#12 Merrimack Stops Franklin Pierce, 74-58
Warriors use 26-8 scoring advantage at the line to aid victory
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (February 10, 2004) - Merrimack College, ranked No. 12 in this week's WBCA/ESPN/USA Today Division II poll, collected its seventh-straight win with a hard-fought 74-58 decision over Franklin Pierce in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at the S. Peter Volpe Center tonight.
Sophomore guard Joelle Martin (Somerville, Mass./Somerville) led a balanced Merrimack attack with 22 points as she hit seven-of-15 shots from the field, including 2-3 from three-point range, and converted 6-8 at the free-throw line. Junior Eileen Brosnihan (Dudley, Mass./Shepherd Hill) added 17 points, hitting 5-7 from the field and 7-8 from the line, to go with seven rebounds and two steals. Senior Christina Siragusa (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton) chipped in nine points and a team-best 11 rebounds.
Junior Patricia Lang (Monroe, N.H./Saint Johnsbury Academy) led Franklin Pierce with 18 points, aided by 7-12 shooting from the field, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Freshman Danielle D'Ettorre (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario/St. Mary's) added 13 points, six rebounds (four offensive) and three assists, while senior Susan Ocitti (Cambridge, Mass./Cambridge Rindge & Latin) snared a season-high 13 rebounds. Sophomore Heather Jacobs (Stoughton, Mass./Stoughton) chipped in eight points and seven boards.
Merrimack enjoyed a 26-8 scoring advantage from the free-throw line as it went to the stripe 39 times, compared to 14 for the visitors. The final margin of victory also matched the Warriors largest lead of the contest as Franklin Pierce came back from a pair of early six-point deficits in the early going.
The Ravens used a 10-2 run to open a six-point edge of their own (25-19) after a Lang jumper with 11:49 left in the opening stanza. Lang scored five points during the run, while senior Tara Bligh (Milton, Mass./Milton) sparked things with a three-pointer.
The Warriors answered by taking a five-point lead (40-35) into the break and maintained that advantage until a 13-4 run gave them their first double-digit lead of the night before extending it to 15 points (57-42) with 12:17 to play. The Ravens got within ten points (60-50) with 8:14 to play, but could get no closer.
Franklin Pierce (7-15, 3-15 NE-10) and Merrimack (20-2, 15-2 NE-10) return to action for the second half of their home-and-home series on Thursday night at the Franklin Pierce Fieldhouse at 5:30 p.m.