Leedham sisters combine for 34 points as Ravens match program win record; second-seeded Ravens advance to Friday’s semifinal round to host Bryant

RINDGE, N.H. (March 4, 2008) – Second-seeded Franklin Pierce University, ranked 17th in this week’s USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II poll and third in the NCAA II Northeast Regional rankings, escaped with a 54-53 victory over seventh-seeded Le Moyne College in quarterfinal round action of the 2008 Northeast-10 Conference Women’s Basketball Championships, presented by Spaulding, at the Fieldhouse tonight.

Franklin Pierce (24-4, 18-4 NE-10) advances to Friday’s semifinal round, where it will host sixth-seeded Bryant University (19-10, 12-10 NE-10), among teams receiving votes nationally and ranked eighth in the region, at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs advanced with a 64-58 victory at third-seeded Assumption College (21-9, 15-7 NE-10) tonight. Le Moyne closes its season at 15-13 overall, 11-11 in NE-10 play.

With the win, Franklin Pierce matches its program record for wins in a season (24) set in 1991-92 and also matched in 1997-98. The Ravens also notched its first NE-10 Tournament victory since joining the Conference in 2000, snapping an 0-5 skein. Franklin Pierce has won nine-straight, marking its longest winning streak since a 15-game upswing in 1997-98.

Franklin Pierce’s sister combination of junior co-captain Jennifer and sophomore All-American Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) combined for 34 points as each netted a game-high 17 points on the night. Jennifer made 4-of-8 three-pointers and added four assists and two blocked shots, while Johannah collected six rebounds and three steals.

No other Raven finished with more than five points, but sophomore Jess McPherson (Croydon, Australia) matched her career-high as she grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds (seven offensive) to go with four points and two blocked shots. Senior Josie Lidke (Chaska, Minn./Chaska) chipped in eight rebounds to go with five points.

Sophomore Courtney Coryea (Mooers Forks, N.Y./Northeast Clinton) led Le Moyne with 14 points as she hit 6-of-8 shots from the field and converted 2-of-3 free-throws to go with eight rebounds, three blocked shots and two assists. Juniors Katie Dunn (Whippany, N.J./Morris Catholic) and Vanessa Holden (Suffern, N.Y./Immaculate Heart (N.J.)) each netted nine points, with Dunn canning 3-of-6 three-pointers and grabbing six rebounds.

Franklin Pierce finished shooting 34.5-percent (19-for-55) from the field, but spent most of the night in danger of surpassing its season low (32.8%) in that category. The Ravens made 35-percent (7-of-20) of their shots from three-point range and finished with an 18-13 advantage in points off turnovers. Le Moyne shot 37.5-percent (21-56) from the field, including 42.9% (12-for-28) in the second half, while making 6-of-18 (33.3%) three-point attempts.

In a game that featured ten ties and six lead changes, neither team led by more than six points. Coryea hit a jumper as Le Moyne forced the sixth tie of the second half (53-53) with 1:31 to play. Johannah Leedham was fouled on Franklin Pierce’s next possession, but made just one of two free-throw attempts to put the Ravens up just one (54-53) with 1:06 to go.

Dunn missed a jumper with 52-seconds left and after a Ravens timeout, Johannah Leedham missed on the other end with 27-seconds to go, setting up one final possession for the Dolphins. After a timeout, Le Moyne struggled to find an open look at the basket and junior Kathleen Gladstone (Cleveland, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) saw her off-balanced jumper with two-seconds to play miss the mark and Jennifer Leedham pulled down the rebound to send Franklin Pierce through to the NE-10 semifinals for the first time.

Franklin Pierce held a 28-25 advantage at halftime and matched its game-high six-point lead after three free-throws from Jennifer Leedham just over a minute into the second half. Le Moyne scored the next six points to force the first tie of the season half (33-33) after a Holden lay-up 4:09 into the stanza.

Franklin Pierce regained a three-point lead (38-35) after a lay-up by freshman Tori Ahrens (East Greenwich, R.I./East Greenwich) with 12:05 on the clock. Freshman Danielle Felice (Adams, N.Y./South Jefferson) hit a three to give Le Moyne its first lead of the half (41-38) with 8:45 to go, but a 7-0 Ravens run over a two and a half minute span turned a two-point deficit into a five point edge (48-43) after a steal and lay-up from Johannah Leedham with 5:07 left.

A Lidke three had Franklin Pierce still up five (51-46) with 3:37 remaining, but Le Moyne answered with a Dunn three and Gladstone jumper to pull even again (51-51) with 2:42 to go.

Admission to Friday’s NE-10 semifinal against Bryant will be $6.00 for adults, $3.00 for senior citizens, students with a valid ID and children.