JOHANNAH LEEDHAM TOSSES IN GAME-HIGH 31 POINTS TO MOVE INTO
SIXTH PLACE IN NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HISTORY FOR
CAREER SCORING WITH 2,618 POINTS
BOXSCORE
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (January 30, 2010) -- The
top-ranked Franklin Pierce University women's basketball team
turned in an impressive performance on the road on Saturday as the
Ravens downed Le Moyne, 84-61, at the Ted Grant Court in Syracuse,
N.Y. Franklin Pierce improved to 19-0 overall and 15-0 in the
Northeast-10, while the Dolphins dipped to 6-14 and 3-12 in league
play.
Senior standout Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port,
England) continued to move up the charts in career scoring
on Saturday as she dumped in a game-high 31 points to move into
sixth place in NCAA Division II women's basketball history with
2,618 points. She became just the seventh player in Division II
history to top 2,600 points for her career. Leedham shot 10-of-17
from the floor, including 4-of-7 from behind the arc, pulled down
six rebounds, handed out five assists and swiped two steals.
Leedham's two thefts gave her 396 for her career, which moved her
into a tie for 17th place in Division II history for steals.
Junior guard Cynthia Gaudet (Conventry, R.I.)
totaled a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists. She also had
five steals and two rebounds. Classmate Tori Ahrens (East
Greenwich, R.I.) logged eight points, nine rebounds and
five blocks. The high number of blocked shots continued a trend for
Ahrens, who has jumped up more than 30 spots in the national
statistical rankings for blocks over the past two weeks. She ranks
among the top-70 nationally in the category.
Sophomore forward Marielle Giroud (Martigny,
Switzerland) had a solid game with seven points and seven
boards. Sophomore forward Jewel White (Worcester,
Mass.) also turned in a solid performance with six points
and eight rebounds.
Freshman guards Tiffany Johnson (St. Albans,
Vt.) and Amanda Saab (Windham, N.H.) each
added six points apiece.
The Ravens outrebounded the Dolphins by a count of 52-45.
Franklin Pierce has been outstanding on the glass during the past
two games as it has averaged 57.0 boards a game.
Franklin Pierce recorded 23 assists on its 29 shots made for the
game. The Ravens turned the ball over just 10 times, while forcing
Le Moyne into 15 turnovers.
Muffy Sadler paced Le Moyne with 18 points, while Emily Bayly
chipped in 10 points.
Franklin Pierce raced out to a quick 9-2 lead to take control of
the game. Leedham scored five points to key the surge, while
Johnson and Giroud each added a layup.
Sadler responded for Le Moyne by scoring five-straight points to
pull the Dolphins within two at 9-7.
Franklin Pierce didn't flinch and went on to score 15 of the
game's next 18 points to take control of the game. Leedham scored
nine points during the run, while Ahrens, Saab and White each
tossed in a basket.
The Ravens led by as many as 27 points during the first half in
building a 48-24 lead at halftime. Leedham had 22 points during the
opening 20 minutes to pace the Ravens. Franklin Pierce shot 47
percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range in the
half to open up its large lead.
The second half was similar to the first half as the Ravens
never let Le Moyne threaten. Franklin Pierce never let its lead
slip below 20 points during the second 20 minutes.
The Ravens have won 32 of its last 33 games overall and
24-straight regular season games dating back to the end of last
season. Franklin Pierce, which has won five-consecutive games by 20
points or more, improved to 8-0 since becoming the No. 1 team in
the USA Today/ESPN WBCA Division II National Top-25 Poll
back on Jan. 5.
The first-place Ravens return to action Wednesday night when
they travel to take on second-place Stonehill at 5:30 p.m. Fans who
cannot attend the game can follow it online via audio and/or live
stats through the team's page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.)
