Men's Basketball Falls at Merrimack 87-71
Terrell Ray notches third-consecutive double-double; fifth in seven games this season
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (December 2, 2009) - The Franklin
Pierce University men's basketball team dropped an 87-71 decision
at Merrimack on Wednesday night at Volpe Gym in North Andover,
Mass. The Ravens dropped their third-straight game to fall to 4-3
overall and 0-3 in the Northeast-10. Merrimack, who was picked to
win the conference in the preseason poll, improved to 3-3 and 2-2
in the league.
Junior guard Kinard Dozier (Dedham, Mass.) pumped in a team-high 23 points and pulled down six rebounds. Senior forward Terrell Ray (Brooklyn, Mass.) notched his third-straight double-double as he logged 17 points and 15 rebounds. It marked the fifth time in seven games this season that Ray has recorded a double-double. Junior guard Jeff Manchester (Gorham, Maine) was Franklin Pierce's other double-digit scorer with 11 points.
Darren Duncan dumped in a game-high 32 points to pace four Merrimack players who scored in double-figures.
Franklin Pierce out-rebounded the Warriors, 54-39, and held a 22-9 advantage in second-chance points. However, Merrimack was able to force the Ravens into 17 turnovers and scored 16 points off of those. The Warriors did a solid job of taking care of the basketball as they turned it over just nine times.
Franklin Pierce led by as much as five points on three separate occasions in the first half. The Ravens held a 30-25 lead with 7:19 to play in the half following a jumper by Ray.
However, Merrimack went on a 14-4 run over the next five minutes to grab a 39-34 edge. Darin Mency kick-started the rally with the initial four points and Duncan aided the run with a jumper.
Franklin Pierce didn't fold and responded by scoring six of the final eight points of the period to pull within one at 41-40 heading into the locker room at halftime. Manchester converted two free throws, Dozier hit a jumper and Ryan Creighton (Greenport, N.Y.) laid in a basket to key the rally.
The Ravens carried the offensive tempo into the opening stages of the second half and opened up a 54-46 lead with 15:27 remaining on a three-point play by Ray.
Roland Davis laid in a basket for Merrimack on the next possession and it sparked an 8-0 run by the Warriors to knot the game at 54. Drew Fenstermaker (Naples, Fla.) staked Franklin Pierce to another lead moments later with a layup which put the Ravens on top 56-54.
However, the Warriors wouldn't go away and scored the next seven points, including four points from Aaron Strothers, to take the lead for good at 61-56 with 12:03 remaining.
Merrimack opened its lead up to 71-61 with 7:14 to go on a jumper by Craig Woehnker, and would lead by double-figures the rest of the way in earning the win.
Franklin Pierce returns to action next Tuesday when it travels to face UMass-Lowell at 7:30 p.m. For more information on Franklin Pierce men's basketball, please visit the team's page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.)