2006 ECAC Division II Championship Third-seeded Franklin Pierce Edges #1 Philadelphia, 61-60
Tournament MVP Jacobs nets 11 of 13 points in second half as Ravens win first postseason championship since 1992 NECC Tournament
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (March 11, 2006) - Franklin Pierce won its first postseason tournament since 1992 as the third-seeded Ravens posted a 61-60 victory over top-seeded Philadelphia University in the championship game of the 2006 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division II Tournament at Holy Family University this evening.
The victory gives Franklin Pierce (16-14) its first postseason championship of any kind since winning the 1992 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Tournament. The Ravens were competing in the ECAC Tournament for the first time in program history. Philadelphia sees its season come to a close at 22-7.
Franklin Pierce took advantage of 23 Philadelphia turnovers (13 second half), committing just 15 themselves - including just four after halftime. The Ravens were on the short end of the rebounding battle (37-21), but hit 44.4-percent (24-54) of their shots from the field, including 7-of-15 (46.7%) from three-point range. Philadelphia, which had four players play all 40 minutes in the contest, shot 43.2% (19-44) from the floor, including 3-9 (33%) from beyond the arc, but outscored the Ravens 19-6 at the free-throw line.
Senior captain Heather Jacobs (Stoughton, Mass./Stoughton) earned Tournament MVP honors as she scored 11 of her 13 points in the second half, to go with a team-high eight rebounds (four offensive), five assists and two blocked shots. Sophomore Stephanie Bergeron (Pointe Claire, Quebec/Dawson College) netted a team-high 15 points (13 first half) as she hit 5-of-7 from the field, including 3-3 from three-point land. Junior Danielle D'Ettorre (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario/St. Mary's) added 11 points (nine first half), four boards and four steals, while freshman Heather Benton (Valley Spring, Calif./St. Mary's) chipped in seven assists and three steals.
Junior Meg Abele (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) led Philadelphia with a game-high 23 points, aided by 10-for-10 shooting from the free-throw line. Classmate Nicole Mechell (Springfield, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) added 15 points (11 first half), five rebounds (three offensive) and four steals, while sophomore Ashley Webster (Philadelphia, Pa./Cheltenham) notched a double-double with ten points and ten boards to go with two steals. Junior Alisha Ferguson (Ft. Washington, Pa./Gwynedd Mercy) chipped in a game-high 12 rebounds.
Franklin Pierce jumped out to a 13-2 lead in the first half, but Philadelphia battled back to tie the score at 30-30 at halftime. In the second half, neither team was able to seize control, with the Lady Rams holding the largest lead of seven points, 45-38.
The see-saw affair saw Ferguson give Philadelphia its final lead, 57-56, on a three-point play at the 1:40 mark. However, Jacobs then took over, hitting one of two free-throws to tie the score with 1:06 remaining before converting a lay-up with 48-seconds left for a 59-57 advantage. The Lady Rams tied the score on a pair of free throws with 38-seconds remaining, but Jacobs then scored to put the Ravens ahead for good, 61-59. Philadelphia had one more chance with 1.7-seconds remaining, but senior guard Antionene Fullard (Philadelphia, Pa./Lansing CC) hit just one of two free-throw attempts, leaving the Lady Rams a point short.