Three Score in Double-Digits, Penmen Pull Away From Ravens in Fourth Quarter

This Franklin Pierce University women's basketball recap is presented by Belletetes

MANCHESTER, N.H. (December 15, 2018) – Three Franklin Pierce University women's basketball underclassmen tallied double-digit scoring during the Ravens 79-56 setback to Northeast-10 Conference opponent Southern New Hampshire University in the first game of a matinee basketball doubleheader at the Stan Spirou Fieldhouse. With the win, the Penmen move to 7-4, 3-4 NE10 while the Ravens slide to 2-8 and remain winless in league play.

Raven freshman guard Lisa Sulejmani (Burlington, Vt.) poured in a career-best 16 points to go along with a personal-best seven rebounds while adding three assists and a game-high three steals. Sophomore guard Sophia Holmes (Oakland, Maine) produced her third straight game with double-digit scoring dropping home 16 markers to go with a season-high six boards. Reigning NE10 Rookie of the Week Izzy Lipinski (Farmington, Conn.) had 14 points on 6-of-11 (54.5%) shooting. She also blocked two shots and came up with two thefts.

For the Penmen senior forward Kylie Lorenzen was plagued with foul trouble all afternoon, but she was still able to turn in a 20 point, 11 rebound double-double in only 22 minutes of play. Junior forward Victoria Dean came off the bench and chipped in 15 points. SNHU shot 52.5% from the hardwood compared to the Ravens 31.7% and outrebounded the guests by a 45-to-35 margin.

Lipinski opened the scoring for the Ravens receiving a baseline pass by sophomore forward Freya Cooney (Woodbridge, England) and lofting a layup from the restricted area into the rack as FPU tailed 4-2. A couple of possessions later, Cooney backed down Lorenzen on the low left block and banked in a shot attempt to deadlock the score 4-4. Holmes gave the Ravens their first lead, 7-4 draining a catch and shoot trey from the right wing. The Ravens 9-0 run continued when Cooney against posted up her defender on the lower left post to expand their advantage to 9-4.

SNHU answered with six consecutive points via a Lorenzen three-ball from the top of the point and a senior guard Brianna Camara wing three-ball connection to take a 10-9 edge with 4:01 to play in the quarter. Lorenzen stretched the Penmen binge to eight straight to move the hosts ahead 12-10. Raven freshman guard Rylee Skinner (Leominster, Mass.) stopped the spurt with a post score of her own off a Holmes feed to tie the game 12-12. SNHU chipped seven more markers to advance their run to 15-2 to lead 19-12 following the first quarter.

The Penmen started the second quarter with Dean draining a three-ball on the left wing expanding their lead to double-digits 22-12. FPU sophomore guard Hannah Everidge (Baldwinville, Mass.) answered on the next Raven possession slicing through the lane for an easy two. Possessions passed as the Crimson and Grey brought their deficit to seven 24-17 when Holmes drilled a wide-open long-range shot on the left corner. Lipinski kept on battling down low as she banked in a layup attempt on the right block while being hacked. The freshman connected on the charity stripe attempt for the and1 and more importantly made it a two-possession game, 24-20 with 7:29 left before the intermission.

The hosts outscored the Ravens 9-2 over the next couple of minutes when Dean was fouled on fast break opportunity by Lipinski. Her shot attempt went in, but she missed the free chance giving the Penmen an 11 point, 33-22 edge. The Penmen lead hovered around 11 points as the Ravens kept chipping down their deficit. A Sulejmani take to the rim with 43 seconds left brought the score to single figures, 37-28. Molly Terry knocked down a buzzer-beating three to up the Penmen margin to 40-28 at halftime.  

FPU came out of the locker room on fire in the third stanza going on a 9-0 quarter-opening run. Lipinski started the spurt using back-to-back lay-ins with the second one coming on a fast break outlet pass by Sulejmani. Sulejmani tallied the next five markers off a trifecta from the right corner and a take to the hoop from the top of the point bringing Pierce within five, 42-37. SNHU regained the double-digit 12 point lead, 54-42 when Jenna Roche stripped the ball from Demi Akins (Cambridge, Mass.) and went uncontested the other way for the fast-break two. SNHU grew the margin back to double-figures until a Holmes three-pointer with 1:39 left in the third brought the score back to single digits, 54-45. Lorenzen concluded the quarter with a potential hoop and harm, but couldn't convert the freebie as the Penmen were ahead 60-47.

Four straight by FPU, a second chance Holmes lay-in, and a Lipinski post conversion brought the margin back to nine, 60-51. The Penmen promptly went on a game-clinching, 19-5 run to take the contest.

The Ravens end their portion of the 2018 schedule at home in The Fieldhouse Tuesday against Northeast-10 Conference opponent Assumption College at 5:30 p.m.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens ), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce women's basketball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store). You can also follow the women's basketball team on Twitter (https://twitter.com/FPURavensWBB) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/franklin_pierce_wbb/).