Vilmont earns award for third time this season, tied for most in the league

RINDGE, N.H. (February 27, 2012) -- Franklin Pierce University men's basketball standout Ryen Vilmont (Philadelphia, Pa.) was named the Northeast-10 Conference Rookie of the Week on Monday, as announced by the league. It marked the third time this season Vilmont won the award, which is tied for the highest total in the conference.

The freshman forward averaged 16.0 points per game in a pair of wins for the Ravens last week, including dropping in 18 points in a 73-60 win over Merrimack in the regular season finale which helped Franklin Pierce clinch the NE-10 regular season championship. Vilmont followed with 14 points in a 55-50 win over Assumption in the NE-10 quarterfinals on Sunday. He led the Ravens in scoring in both games.

Vilmont's performance in the win over Assumption came in Franklin Pierce's first post-season appearance in three years. His offensive output helped the Ravens pick up a post-season victory for the first time in nine years.

Vilmont collected the weekly rookie award just days after he was named to the NE-10 All-Rookie Team, thus becoming just the sixth player in program history to be named to the squad. For the season, Vilmont is averaging 10.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. 

Franklin Pierce returns to action Wednesday when the Ravens play host to UMass-Lowell in the NE-10 semifinals at 7 p.m. in The Fieldhouse in Rindge. Tickets are $7 for adults, $4 for children/seniors and $1 for college students of participating schools who show a valid college ID. The first 150 Franklin Pierce students who present their University ID at the front door will have the cost of their ticket covered, courtesy of Franklin Pierce Athletics.

For more information on Franklin Pierce men's basketball, please visit the team's page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.) To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceAthletics).