#12 Merrimack Tops Franklin Pierce, 76-58
Quist leads Warriors to record-matching win
RINDGE, N.H. (February 12, 2004) - Merrimack College, ranked No. 12 in this week's WBCA/ESPN/USA Today Division II poll, matched its single-season win mark with a 76-58 victory over Franklin Pierce in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at the Franklin Pierce Fieldhouse tonight.
Junior center Krystyn Quist (Winchendon, Mass./Murdock) led a balanced Merrimack attack with a game-high 17 points as she hit six-of-nine shots from the field and converted all five free-throw attempts to go with five rebounds, two blocks and two steals in 20 minutes off the bench. Senior Christina Siragusa (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton) was the only other double-digit scorer for the Warriors with 15 points, aided by 4-7 shooting from three-point range, to go with five assists. Junior Eileen Brosnihan (Dudley, Mass./Shepherd Hill) chipped in eight points.
Freshman Danielle D'Ettorre (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario/St. Mary's) led Franklin Pierce with 13 points as she was 3-4 from the field, including 1-1 from three-point range, and converted 6-6 at the line, to go with a game-high nine rebounds and three steals. Junior Patricia Lang (Monroe, N.H./Saint Johnsbury Academy) added ten points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. Sophomore Heather Jacobs (Stoughton, Mass./Stoughton) chipped in seven points and four boards.
Merrimack hit 49.1-percent (28-57) of its shots from the field on the night, including 7-15 (46.7%) from long-range, and closed the game with 54.2% (13-24) from the field in the second half. The Warriors also turned 25 Franklin Pierce turnovers into 30 points, while the Ravens scored just ten off 16 Warrior miscues. Franklin Pierce finished shooting just 34% (17-50) from the field, including 29.6% (8-27) in the first half.
Merrimack ran out to a 16-2 lead 8:17 into the contest, but Franklin Pierce fought back within seven points (29-22) at the 4:39-mark of the opening stanza. The Warriors responded by closing the half with a 14-1 run to race into the intermission with a 19-point (42-23) edge.
Merrimack's lead grew to as much as 23 points (52-29) 3:59 into the second stanza and the Warriors never let Franklin Pierce closer than 14 points the rest of the way.
Franklin Pierce (7-16, 3-16 NE-10) returns to action on Saturday when it visits Bryant College at 1:30 p.m. Merrimack (21-2, 16-2 NE-10) hosts Pace University on Saturday at 1 p.m.