Cynthia Gaudet tosses in game-high 16 points to lead Ravens to win

BOXSCORE

COLCHESTER, Vt. (November 24, 2009) - The second-ranked Franklin Pierce University women's basketball team opened its Northeast-10 Conference schedule on Tuesday night with a 73-49 win at Saint Michael's in Colchester, Vt. The Ravens ran their record to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the league, while the Purple Knights fell to 2-1 and 1-1 in the NE-10.

Junior guard Cynthia Gaudet (Coventry, R.I.) led Franklin Pierce in scoring with 16 points, while Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England) - the league's reigning player of the week - added 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Junior center Tori Ahrens (East Greenwich, R.I.) shot 6-of-8 from the field and scored 13 points.

Leedham opened the game with a three-pointer and Ahrens followed on the next possession with a basket to stake the Ravens to a 5-0 lead two minutes into the contest. However, Saint Michael's scored the game's next six points to go up, 6-5, 30 seconds later.

Ahrens answered with a jumper at the other end of the court to put the Ravens back on top, 7-6, and they would build on that lead over the next several minutes. Franklin Pierce notched its first double-figure lead at the 14:05 mark of the half on a three-point play by Leedham to make it 18-8.

Michelle Otey, who led Saint Michael's with 13 points, hit a layup  minutes later to bring the Purple Knights back within single-digits at 20-12, but that was as close as they would get the rest of the way.

Franklin Pierce responded with a 12-1 run over a five-minute span to take a 32-13 advantage with 6:41 left until halftime. Marielle Giroud dumped in the run's initial four points and Gaudet capped it with a three-point play on a layup and free throw.

Gaudet converted a pair of free throws in the final minute to send the Ravens into the locker room at halftime with a commanding 42-22 edge.  Franklin Pierce shot 47 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes, while limiting the Purple Knights to just 26 percent shooting from the floor. Gaudet had 11 points in the first half while Leedham and Ahrens followed with eight apiece.

Franklin Pierce led by many as 29 points on multiple occasions in the second half as it ran away from Saint Michael's to earn the win.

The Ravens return to action on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. when they play host to Saint Anselm in The Fieldhouse. It's the first game of a doubleheader as the men's team will also face the Hawks, immediately following at 3:30 p.m.

For more information on Franklin Pierce women's basketball, please visit the team's page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.)