Ravens clinch postseason return after surviving defensive struggle

Boxscore 

RINDGE, N.H. (February 21, 2009) - Franklin Pierce University clinched its 32^nd postseason appearance in the last 33 years with a 55-48 triumph over American International College in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at the Fieldhouse this afternoon.

With the win and losses by Pace University at No. 16 Bentley University (85-77 in OT) and the University of New Haven at UMass Lowell (77-52), Franklin Pierce clinched a spot in the upcoming NE-10 Tournament after a one-year absence.

Junior Terrell Ray (Brooklyn, N.Y./Fort Hamilton) led Franklin Pierce with a season-high 20 points (two shy of his career-best) as he made all nine shots from the field and added three blocked shots in 22 minutes of action. Sophomore Jeff Manchester (Gorham, Maine/Gorham) added 14 points off the bench as he hit 4-of-6 three-pointers as part of a 5-for-8 shooting night from the field to go with five rebounds. Sophomore Kinard Dozier (Dedham, Mass./The Winchendon School) posted 12 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals, while classmate Mike Barrow (Mattapan, Mass./Hebron Academy) pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.

Freshman Isiah Wallace (Springfield, Mass./Sabis International Charter School) led American International with 14 points (12 second half), but made just 6-of-16 shots from the field, to go with a game-high eight rebounds and two blocked shots. Junior Mike Troll (New York, N.Y./Cardozo) came off the bench to contribute 11 points, three assists and three steals.

Franklin Pierce finished shooting 37.3-percent (19-for-51) in the defensive struggle after hitting 45.8% (11-for-24) in the second half to erase a two-point (25-23) halftime deficit. American International made 31.9-percent (15-for-47) of its shots from the field, but just 29.6% (8-27) after halftime, misfiring on all four three-point attempts in the final 20 minutes.

The game was tied at 27-27 five minutes into the second half, when Franklin Pierce posted a 12-2 run over the next five minutes to take a ten-point lead (39-29) with 10:06 left after back-to-back lay-ups by Ray. Manchester sparked the run with back-to-back three-pointers. The Ravens lead was still ten (41-31) after another Ray lay-up with 8:33 to play, when American International methodically worked its way back into the game.

The Yellow Jackets were within five points (41-36) after a Wallace lay-up with 4:28 to go as they held Franklin Pierce scoreless for nearly five minutes. The Ravens broke the drought with a Barrow tip-in with 3:51 to play and Ray added a lay-up to put the hosts back up eight (45-37) with 2:11 to go. The Ravens lead was still eight (47-39) after a Manchester jumper with 69-ticks left when AIC made one last charge.

AIC drew within one (47-46) when Wallace hit a jumper and then drained two free-throws with 37-seconds remaining after he was fouled while Franklin Pierce was trying to inbounds the ball. After Dozier canned two free-throws to put the Ravens back up three (49-46) with 35-seconds left, Wallace appeared to knot the score at 49-49, but was ruled to have had his foot on the line with 29-seconds on the clock. The Ravens held the Yellow Jackets right there and the hosts made their last six free-throws to seal the victory.

AIC emerged from the first half with a two-point lead (25-23) after a three-pointer from sophomore Sesoo Ikpah (Williamstown, N.J./Lee Academy), closing the half with an 11-1 run over the last 5:03 of the half. Franklin Pierce held an eight point lead (22-14) after a Manchester three with 5:03 on the clock which capped an 11-0 Ravens run. Manchester had two three's in all during that stretch, while Dozier added one of his own.

Franklin Pierce (11-16, 8-14 NE-10) now awaits Tuesday's final NE-10 regular season date for its first round opponent in the upcoming NE-10 Tournament. The Ravens will be seeded 11^th in the Tournament and will hit the road for their first round game next Saturday, February 28, at 2 p.m. American International (15-11, 11-10 NE-10) closes out its regular season on Tuesday when it hosts Stonehill College at 7:30 p.m.