Georgios Papapetrou notches 13 points, 7 rebounds and 5
assists
RINDGE, N.H. (November 28, 2012) -- The No. 7 nationally
ranked Franklin Pierce University men's basketball team overcame a
second half deficit on Wednesday night to pick up an important
83-73 win over Southern New Hampshire at The Fieldhouse in Rindge.
The Ravens improved to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the Northeast-10,
while the Penmen dipped to 3-2 and 1-2 in league play.
The win also enabled the Ravens to
begin a season 5-0 for the first time in 20 years, as the 1992-93
squad began its campaign with seven-consecutive victories on the
way to a 22-8 record and a berth in the NCAA Division II
Tournament.
Four Ravens scored in
double-figures, led by junior forward Ellis Cooper's
(Northampton, Mass.) 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting from
the field. Junior frontcourt-mate Adrianos Vourliotakis
Perdikaris (Cholargos, Athens) followed with 14 points,
while sophomore Ryen Vilmont (Philadelphia, Pa.)
netted 10.
Cooper, Vourliotakis and junior
guard Georgios Papapetrou (Athens, Greece) each
collected seven rebounds, while Papapetrou dished out a game-high
five assists. Papapetrou added a career-high 13 points.
C.J. Marriro pumped in a team-best
14 points for SNHU, while Elijah Bonsignore added 12 points and
seven boards.
Franklin Pierce held a double-digit
lead early in the game, but SNHU slowly chipped away at the deficit
over the later stages of the first half and the early minutes of
the second half to eventually take a 62-58 lead with 9:12
remaining. Phillip Tripodakis scored five-straight points on a
three-pointer and layup to put the Penmen on top by four.
Franklin Pierce, though, didn't
flinch and showed character in coming back from the deficit.
Papapetrou pumped in a three-pointer at the other end of the court
to pull the Ravens to within one and Vourliotakis converted a pair
of free throws to put the Ravens on top by one.
The Ravens weren't done after those two possessions and followed by
going on an 8-2 run to take a 71-64 lead with 5:14 remaining.
Papapetrou sparked the rally with a basket and Vourliotakis capped
the surge with a pair of layups.
SNHU would not threaten the rest of
the way as the Ravens eventually opened their lead up to
double-digits to cruise home for the victory.
The win also marked Franklin
Pierce's fifth-straight triumph by a double-digit margin this
season.
Franklin Pierce shot 50 percent
(29-of-58) from the field for the game and went a solid 79 percent
(19-of-24) from the foul line. It marked the third-straight game
the Ravens shot 50 percent or better from the floor.
The Ravens also forced Southern New
Hampshire into 13 turnovers, while only committing nine miscues
themselves.
The first half went back and forth
before Franklin Pierce scored 10-straight points to turn a 26-all
tie into a 36-26 advantage with 5:20 remaining until halftime.
Cooper laid in a basket during the surge, while junior forward
Matt Barboza (East Providence, R.I.) added a
three-point play on a layup and free throw. Junior guard
Curtis Christian (Harlem, N.Y.) capped the run
with a deep triple.
The Ravens eventually took a 40-39
lead into the locker room at halftime.
Franklin Pierce returns to action
on Saturday when the Ravens travel to Manchester to face Saint
Anselm in a 3:30 p.m. tipoff.
For more information on Franklin
Pierce men's basketball, please visit the team's page at
athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.) To follow the program even further,
please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube
(www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter
(www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook
(www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens). Fans wishing to purchase
Franklin Pierce men's basketball apparel can do so on the athletic
department's new online store at
athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store(.)
