UMass Lowell Overcomes Franklin Pierce, 68-58
River Hawks mount second-half rally to halt three-game slide, hand Ravens seventh-straight defeat
RINDGE, N.H. (January 24, 2004) - The University of Massachusetts Lowell put an end to a three-game losing streak with a 68-58 decision over Franklin Pierce to hand the Ravens their season-high seventh-straight defeat in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at the Franklin Pierce Fieldhouse this afternoon.
UMass Lowell erased a six-point (39-33) halftime deficit by shooting 50-percent (12-24) from the field in the second half, while limiting Franklin Pierce to just 24% (6-25) from the field, including 2-10 from three-point range, and a total of just 19 points over the final 20 minutes.
Junior forward Enjoli Edwards (Philadelphia, Pa./Central) led all River Hawks with 19 points in 29 minutes off the bench. She was a perfect 8-8 from the field and canned 2-3 from the line to go with three rebounds and seven steals. Sophomore Emily Kordas (Hillsboro, N.H./Hillsboro-Deering) totaled 13 points and a team-best seven rebounds, while senior Dragana Rabota (Zrenjanin, Serbia) added 13 points, four assists, two blocks and four steals. Sophomore Mariette Guillaume (Audubon, Pa./Methacton) chipped in 12 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals.
The loss squandered a season-high 23-point effort from freshman guard Mollie Stelmack (New Westminster, British Columbia/New Westminster). She paced the Franklin Pierce attack in the first half with 15 points and finished shooting 7-14 from the field, including 5-10 from three-point range, and 4-4 at the line.
Junior Patricia Lang (Monroe, N.H./Saint Johnsbury Academy) totaled 14 points, a team-best six rebounds, three assists and two steals for the Ravens, while senior Susan Ocitti (Cambridge, Mass./Cambridge Rindge & Latin) chipped in six points, six boards and two steals.
UMass Lowell held a 16-6 lead just 5:04 into the contest, but Franklin Pierce roared back behind the hot shooting of Stelmack. A 16-6 Raven run forced the first tie of the game (22-22) with 8:25 left in the first half. Stelmack canned three trifectas to spark the rally.
With the score knotted at 31-31 with two minutes left in the half, Franklin Pierce rounded out the stanza with an 8-2 run sparked by two more Stelmack three's and capped by a lay-up from senior Tara Bligh (Milton, Mass./Milton).
The Ravens stretched its lead to eight points after Stelmack opened the second half with a lay-up. UMass Lowell responded with seven-straight points to knot the score at 43-43 just 4:40 into the stanza.
Another Stelmack lay-up gave Franklin Pierce a 47-45 edge, but following a UMass Lowell time out, the River Hawks regained the lead for good with a 17-3 run to open a 12-point (62-50) advantage with 4:18 to play. Rabota paced the rally with eight points, including a pair of three's. The Ravens closed to within seven points (62-55) after a pair of Stelmack free-throws with 2:18 to play, but UML iced the game at the line by hitting six of eight over the last 1:12.
Franklin Pierce (6-12, 2-12 NE-10) rounds out its three-game home stand on Wednesday when it hosts Granite State rivals Southern New Hampshire University at 5:30 p.m. UMass Lowell (11-8, 7-7 NE-10) is off until next Saturday when it visits Southern New Hampshire at 1:30 p.m.