Jewel White and Marielle Giroud each go for a double-double; Leedham drops in 34 points to move into 5th place in NCAA women's basketball history (across all divisions) for career scoring; Ravens advance to semis on Wednesday versus Fort Lewis on NATIONAL TV ON ESPNU

BOXSCORE

ST. JOSEPH'S, Mo. (March 23, 2010) -- The second-ranked Franklin Pierce University women's basketball team downed fourth-ranked Arkansas Tech on Tuesday afternoon by a count of 77-62 in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight quarterfinals at the Civic Arena in St. Joseph's, Mo. The Ravens ran their record to 32-1 overall, while the Suns concluded their season with a 29-3 mark.

With the win, Franklin Pierce now advances to the national semifinals on Wednesday night where the Ravens will face Fort Lewis at 7 p.m. (ET)/6 p.m. (CT) on national television on ESPNU. Fort Lewis, the champions of the Central Region, opened the national quarterfinals on Tuesday with a 68-59 triumph over Seattle Pacific.

Franklin Pierce, making its third-consecutive appearance in the Elite Eight, won its quarterfinal matchup for the second-straight year. The Ravens opened Elite Eight play last season with an 88-73 win over California, Pa. That win sparked the Ravens all the way to an appearance in the national title game.

The major factor in the Ravens win in this season's quarterfinals was their impressive work on the boards. Franklin Pierce outrebounded the Suns by a count of 44-31, including getting 12 offensive rebounds, which led to 16 second-chance points.

Sophomores Jewel White (Worcester, Mass.) and Marielle Giroud (Martigny, Switzerland) each logged double-doubles on the afternoon for Franklin Pierce. White went for 17 points and 14 rebounds, while Giroud added 12 points and 13 boards.

Senior standout Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England), who was named the State Farm/WBCA Division II National Player of the Year on Monday, went off for a game-high 34 points, including totaling nine rebounds, six assists, four steals and two blocks. The 34 points gave Leedham 3,037 for her career as she moved into fifth place in NCAA women's college basketball history (across all divisions) for career scoring. Leedham moved ahead of former legends Cheryl Miller and Chamique Holdsclaw. Leedham shot 10-of-18 from the field, including going 6-of-12 from behind the arc.

Three Arkansas Tech players scored in double-figures, including Ashley Chisum (17 points), Natalia Santos (17 points) and Jessica Weatherford (12 points). Weatherford also had nine rebounds before fouling out.

Both teams traded baskets throughout the initial stages of the game and it was tied at 8-8 four minutes in. The Ravens, though, settled and scored the next seven points, including three points from White and layups from Cynthia Gaudet (Coventry, R.I.) and Leedham, to take a 15-8 edge with 12:38 remaining in the half.

Franklin Pierce led 23-17 with 8:27 to go in the half, but Arkansas Tech scored five points in 40 seconds to pull within one at 23-22. The big basket during the small surge came from Chisum who drained a triple from the corner.

Again, the Ravens had an answer and went on an 11-0 run over a three-minute span to open up a 34-22 lead. Leedham kick-started the rally with five-straight points, while White followed with back-to-back layups. Giroud capped it with a baseline jumper.

The Ravens led by as many as 17 points in the closing minutes of the opening period and took a 44-29 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Leedham had 15 points in the opening 20 minutes, while White chipped in 11. White also had eight boards in the half. Franklin Pierce also shot a solid 47 percent (16-of-34) from the field.

Arkansas Tech tried to mount a rally in the opening minutes of the second half and did pull within 10 at 44-34. However, Leedham settled her teammates down with a layup and White followed with a layup of her own on the team's next trip down the floor.

From there, Franklin Pierce slowly added to its lead as it pulled away for the win. The Ravens opened up a 22-point advantage at 59-37 with 14:27 to go following a Gaudet basket.

Arkansas Tech did pull within 11 with 7:12 left, but Franklin Pierce quickly opened up a 21-point advantage minutes later.

Gaudet finished with nine points and three assists, while freshman guard Tiffany Johnson (St. Albans, Vt.) chipped in two points, six rebounds, two assists and one steal.

For more information on Franklin Pierce women's basketball, and all the latest news and information from the Elite Eight, please visit the team's page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.)