Assumption Sqeaks Past Franklin Pierce, 50-48, in OT
Paulson nets career-best 19 points, including winning basket, to lead Greyhounds
RINDGE, N.H. (February 2, 2005) - Franklin Pierce dropped its sixth-straight overtime contest dating back to 1992 with a 50-48 setback to Assumption College in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at the Franklin Pierce Fieldhouse tonight.
Sophomore guard Jess Paulson (North Providence, R.I./LaSalle Academy) led Assumption with a career-best 19 points (11 first half) as she hit 8-of-16 from the field, including 3-7 from three-point range. She also finished with four assists, two rebounds and two steals.
Freshman Charde Floyd (Worcester, Mass./Worcester Academy) added six points, a team-best ten rebounds and three assists. Juniors Kristen DiCalogero (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) and Kerry Milhaven (Wantaugh, N.Y./Our Lady of Mercy) each netted eight points.
The loss squandered a career night for junior Heather Jacobs (Stoughton, Mass./Stoughton), who posted career-bests of 24 points and 16 rebounds (ten offensive) for her first career double-double. She hit 8-19 shots from the field, while the rest of her team was a combined 4-32 (12.5-percent).
Sophomore Mollie Stelmack (New Westminster, British Columbia/New Westminster) added 13 points, aided by a perfect 8-for-8 effort at the line. Classmate Danielle D'Ettorre (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario/St. Mary's) chipped in eight rebounds, four steals and two blocks, but was 0-7 from the field and converted just 3-6 free-throw attempts for three points.
Franklin Pierce shot just 23.5% (12-51) from the field on the night, including a mere 5-27 (18.5%) in the second half and overtime. The Ravens were just 2-17 (11.8%) from three-point range, missing their last 13 attempts from beyond the arc, but stayed in the contest by out-scoring the Greyhounds, 22-1, from the free-throw line.
The Ravens battled back from as much as a nine-point second-half deficit (36-27, 15:20) to force overtime. Freshman Stephanie Bergeron (Pointe Claire, Quebec/Dawson College) drained two free throws with 39-seconds left in regulation to tie the score at 44. The Ravens had a chance to win the game down the stretch, but committed two turnovers in the final 11 seconds.
In the overtime, Franklin Pierce led by two (48-46) after Jacobs hit two free throws with 1:42 to play. Milhaven hit a jumper off a Ravens turnover to knot the score at 48-48 with 38-seconds to play. Jacobs missed a lay-up with 21-seconds left and Paulson buried a jumper with two-seconds left to lift the Greyhounds to victory.
Franklin Pierce (11-9, 8-8 NE-10) returns to action on Saturday when it visits No. 18 American International College at 1:30 p.m. Assumption (9-11, 5-10 NE-10) hosts UMass Lowell on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.