AIC Eliminates Franklin Pierce, 80-53
Yellow Jackets hot shooting ends Ravens postseason hopes
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (February 21, 2004) - American International College, ranked sixth in the Northeast Region, ended Franklin Pierce's postseason hopes with an 80-53 victory in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at the Butova Gymnasium this afternoon.
American International connected on 52.2-percent (12-23) of its attempts from three-point range, including 6-8 (75%) over the final 20 minutes, and scored 29 points off 25 Franklin Pierce turnovers. The Ravens shot just 33.3% (18-54) from the field for the day, including 3-13 (23.1%) from long-distance.
AIC junior Meghan Ladley (Pittsfield, Mass./Pittsfield) canned six-of-nine from three-point land for a game-high 18 points. Senior Heather Wyatt (Phoenix, Ariz./Paradise Valley) registered a double-double with 15 points, aided by 3-5 shooting from downtown, 12 rebounds, six assists and two steals. Sophomore Sharmion Selman (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) also notched a double-double with 14 points, ten boards, three blocks and three assists. Senior Michelle Ransom (Hempstead, N.Y./Holy Trinity) chipped in 11 points, three assists and three steals.
Sophomore Heather Jacobs (Stoughton, Mass./Stoughton) led Franklin Pierce with a career-best 15 points as she hit 5-8 from the field and canned all four free-throw attempts to go with six rebounds. Freshman Christina Collett (Tombstone, Ariz./Tombstone) netted a season-high ten points and dished two assists, while junior Patricia Lang (Monroe, N.H./Saint Johnsbury Academy) rounded out the Ravens double-digit scorers with ten points, four boards and two assists.
American International never trailed as it scored the first six points of the contest and held a 13-4 lead 6:25 into the game. AIC opened a 21-point edge (31-10) with 5:51 left in the opening stanza before settling for a 36-20 halftime cushion.
Franklin Pierce closed to within 13 points after Jacobs opened the second half with a three-pointer, but the Yellow Jackets reeled off a 20-7 run to take contol of the contest and never led the Ravens within 20 points the rest of the way.
Franklin Pierce (7-19, 3-19 NE-10) rounds out its season on Friday when it hosts Green Mountain College in a non-conference battle at 6 p.m. American International (21-5, 16-5 NE-10) visits Stonehill College on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.