.
Franklin Pierce's defensive
pressure was constant throughout the final minutes as they tallied
17 points off turnovers in the second half.
For more information on Franklin
Pierce women's basketball, please visit the team's page at
athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.)
