AIC Shoots Past Franklin Pierce, 71-63
Yellow Jackets led by Ladley's career-high 29 points, aided by record eight trey's
RINDGE, N.H. (January 22, 2004) - American International College, receiving votes in this week's WBCA/USA Today Division II poll, opened a 16-point halftime advantage, and made it hold up for a 71-63 victory over Franklin Pierce in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at the Franklin Pierce Fieldhouse tonight.
Junior Megan Ladley (Pittsfield, Mass./Pittsfield) led American International with a career-high 29 points (17 first half), as she canned a program-record matching eight three-pointers (15 attempts) to finish shooting nine-of-18 from the field overall to go with a 3-3 effort at the line. Ladley matched the program three-point mark for the second time this season after she also drained eight three's in the Yellow Jackets season-opening win over Adelphi University which matched the record previously set by Kelsey Scarpa against Merrimack College in 1997.
Sophomore Sharmion Selman (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) registered a double-double with 19 points and a game-high 11 rebounds (five offensive). Junior Carmen Carter (Taunton, Mass./Taunton) chipped in eight points, two rebounds and three assists in the victory.
Senior forward Susan Ocitti (Cambridge, Mass./Cambridge Rindge & Latin) led Franklin Pierce with a season-high 20 points and nine rebounds to go with four steals. Junior Patricia Lang (Monroe, N.H./Saint Johnsbury Academy) added 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. Freshman Danielle D'Ettorre (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario/St. Mary's) and senior Tara Bligh (Milton, Mass./Milton) each chipped in seven points, while Bligh also added four assists and four steals.
AIC built a 14-point (44-28) halftime lead as it shot 50-percent (16-32) from the field, including 42.9% (6-14) from three-point range. Franklin Pierce failed to take advantage of 14 first half turnovers by the Yellow Jackets as it hit just 32.4% (11-34) from the field. The Ravens finished shooting 35.4% (23-65) from the floor for the contest, including 4-15 (26.7%) from long-distance.
The Yellow Jackets extended its halftime margin to as much as 20 points early in the second half. The AIC lead was 19 points (64-45) with eight minutes remaining in regulation when Franklin Pierce made a late run. A D'Ettorre three-pointer with 44-seconds to play, cut the Ravens deficit to eight points (69-61), but Selman canned two free-throws with 32-seconds on the clock to ice the victory.
Franklin Pierce played well over the opening ten minutes of the contest and held a six-point advantage (20-14) with 9:23 left in the opening stanza. However, a 20-3 Yellow Jacket run over the next six-minutes put AIC ahead for good. Ladley paced the run with eight points.
Franklin Pierce (6-11, 2-11 NE-10) returns to action on Saturday when it hosts UMass Lowell at 1:30 p.m. American International (14-4, 10-4 NE-10) returns to action on Saturday when it visits Saint Anselm College at 1:30 p.m.