Merrimack Drops Franklin Pierce, 70-51
Warriors turn 14 second half Raven turnovers into 21 points
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (February 15, 2006) - Merrimack College took advantage of 28 Franklin Pierce turnovers to post a key 70-51 victory in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at the Volpe Center tonight.
Franklin Pierce committed a season-high 28 turnovers and shot just 37-percent (20-54) from the field, including 29.6% (8-27) in the second half, and finished 4-of-17 (23.5%) from three-point range. Merrimack took advantage of the Ravens 14 turnovers in the second half, posting 21 points off those miscues for a total of 29 points off turnovers for the night. The Warriors shot 42.4% (25-59) from the field, including 15-30 (50%) in the second half. Merrimack also converted 14 of its 15 attempts at the free-throw line.
Junior Kenny Jones (Norwich, Conn./Norwich Free Academy) led four Merrimack players in double-figures with 17 points and four rebounds. Senior Kent Leahy (Braintree, Mass./Braintree) added 14 points and five rebounds, while senior Bobby Murgo (Watertown, Mass./Watertown) registered 13 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Senior Bruno Zanotti (Asuncion, Paraguay) chipped in ten points, three boards and four blocks.
No Franklin Pierce player netted double-figures as the Ravens were led by junior Sean Mayo's (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) tallied nine points and matched his career-high with 13 rebounds (six offensive) and blocked two shots. Senior Pierre Sully (Jamaica Plain, Mass./North Cambridge Catholic) added nine points and four rebounds, while freshman Timothy Munch (Blauvelt, N.Y./Storm King Prep) chipped in nine points in 20 minutes off the bench.
Franklin Pierce led throughout most of the first ten minutes of the opening half, but Merrimack seized a four point lead (18-14) after a Zanotti jumper with 9:04 before the intermission. The first half featured six ties and eight lead changes, the last coming with a pair of Joseph Chatman (Boston, Mass./BC High) free-throws with 1:17 to play before the break to give the Ravens a two-point lead (30-28).
Franklin Pierce took a one-point lead (30-29) into the locker room and scored the first five points of the second half to open its first six-point advantage (35-29) after a Powell jumper 2:40 into the frame. Merrimack responded with a 13-0 run over the next three minutes to take a seven-point lead (42-35) after a Micky Burtnyk (Phoenix, Ariz./Desert Vista CC) jumper with 14:28 left.
The Ravens were back within four (42-38) after a Tom Sadler (London, England) three-pointer with 12:33 to go. However, the Warriors used a 13-2 run to take a 15-point lead (55-40) after an Adam Shepard (Raleigh, N.C./Southeast Regional) three-pointer with 6:34 to play.
A Sully three and two Munch free throws again brought the Ravens within striking distance (55-47) with 5:15 on the clock, but a 10-0 Merrimack run over the next 2:30 sealed its victory.
Franklin Pierce (13-12, 10-10 NE-10) looks to get back on track Saturday when it visits in-state rivals Southern New Hampshire University at 3:30 p.m. Merrimack (12-13, 10-10 NE-10) visits Assumption College on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.