Men's Basketball Snaps Two-Game Skid with Important 80-76 Win at Post
Five Ravens score in double-figures, including Dozier and Ray with 17 points apiece
WATERBURY, Conn. (January 14, 2009) - The Franklin Pierce
University men's basketball team snapped its two-game losing skid
on Thursday night with an important 80-76 win over Post at the
Drubner Center in Waterbury, Conn. The Ravens improved to 7-8
overall, while Post dipped to 4-11. It also marked the second win
for the Ravens over the Eagles this season as Franklin Pierce
rallied from 17 points down to defeat Post, 88-81, back on Nov. 18
in Rindge.
Five Ravens scored in double-figures, including junior guard Kinard Dozier (Dedham, Mass.) and senior forward Terrell Ray (Brooklyn, N.Y.), who tossed in a team-high 17 points apiece. Senior guard Marcus Wellman (Monroe, Conn.) came off the bench to pump in 14 points. Junior guard Jeff Manchester (Gorham, Maine) drained four three-pointers on the way to 12 points and sophomore center John Hegarty (New Bedford, Mass.) logged his first double-figure scoring game in a Ravens uniform as he had 10 points and seven rebounds.
Franklin Pierce had a strong offensive game as it shot 50 percent (26-of-52) from the field and 42 percent (10-of-24) from behind the arc.
Jon Lucky poured in a game-high 25 points to lead the Eagles, while Nyheem Sanders followed with 19 points.
Franklin Pierce held a lead between 8-to-12 points for most of the second half, but Post went on a furious rally late to get back in the contest. Garvin McAlister knocked down a jumper with 35 seconds left to bring the Eagles to within two at 73-71.
Freshman guard Eric Jean-Guillaume (Stamford, Conn.) followed with a pair of free throws to push the Ravens lead out to four, but Sanders answered at the other end of the court with a jumper to again make it a two-point game.
After Dozier made 1-of-2 free throws, McAlister launched a potential tying three-pointer. However, it clanged off the rim and Wellman grabbed the rebound before being fouled. The senior calmly stroked a pair of free throws to push Franklin Pierce's lead out to five at 78-73 with just 14 seconds to go.
Lucky hit a layup and then made a free throw to make to make it 78-76 with two seconds remaining. Jean-Guillaume, though, put an end to Post's rally as he hit a final layup to give the Ravens the four-point victory.
The first half was tightly contested as neither team could gain a definitive upperhand. Franklin Pierce held a 34-29 lead with just 4:10 to go in the half, but Post rallied for an 8-3 run the rest of the way to pull even at 37 at halftime.
Manchester knocked down a trey to open the second half and the Ravens held a 40-37 advantage, which they would continue to build on throughout the rest of the period. Franklin Pierce led by as many as 12 points in the second half, including at 63-51 with 7:29 to play following a pair of Dozier free throws. The Ravens lead hovered within that vacinity before Post went on its late run to make things interesting.
The win was Franklin Pierce's third in five games since the beginning of the new calendar year.
Franklin Pierce returns to action Saturday and will look to even its overall record at .500 when the Ravens play host to Southern Connecticut State at 3:30 p.m. in The Fieldhouse in Rindge.
For more information on the Franklin Pierce men's basketball program, or to follow Saturday's game via audio or live stats, please visit the team's page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.)