Warriors withstand late Ravens rally; Jacobs matches season-high with 24 points for Ravens

RINDGE, N.H. (February 16, 2005) - Merrimack College, ranked No. 11 in this week's USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II poll, opened an 11-point halftime lead late in the first half and withstood a late Franklin Pierce charge to post a 66-56 victory in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at the Franklin Pierce Fieldhouse tonight.

Despite the loss, Franklin Pierce clinched a spot in the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament as a result of losses by both Le Moyne and Saint Anselm tonight, leaving the Ravens three games ahead of both with two Northeast-10 games remaining. The Ravens will return to the postseason after a one-year absence.

Senior Jenny Smith (Freetown, Mass./Apponequet) led Merrimack with 17 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals. Classmate Eileen Brosnihan (Dudley, Mass./Shepherd Hill) totaled 11 points, on five-of-six shooting from the field, a game-high eight rebounds and two steals. Freshman Ashley Brownlee (Portland, Maine/Portland) added 13 points and four assists, while junior Joelle Martin (Somerville, Mass./Somerville) chipped in ten points and four assists.      

Junior captain Heather Jacobs (Stoughton, Mass./Stoughton) led all scorers as she matched her career-high with 24 points, connecting on 9-of-11 from the field, including 3-5 from three-point range, to go with four rebounds and three assists. Sophomore Danielle D'Ettorre (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario/St. Mary's) totaled 13 points, hitting 6-10 from the field, three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Junior Maria Clifton (New York, N.Y./St. Michael's Academy) chipped in six points, hitting the first two three-pointers of her career, and six boards.

Franklin Pierce led by four (13-9) after a Mollie Stelmack (New Westminster, British Columbia/New Westminster) three-pointer 5:24 into the game. Merrimack quickly regained the lead and extended it to eight points (25-17) after a Brosnihan lay-up with 8:45 left in the stanza. The Ravens closed the gap to two (32-30) after freshman Josie Lidke (Chaska, Minn./Chaska) converted a three-point play with 2:34 on the clock, but the Warriors closed out the half with an 11-2 run to take an 11-point (43-32) cushion into the locker room.

Merrimack extended its lead to 15 points (57-42) midway through the second half after a Smith jumper. Franklin Pierce responded and Clifton sparked an 11-0 run with her first career three-pointer that cut its deficit to four points (57-53) with 7:16 remaining. Three of the Ravens four baskets during that stretch came from beyond the arc.

Smith scored a lay-up and Brosnihan hit one of two at the line to push the Warriors lead back to seven (60-53), but Clifton's second three-pointer brought the Ravens back within four (60-56) with 4:02 left. Smith scored another lay-up with 3:36 remaining, and then neither team scored until Martin canned two free throws with 33-seconds left to seal the win.

Clifton's three with just over four minutes to play was Franklin Pierce's final points of the game as the Ravens missed their final five shots (four three's) and committed two turnovers down the stretch. Merrimack missed on its final three shots from the field over the final 3:36.

Franklin Pierce (12-12, 9-11 NE-10) returns to action on Saturday when it hosts in-state rivals Southern New Hampshire University at 1:30 p.m. Merrimack (21-4, 16-4 NE-10) hosts Assumption College on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

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