Pace Edges Franklin Pierce, 53-51
Turnovers cost Ravens in second-half as they drop third-straight
RINDGE, N.H. (January 20, 2005) - Pace University took advantage of 14 second-half Franklin Pierce turnovers and survived a late comeback effort in posting a 53-51 victory in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at the Franklin Pierce Fieldhouse tonight.
Freshman Stephanie Klingele (Staten Island, N.Y./St. John Villa) led Pace with 13 points as she hit five-of-eight from the field, including 3-of-6 from three-point range. Sophomore Hannah Sheppard (Norwich, Conn./Norwich Free Academy) added 11 points, five rebounds and two steals, while junior Jesse Dlabola (Levittown, N.Y./Holy Trinity) chipped in nine points and three assists.
Junior captain Heather Jacobs (Stoughton, Mass./Stoughton) led Franklin Pierce for the fourth-straight game with 13 points to go with seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Sophomore Danielle D'Ettorre (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario/St. Mary's) added 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists, while classmate Mollie Stelmack (New Westminster, British Columbia/New Westminster) registered 12 points, four rebounds, five assists and two blocks.
Franklin Pierce drops its third-straight and fourth out of five games - all of which it has held a halftime lead. Tonight, the Ravens led by two (28-26) at the break with Jacobs netting 11 points in the stanza. The Ravens out-scored the Setters 14-4 off turnovers in the half.
It was turnovers that cost Franklin Pierce in the second half as it committed 11 in the first 12 minutes of the stanza, after totaling just six in the first half, before finishing with 20 on the night.
Pace registered a 20-7 run to open an 11-point (46-35) advantage with 6:43 to play. The Setters lead was still 11 (48-37) with 5:12 to play after the two sides traded baskets. D'Ettorre sparked a 7-0 Ravens run to cut the Setters lead to four points (48-44) with 2:21 to play.
Stelmack drained a three-ball to trim the deficit to a single point (52-51) with 17-seconds left. Klingele missed the front end of her one-and-one, setting up one last Franklin Pierce possession with 15-seconds left. Freshman Stephanie Bergeron (Pointe Claire, Quebec/Dawson College) drove towards the baseline, but her off-balanced jumper caromed off the back of the rim with a second to play.
Franklin Pierce (8-7, 5-6 NE-10) returns to action on Saturday when it visits Le Moyne College at 1 p.m. Pace (11-6, 8-4 NE-10) hosts Assumption College on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.