Jessica Hurd goes for 11 points and eight rebounds off the bench

RINDGE, N.H. (November 17, 2013) – The Franklin Pierce University women’s basketball team scored 48 first-half points Sunday, and had four players score in double-figures, as the Ravens never looked back in picking up their first win of the season with an 86-64 victory over Bridgeport at The Fieldhouse in Rindge.

The Ravens snapped a two-game slide to improve to 1-2, while the Purple Knights dropped their second straight in falling to 2-2.

Sophomore forward Kara Charette (Fairhaven, Mass.) topped 20 points for the third time in as many games, as she pumped in a game-high 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting. The other Ravens to notch double-figures were senior guards Brooke Coderre (Woonsocket, R.I.) and Brittany Martelle (Brookfield, Conn.) with 14 and 12 points, respectively, and junior forward Jessica Hurd (Kegworth, England) with 11 points off the bench on a 4-of-6 shooting clip.

Franklin Pierce shot 50 percent from the floor in the first half on the way to a 48-29 halftime lead. Charette led the charge in the opening minutes by scoring 10 of her team’s first 15 points.

Martelle bombed home a pair of three’s later in the half, and scored all 12 of her points in the opening 20 minutes to join Charette is sparking the Ravens. Coderre was the third member of Franklin Pierce’s offensive trio, as she dropped in nine points.

Bridgeport never threatened in the second half, despite getting 20 points apiece from Shannon Holt and Tiara Aziz. Franklin Pierce led by as many as 27 on three separate occasions in the final stanza.

The Purple Knights struggled shooting the ball, and connected on just 32 percent of their attempts (22-of-69), including a slim 20 percent from beyond the arc (4-of-20).

Franklin Pierce shot 48 percent from the floor for the game (30-of-62), including a solid 41 percent from three-point range (7-of-17). Franklin Pierce’s offensive output was aided by good passing along the perimeter and inside to the post, as the Ravens assisted on 22 of their 30 shots made. Martelle handed out six helpers, while Coderre and Caitlin Hopkins (Holtsville, N.Y.) followed with four and three assists, respectively.

The Ravens were also strong on the boards, holding a 46-41 edge, including getting eight rebounds from Hurd. Freshman Alison Palma (Stamford, Conn.) and sophomore Dyamond Gardner (Cambridge, Mass.) each collected seven boards, while Charette ripped down six.

Franklin Pierce returns to action Wednesday when the Ravens open Northeast-10 Conference play by taking on Saint Michael’s in Colchester, Vt. at 5:30 p.m. in the Ross Sports Center.

For more information on Franklin Pierce women’s basketball, please visit the team’s page at http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu. To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce women’s basketball apparel can do so on the athletic department’s online store at http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store(.)