Three Ravens score in double-figures including Leedham's
32 points
BOXSCORE
RINDGE, N.H. (December 18, 2009) – The
second-ranked Franklin Pierce University women's basketball
team took down Bentley, 71-61, on Friday at The Fieldhouse in
Rindge. The Ravens improved to 8-0 on the season and 6-0 in the
Northeast-10, and downed the Falcons in a rematch of last
season's NE-10 Tournament Championship game, which Franklin
Pierce won to earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA
Division II Tournament. Bentley, which entered Friday's game
receiving votes in the national top-25 poll, fell to 6-3 and 4-2 in
league play.
It marked the second-straight game Franklin Pierce knocked off a
team which was picked to finish ahead of it in the 2009-10
Northeast-10 Preseason Poll. The Ravens (picked to finish third in
the league according to the poll) downed Stonehill, 77-66, last
Friday as the Skyhawks were picked to win the league this season.
Bentley was tabbed second in the league's preseason poll,
which was released in late October.
Three Ravens scored in double-figures, including senior forward
Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England), who
dropped in a game-high 32 points. She also collected five rebounds,
handed out a pair of assists, swiped seven steals and blocked five
shots. It marked the second-straight game she swatted away five
shots. Leedham also moved into 16th place in NCAA Division II
women's basketball history for career scoring with 2,352
points. She stands just six points shy from moving into the top-15
all-time.
Junior guard Cynthia Gaudet (Coventry, R.I.) had a
strong all-around game as she tallied a double-double with 11
points and 10 assists. She also registered five rebounds, four
steals and a block.
Senior guard Kirsten Doldoorian (Brimfield, Mass.)
came off the bench to pump in 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the
field. The other important contributor on the night was junior
center Tori Ahrens (East Greenwich, R.I.) as she
ripped down a game-high 14 rebounds.
The Ravens held a 28-22 advantage in points in the paint, a 19-11
advantage in points off turnovers (they forced Bentley into 24
TOs), a 10-0 advantage in fast-break points and an 18-12 advantage
in bench points.
The game was a close affair as it saw seven ties and eight lead
changes. In fact, the largest lead for either side in the opening
15-and-a-half minutes was two points.
Franklin Pierce started to gain some separation in the final
minutes of the first half. The Ravens found themselves trailing
23-22, but followed by going on a 14-2 run over a four-minute span
to take a 36-25 lead. Doldoorian ignited the run with a
three-pointer and Leedham followed with five-consecutive points.
Freshman guard Jordan Grant (Concord, N.H.) laid
in a basket and Gaudet capped the rally with four-straight free
throws.
The Ravens held a 36-29 lead going into the locker room at
halftime, thanks in part to 17 points from Leedham. Ahrens had
seven boards in the first 20 minutes and Gaudet dished out five
helpers.
Bentley guard Kim Brennan, who finished the game with a team-high
24 points, had 13 of those in the first half, including handing out
a pair of assists.
Franklin Pierce stretched its lead out to 16 at 47-31 with 16:06
remaining in the game on a pair of Gaudet free throws. Things were
looking good for the Ravens, but Bentley slowly started converting
its shots over the next several possessions, and eventually pulled
to within four at 56-52 with 8:13 left. A Katherine Goodwin trey
helped bring the Falcons to within two possessions of the lead.
The Ravens, though, had an answer and scored the game's next
nine points to put the contest out of reach. Leedham dropped in a
layup, Doldoorian drained a three-pointer and Leedham followed with
a trey of her own to cap the rally and put Franklin Pierce up 65-52
with 3:01 to go.
The Falcons got no closer than nine points the rest of the way as
Franklin Pierce cruised home for its eighth-straight win to open
the 2009-10 season.
The Ravens will take a short break for the holidays, but will
return to action Dec. 29-30 at the Saint Anselm Holiday Classic in
Manchester, N.H. Franklin Pierce will take on Dominican on the
29th, and then face Mercy on the 30th. Both games will begin at 5
p.m.
For more information on Franklin Pierce women's basketball,
please visit the team's page at
athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.)
