Dozier drive at the horn falls off the mark as Ravens win streak snapped

Boxscore 

ALBANY, N.Y. (January 14, 2009) - The College of Saint Rose survived a late comeback and last-second shot to claim a 76-75 victory over Franklin Pierce University in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at Daniel P. Nolan Gymnasium tonight.

Franklin Pierce nearly escaped a six-point deficit with 18-seconds to play as sophomore Kinard Dozier (Dedham, Mass./The Winchendon School) got to the rim at the opposite end after Saint Rose senior Josh Pelletier (Troy, N.Y./LaSalle Institute) missed two free-throws with 4.8-seconds remaining, but Dozier's drive fell agonizingly off the side of the rim as time expired to give the Golden Knights their second-straight win and snap the Ravens season-best three-game upswing.

Senior Evan Lane (Sharon Springs, N.Y./Sharon Springs) led five Saint Rose players in double-figures with a double-double effort of 16 points (8-of-12 field goals) and ten rebounds to go with three blocked shots and two steals. Junior Jermaine Clark (Perth Amboy, N.J./Perth Amboy) added 14 points, four assists and three steals, while Pelletier finished with 11 points. Sophomore Ben Johnson (Pictou County, Nova Scotia/St. David Catholic) and freshman Shea Bromirski (Cambridge, N.Y./Cambridge Central) each chipped in ten points.

Dozier and sophomore Jeff Manchester (Gorham, Maine/Gorham) combined for 44 points to lead Franklin Pierce. Dozier led all scorers with a season-high 23 points, aided by 10-for-12 shooting from the free-throw line, to go with ten rebounds (five offensive) for his second-straight and third double-double of the year (fourth career), adding four steals and two assists. Manchester buried 7-of-11 three-pointers for 21 points to go with three boards.

Senior Rimas Varanauskas (Kaunas, Lithuania/The Winchendon School) and junior Marcus Wellman (Monroe, Conn./Hamden Hall) each chipped in nine points for the Ravens.

Saint Rose finished shooting 56.6-percent (30-for-53) from the field, but just 3-for-11 (27.3%) from three-point range, including 57.7% (15-26) in the second half. Franklin Pierce shot just 36.2-percent (21-for-58) from the field, but buried 11-of-25 (44%) three-pointers and made 22-of-26 (84.6%) free-throw attempts.

Saint Rose seemingly sealed the win with two Clark free-throws that gave the hosts a six-point cushion (76-70) with 18-seconds remaining.  Dozier scored a lay-up to pull the Ravens within four (76-72) with 11-seconds to go, then the Golden Knights lost possession with eight seconds to play when Clark was whistled for an offensive foul. Manchester drained his seventh three-pointer of the night to draw Franklin Pierce within a point (76-75) with six-seconds left and then the Ravens fouled Pelletier to set up the final seconds.

There was nothing separating the two clubs at halftime (39-39) following a first half that featured nine ties and 16 lead changes. The largest lead by either team in the opening half was a five-point Franklin Pierce advantage (12-7) after Varanauskas made one of two at the line 3:43 into the frame.

Saint Rose took the early initiative in the second half, scoring the first four points of the stanza and forging a six-point lead (47-41) after a Pelletier lay-up 3:49 in. A Manchester three pulled Franklin Pierce back within a point (53-52) with 13:28 to go in regulation, but a 10-4 Saint Rose push put the hosts up a game-high seven (63-56) after a Clark jumper with 7:18 left.

Two Varanauskas free-throws had Franklin Pierce again back within a point (63-62) with 4:57 remaining, but the Ravens just could not get over the hump. A Clark three had the Golden Knights up six (68-62) with 3:48 left. Wellman canned a three with 36-seconds to play to draw the Ravens within a possession (73-70), but Saint Rose regained the six-point cushion with Clark's free-throws to set up the final stages.

Franklin Pierce (7-7, 4-5 NE-10) returns to action on Saturday when it hosts the University of New Haven at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on WEEI 93.5 FM Keene. Saint Rose (7-9, 5-6 NE-10) hosts Stonehill College on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.