WALTHAM, Mass. (2/11/25) - Despite a stellar 33-point performance from Donte Pope, the Franklin Pierce men's basketball team couldn't overcome a strong second-half surge from Bentley, falling 87-74 at the Charles A. Dana Center. The Ravens battled back from an early 15-point deficit to take the lead in the first half but were outscored 20-8 in the opening stretch of the second half, allowing the Falcons to pull away.
Score: FPU 74, Bentley 87
Records: FPU (3-21,2-15 NE10), Bentley (14-8,11-5 NE10)
Location: Charles A. Dana Center, Waltham, Mass.
Date: Tuesday, February 11, 2025
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Falcons opened the game with a 13-0 run before Donte Pope (Middletown, Conn.) hit his 36th three-pointer of the season to put the Ravens on the board with 13:34 remaining.
- Pope drained another three less than a minute later, sparking a 10-2 Ravens run, with Aboubacar Wague (Brooklyn, N.Y.) contributing to cut the deficit to 17-10.
- Pope stayed hot, knocking down three more three-pointers to make it a four-point game. Moments later, he hit another, bringing the Ravens within one after trailing by 15 just minutes earlier.
- Wague's basket gave Franklin Pierce its first lead (18-17), and the Ravens entered halftime trailing by just one (36-37) behind Pope's 20 first-half points.
- Ja'Keese Kemp (Lakeland, Fla.) gave the Ravens their second lead of the game with a three-pointer in the opening minute of the second half, but Bentley quickly responded as both teams exchanged leads.
- The Falcons took control, outscoring the Ravens 20-8 in the early minutes of the half and extending their lead to 20 with 7:51 remaining, fueled by multiple three-pointers.
- Kemp hit his third three-pointer of the half out of a timeout, trying to slow Bentley's momentum.
- Pope capped off his night with a driving layup, finishing with 33 points—his second-highest total of the season—but Bentley secured the 87-74 win and the season series.
BREAKING DOWN THE NUMBERS:
- Pope led the team with 33 points and 8 rebounds.
- The Ravens shot 42.2% from the field. The Falcons shot 47.7%.
- The Ravens shot 40.7% from three-point range. The Falcons shot 47.5%.
- The Ravens had 32 rebounds while the Falcons had 40.
UP NEXT FOR THE RAVENS: The Ravens return home for two final home games in the Fieldhouse. They will take on the Setters of Pace University, Saturday, for a 3:30 tip-off.
