Franklin Pierce Tops Bryant, 73-71
Balanced attack, tremendous rebounding effort leads Ravens past region's No. 6
RINDGE, N.H. (January 28, 2006) - Franklin Pierce claimed its biggest win of the season with a 73-71 victory over Bryant University, ranked sixth in this week's NCAA Division II Northeast regional poll, in a key Northeast-10 Conference battle at the Franklin Pierce Fieldhouse this afternoon.
Franklin Pierce again dominated on the glass, finishing with a 47-38 advantage on the boards as the Ravens snared 22 on the offensive end alone and used a balanced scoring attack to post its ninth win over its last 12 games. The win was also the Ravens season-best fourth in a row and first in six games this season against a regionally ranked opponent.
Senior Pierre Sully (Jamaica Plain, Mass./North Cambridge) led Franklin Pierce with 17 points, hitting 5-of-10 from three-point range, to go with seven rebounds and two steals. Junior Sean Mayo (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) added a season-high 16 points, hitting 7-12 from the field (2-2 three's), and seven rebounds (six offensive), while classmate Darryl Minnifield (Boston, Mass./Brookline) totaled 13 points (12 first half), three boards and three steals.
Senior Justin Powell (Brookline, Mass./Brookline) finished with 12 points, aided by 8-of-10 shooting from the line, and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds (seven offensive), including the 500th of his career. He is just one of 16 in program history to reach the milestone.
Bryant squandered a season-best effort from senior John Williams (Springfield, Mass./Longmeadow), who netted a game-best 30 points on 9-of-21 shooting from the field, including 6-11 from beyond the arc, while draining all six of his free-throw attempts. He also added three rebounds (all offensive), three assists and three steals. Junior Nathaniel Sudlow (Brooklyn, N.Y./Tilden) was the only other Bulldog in double-figures, adding 21 points off the bench on 8-9 shooting from the field (2-2 three's) and four boards.
While the Bulldogs top scorers were a combined 17-of-30 (.567) from the floor, the rest of the team was 8-28 (28.6%). Junior Dan Hammond (Brunswick, Maine/Brunswick) matched the game-high with nine rebounds to go with three blocks, while freshman Nick Pontes (New Bedford, Mass./New Bedford) chipped in seven points and six boards off the bench.
Franklin Pierce committed just 14 turnovers, to 17 for Bryant, but the Bulldogs turned those into 23 points at the other end as the contest featured nine ties and 11 lead changes. The Ravens buried 50-percent (9-18) of their shots from three-point range despite shooting just 34.8% (23-66) from the field, compared to 43.1% (25-58) shooting for Bryant.
The hosts settled for an eight-point lead at the break (42-34) after leading by ten on three different occasions late in the first half. Bryant stormed back and forced a 50-50 tie after a Williams three-pointer with 12:40 to play.
Bryant completed a 12-1 run to take a four-point lead (55-51) after a conventional three-point play from Sudlow with 11:52 on the clock. Sudlow hit a three-pointer to put the Bulldogs back up three (61-58) with 8:35 to go, but Powell scored a lay-up and converted a free-throw to force the third tie of the half (61-61) with 7:32 to go.
Senior Tom Sadler (London, England/Farmington (N.H.) HS) canned a jumper with 5:37 to go that put Franklin Pierce up three (65-62) with 5:37 left, but Sudlow hit a lay-up and Williams buried a three-pointer to give Bryant the lead (67-66) with 3:33 to go.
Williams hit two free-throws, then Mayo drained his second three-pointer of the night to put the host in front for good (70-69) with 2:04 to go. After a Bryant miss, sophomore Joseph Chatman (Boston, Mass./BC High) scored a driving lay-up to put the hosts up three (72-69) with 1:16 to go. Hammond pulled the Bulldogs back within a point with 46-seconds left and the visitors were given a chance to take the lead, after the hosts allowed the shot clock to run out. Junior Chris Burns (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack) missed a jumper just inside the foul line with three-seconds left and Minnifield hit one of two at the line to ice it with a second on the clock.
Franklin Pierce (12-7, 9-5 NE-10) is on the road Wednesday when it visits Assumption College at 7:30 p.m. Bryant (13-7, 8-7 NE-10) hosts UMass Lowell on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.