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

RINDGE, N.H. (February 13, 2019) – Franklin Pierce University men's basketball junior guard Doyin Fadojutimi (Temple Hills, Md.) came alive in the second half scoring 21 of his game-high 29 points as the Ravens fended off Northeast-10 Conference opponent Merrimack College 89-76 Wednesday evening in an electrified Fieldhouse environment. With the win, the Ravens fourth over their last five games moves them to 13-11, 9-8 NE10 while the Warriors fall to 16-8, 11-6 NE10.

Fadojutimi finished the game going 9-of-16 (56.3%) from the floor, 6-of-9 (66.7%) from long range and 5-of-6 (83.3%) at the line. He snared six rebounds, dished out five assists, blocked three shots and came up with two steals. He accomplished a rare feat in the second half tallying two separate four-point plays. It was his eighth 20+ point game of the campaign and he produced more points in this contest than his last three games combined (21).

Freshman guard Isaiah Moore (Temple Hills, Md.) chipped in 14 points, five assists and three caroms on 5-of-7 (71.4%) shooting. Making his third start of the season and first, in front of the home fans, junior forward Jameson Pierrelus (Martin County, Fla.) tallied 12 points, three rebounds – two offensive and one block in 16 minutes of play. Jeremy Arthur (Westbury, N.Y.) stuffed the box score with 11 markers, six rebounds, and five assists. Sean Fasoyiro (Houston, Texas) was a beast on the boards gobbling up a game-high nine rebounds. Four Pierce players recorded four or more assists as they had 26 dimes on their 30 field goal conversions.

Juvaris Hayes paced the Warriors and was one rebound shy of a triple-double. He finished the game with 19 points, a game-high 11 assists, and nine caroms while adding four steals. However, Hayes struggled at the line going 4-of-11 (36.4%). Teammate Ryan Boulter added 19 points as well with 16 of them coming in the first half. He was held to 1-of-5 (20%) shooting over the final 20 minutes of play.

Free throw efficiency was huge in this battle as the Ravens drained 73.9% (17-of-23) at the charity stripe compared to 50% (10-of-20) by the Warriors. Pierce shot a season-best 57.1% (12-of-21) from long range and their defense strapped down Merrimack after the break holding their counterparts to 34.3% (12-of-35) second half shooting.

Merrimack held a 12-4 lead at the 16:46 mark when Idris Joyner converted a right block layup. Six straight Raven points made it a two-point game, 12-10 via a Fadojutimi take to the rack off a Falu Seck (Washington, D.C.) feed. Merrimack used an 11-2 run to open up their first double-digit lead of the game 26-15 midway through the first half. Raven freshman guard Brandon Kolek (Cumberland, R.I.) hit a left-wing trifecta to bring the deficit back to single figures 26-18. It was short lived as a Hayes theft of Arthur led to a Boulter fast break deuce to give MC their biggest lead of the game, 33-20.

The Ravens clawed back to take their first advantage 40-37 on the strength of a 20-4 outburst. Moore and Fadojutimi kicked off the run hitting back-to-back threes and Gerard Gray Jr. (Washington, D.C.) split a pair of freebies to make it a two-possession Mack lead 33-27. After two Jaleel Lord free throws, Raven sophomore guard Sam van Oostrum (Sheffield, England) drove baseline after collecting a Moore dish, used an up, and under move to again make it a six-point game. Seck promptly deadlocked the game 35-35 with a top of the point three-ball and a slashing and1 with 3:25 left until intermission. A van Oostrum floater and a Fadojutimi left wing three capped the Raven run. Seven straight by Merrimack moved them back in front 44-40 at the intermission when Boulter connected on two trailer threes.

Pierce came out of the locker room slow as a Joyner lay-in regained the two possession Merrimack edge. The Ravens kept on battling then at the 12:40 mark, David Bradbury Jr. (Deep River, Conn.) knocked home a right corner three via a van Oostrum pass to briefly give the Ravens a one point, 57-56 lead. Behind by four, a 10-2 mini-spurt for FPU moved the hosts ahead 67-63. Pierrelus was the key cog in the binge accounting for six markers, one offensive rebound tip-in, and four charity stripe connections.

Justin Connolly and Hayes split two freebies apiece at the line bringing it to a 67-65 game with 4:52 left to play. FPU would ice the game over the final minutes using a 21-6 run to lead by a high of 17, 88-73. Fadojutimi manufactured 12 of the 21 Raven points and had two huge four-point plays. The first came with the Ravens ahead by only two as he was hacked on the right wing by Mikey Watkins. The four markers pushed the Ravens ahead by two possessions 71-65. Watkins and Boulter brought the margin down to one, 71-70 until five Moore markers and the final Fadojutimi four-point play this time from the right corner off an Arthur pass gave the Ravens their first double-digit lead.

The Ravens head back out on the road for their next two games as they travel to Stonehill College on Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. tip.

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 men's basketball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://www.fpuravens.com/store). You can also follow the men's basketball team on Twitter (https://twitter.com/FPURavensMBB) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fpuravensmbb/).