Holmes Scores Game-High 21 Points, Ravens Lose to Daemen

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (November 9, 2019) – Franklin Pierce University women's basketball junior guard Sophia Holmes (Oakland, Maine) secured her first 20-plus point game of the season with a game-best 21 markers, however, the Ravens suffered a 65-45 defeat at the hands of non-conference opponent Daemen College at the final day of the Redhawks Tip-Off Classic hosted by Roberts Wesleyan University. The loss evens the crimson and grey's mark to 1-1 while the Wildcats move to 1-1 in the season's early stages.

Holmes tallied three 20 or more point games last season all which came after the winter break. The team captain wasted no time cracking 21 points off 6-of-10 (60.0%) shooting while going a perfect 6-of-6 at the charity stripe. She also snared a team-high six rebounds, came up with two steals and dished out an assist.

Sophomore forward Izzy Lipinski (Farmington, Conn.) was the only other Raven in double-figures with 10 points (5-of-10 FG) to go with three boards, two assists, two steals, and a block.

Pierce struggled to rebound in the contest as their counterparts outrebounded them by a 42-to-23 margin. The Wildcats also had 17 offensive rebounds to the Ravens three which led to 11 second-chance points. They also capitalized off the Raven turnovers producing 19 points.

For Daemen, four athletes had double-digit points including guard Ashli Jeune who scored a team-best 17 points to go with a game-high five steals. Forward Caroline White double-doubled with 13 points and 12 caroms – five offensive.

Midway through the first, Holmes buried a three-ball to give the Ravens their first lead at 9-7. Possessions later, she connected on another trifecta to regain the lead towards the Pierce side at 12-11. With 36 seconds to go sophomore guard Lisa Sulejmani (Burlington, Vt.) knocked down a jumper to give the Ravens the 14-13 lead at the end of the first.

Daemen went on a second-quarter opening 10-2 mini-run capped off by back-to-back threes off the shot of White and Katie Titus to lead 23-16. The Ravens stopped the spurt with a timeout and drew up a Lipinski lay-in to temporarily stop the binge. White gave her team the largest lead of the first half 29-20 until five markers from Pierce including a Holmes triple made it a two-possession, 29-25 game in favor of Daemen at the intermission.

A minute and a half into the third, Rylee Skinner (Leominster, Mass.) brought the Ravens within two, 29-27 with a driving layoff following a Lipinski stuff of Jordan Heinold. Two Holmes freebies with 5:33 to play brought the margin back to two, 33-31. The teams traded points until a 13-4 run into the fourth quarter ended by a Jeune three-ball opened up the game at 51-39. The Wildcats would outscore the Ravens 14-6 over the remainder of the fourth stanza.

Franklin Pierce opens up their home schedule on Wednesday, November 13th when they take on Post University (0-0) at 6:00 p.m.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://www.fpuravens.com). 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 apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (https://shopfpuravens.com). You can also follow the women's basketball team on Twitter (https://twitter.com/FPURavensWBB) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/franklin_pierce_wbb/).