Penmen hold Ravens without field goal for over 13 minutes in deciding stretch

Boxscore 

KEENE, N.H. (December 6, 2008) - Southern New Hampshire University held Franklin Pierce to ten first half points en route to a 65-51 victory in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at Spaulding Gymnasium on the campus of Keene State College this afternoon.

Sophomore Tory Stapleton (Rahway, N.J./St. Thomas More) led four Southern New Hampshire players in double-figures with 16 points as he made 7-of-12 shots from the field, to go with three rebounds and two steals. Freshman Marcus Matthews (Valley Stream, N.Y./Maine Central Institute) posted 13 points, draining both three-point attempts, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Senior Troy Bowen (Nashua, N.H./Nashua North) and junior Stephen Wood (Queens, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy Memorial) each added ten points and seven rebounds, while Wood also chipped in three assists and two steals. Senior Gerald Carter (Harlem, N.Y./Holderness) grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to go with nine points and four steals.

Sophomore Kinard Dozier (Dedham, Mass./The Winchendon School) led Franklin Pierce with 12 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals. Sophomore Jeff Manchester (Gorham, Maine/Gorham) added 11 points, six rebounds, two blocks and three steals. Junior Jack Barrett (Reading, Mass./Andover) chipped in seven points, a team-best nine rebounds and three assists.

Sophomore Mike Barrow (Mattapan, Mass./Hebron Academy) scored a lay-up to draw Franklin Pierce within four points (12-8) with 11:07 left in the first half. The field goal proved to be the final one of the half for the Ravens as Southern New Hampshire held them to just two free-throws the rest of the frame to open a 19-point cushion (28-9) with 1:18 left before the break.

SNHU took a 28-10 lead into the lockerroom as Franklin Pierce shot just 20-percent (4-for-20) from the field, including 0-for-6 from three-point range, and committed 20 turnovers in the first half. The Penmen posted a 15-5 advantage in points off turnovers in the frame.

Manchester connected with a three-pointer 2:17 into the second half to end the Franklin Pierce scoring drought at 13:24. Southern New Hampshire extended its lead to 22 points (43-21) on a Bowen three with 13:44 to play. The Ravens tried to climb back in the game, drawing within 12 (58-46) after two free-throws from Barrett with 1:44 left. However, the Ravens missed their final four attempts from three-point range to stall the rally. 

Southern New Hampshire finished shooting 36.1-percent (22-for-61) from the field, posting a 24-15 advantage in points off turnovers as Franklin Pierce finished with a season-high 28 turnovers for the day. The Ravens shot 31-percent (18-58) from the field, including 36.8% (14-38) in the second half.

Franklin Pierce (4-3, 1-2 NE-10) is back in action on Tuesday when it visits American International College at 7:30 p.m. The Ravens do not return home until Monday, December 22, to host Merrimack College at 3 p.m. Southern New Hampshire (3-3, 2-3 NE-10) hosts the University of New Haven on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.