Franklin Pierce Rallies Past Assumption, 79-73
Ravens erase 16-point second half deficit for key Conference win Rodgerson nets new career three-point mark
RINDGE, N.H. (February 18, 2004) - Franklin Pierce erased a 16-point deficit early in the second half and rallied for a key 79-73 victory over Assumption College in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at the Franklin Pierce Fieldhouse tonight.
Franklin Pierce, which clinched its 27th-straight postseason berth last week, now holds the head-to-head tiebreaker and moved a half-game ahead of Assumption College into tenth place in the Conference standings with the win. The Ravens are now winners of a season-high matching three-straight and seven of their last nine, while the Greyhounds have now dropped three in a row and six of eight.
Senior guardDerek Rodgerson (Newburgh, Maine/Hampden Academy) scored 13 second half points to lead the Ravens rally and he finished with 18 points, aided by a four-of-six effort from three-point range, and six assists. With his four three's, Rodgerson broke his tie with Franklin Pierce Hall of Famer "Butch" Mair for the career three-point record (220), set from 1987-1991, as he heads into the final regular season contest with 224 over his career.
Senior preseason All-AmericanJimmie Hunt (Utica, N.Y./Mount Ararat (Maine)) led the Ravens with 22 points (15 first half), hitting 7-14 from the field, including 3-6 from three-point range, to go with seven rebounds and two blocks. FreshmanMarques Norris (Jamaica Plain, Mass./Benson (Ore.)) finished with 14 points (13 second half) on 3-5 shooting from the field, including 3-4 from long-distance, while hitting 5-6 at the line to go with seven boards. ClassmateDarryl Minifield (Brookline, Mass./Brookline) chipped in ten points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Franklin Pierce hit 51.7-percent (15-29) of its shots from the field in the second half, compared to 36.7% (11-30) in the first, while Assumption dropped to 38.7% (12-31) over the final 20 minutes after a 61.5% (16-26) shooting performance in the opening stanza. The Ravens also canned 11-19 three-pointers (57.9%) for the night, including 6-9 (66.7%) in the second half.
Senior guardElijah Bland (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) led all scorers with 25 points in 29 minutes off the bench as he hit 9-13 from the field, including 5-6 three-pointers. JuniorBrian Robinson (Bayonne, N.J./St. Peter's Prep) totaled 19 points (12 first half) on 7-7 shooting from the field, 5-7 at the line, to go with six rebounds, six blocks and three steals. SeniorO McGee-Sharp (Honolulu, Hawaii/Kaiser) recorded a double-double with 17 points, a game-high 12 rebounds and four assists.
Assumption torched the nets in the opening half and jumped out to a double-digit lead (15-4) just 6:53 into the contest. Franklin Pierce was able to weather the storm and trailed by ten (40-30) at the intermission.
The Greyhounds scored seven of the first eight points in the second half to open a 16-point cushion (47-31) 2:58 into the second half with seniorShahar Golan (Nes-Ziona, Israel) netting five points during the run.
Franklin Pierce responded with a 9-0 run behind two Rodgerson three's as well as three points from Minifield to cut its deficit to seven (47-40). After Bland answered with a jumper, the Ravens reeled off an 18-3 run to take their first lead of the game and extend it to six points (58-52) with 8:36 to play. Norris canned a pair of trifectas and Rodgerson scored one of his own to spark the rally.
Assumption answered and tied the score (73-73) with 1:19 to play after a conventional three-point play from McGee-Sharp. Franklin Pierce answered on its next possession as Rodgerson hit a second-chance jumper to put the Ravens up for good with 44-seconds to play. The Greyhounds turned the ball over and Norris and Minifield canned a pair of free-throw attempts each to ice the victory.
Franklin Pierce (14-12, 10-11 NE-10) rounds out the regular season on Saturday when it visits American International College at 3:30 p.m. Assumption (14-11, 9-11 NE-10) hosts Southern New Hampshire University Saturday at 3:30 p.m.