Johannah Leedham breaks own NE-10 record for points in a single season; now has 809 this season; 2009-10 Ravens tie program record for most wins in a single season with 29; advance to Saturday's semifinal round where they will face Molloy at 7:30 p.m.

BOXSCORE

FITCHBURG, Mass. (March 12, 2010) – The No. 2 nationally-ranked Franklin Pierce University women's basketball team opened play in the 2010 NCAA Division II East Regional Friday night with a 71-46 win over Nyack in the Recreation Center at Fitchburg State College. The Ravens, seeded No. 1 in the regional, improved to 29-1 overall, while Nyack, the eighth seed, concluded its campaign with a 21-12 record.

The Ravens advanced to Saturday's regional semifinal round where they will face No. 5-seed Molloy, who defeated fourth-seeded Pace, 52-36, later in the evening on Friday. Saturday night's game will tip off at 7:30 p.m. at the Recreation Center. Franklin Pierce and Molloy will be meeting for the second time this season as the Ravens picked up a 77-67 win in Rindge back on Nov. 21.

Senior standout Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England), who on Wednesday was named the 2010 Daktronics East Region Player of the Year, notched a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Ravens to victory over Nyack. She shot 7-of-14 from the field, handed out three assists, blocked a pair of shots and swiped a steal. The 17 points allowed Leedham to break her own Northeast-10 Conference record for most points in a single season. She set the record last season with 799 points and currently has 809 this season.

Two other Ravens scored in double-figures on the night, including junior guard Cynthia Gaudet (Coventry, R.I.), who had 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and one theft. Sophomore forward Marielle Giroud (Martigny, Switzerland) had 11 points and seven boards, while collecting two steals.

Jasmine Minter paced the Warriors with 13 points, while Kelsey McIntosh added 11.

The Ravens defense was strong in this one and limited Nyack to just 28 percent shooting (20-of-72) from the field, including just 13 percent (3-of-23) from behind the arc. Franklin Pierce also ripped down 49 rebounds, including 35 on the defensive end, limiting Nyack to several one-and-done possessions in the second half.

Franklin Pierce raced out to a 21-4 lead midway through the first half, thanks in part to nine points from Leedham and five points from senior guard Kirsten Doldoorian (Brimfield, Mass.). Sophomore center Jewel White (Worcester, Mass.) also chipped in five points during the early run to aid it.

Nyack tried to claw back into it and did outscore the Ravens, 16-7, over the next seven minutes to pull within 28-20. However, Franklin Pierce scored nine of the half's final 11 points to take a 37-22 lead heading into the locker room at halftime.

The Warriors would never threaten in the second half as Franklin Pierce kept its lead in double-digits the entire rest of the way.

The win moved the 2009-10 edition of the Ravens into a tie for first place in program history for most wins in a single season. Last year's team also won 29 games on the way to advancing to the NCAA Division II National Championship Game.