Ravens ranked third in first NCAA Division II Northeast Regional poll

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. (January 30, 2008) – Franklin Pierce University, ranked 25th in this week’s USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II poll, rounded out its last extended road trip of the season with a comfortable 70-54 victory over Pace University at the Goldstein Athletic Center tonight.

Franklin Pierce is ranked third in the first NCAA Division II Northeast Regional rankings released by the NCAA Tournament selection committee this afternoon. The Ravens are behind unbeaten and top-ranked Holy Family University (Pa.) and NE-10 leaders Stonehill College in the rankings. Assumption College, Bentley College, Bryant University, Dominican College (N.Y.), Southern Connecticut State University, American International College and Saint Michael’s College round out the top ten. The Ravens are 6-2 so far this season against those teams.

“We have put ourselves in a good position and now we need take care of business in the last seven games,” said Head Coach Mark Swasey. “While we’re happy with the position we are in, the only poll that matters is the last one.”

Tonight’s win, coupled with Bentley’s 63-59 loss at Merrimack College, moves Franklin Pierce into a tie for second in the Northeast-10 standings, just a half game behind idle Stonehill College (15-4, 11-3), along with Assumption. The Ravens hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with Assumption as result of the regular season series sweep of the Greyhounds.

Sophomore All-American Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) led Franklin Pierce with game-high totals of 22 points (11 each half) and ten rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season (15th career), to go with two assists, two steals and a blocked shot. She hit 9-of-15 shots from the field, including 2-for-7 from three-point range, and converted both free-throw attempts.

Sister, junior Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)), was the only other Raven in double-figures with ten points, aided by 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc, to go with five assists, four rebounds and three steals. Junior Vanessa Power (Mildura, Australia) added eight points, three rebounds, a career-best four assists and two steals, while sophomore Alexis Auffray (Cornwall, N.Y./Cornwall Central) chipped in six rebounds.

Sophomore Taylor Losey (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) led Pace with 13 points (11 first half), five rebounds and two steals, while classmate Laura Mooney (Staten Island, N.Y./St. John Villa) added ten points, two rebounds and two assists.

Freshman Lisa Welsome (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter’s) chipped in nine points, three rebounds and three steals.

Franklin Pierce never trailed, scoring the first seven points of the contest and held a series of nine point leads over the opening 20 minutes without allowing Pace within four points the entire half. Losey drained a three to pull the Setters within four (27-23) with 3:40 to play in the stanza, but the Ravens answered with a jumper and three by Johannah Leedham to close out the half and take a nine-point cushion (32-23) into the locker room.

Franklin Pierce opened the second half with a 9-3 spurt to open a 15-point advantage (41-26) after a Leedham lay-up 2:15 into the frame. She had four points during that stretch, while sister Jennifer Leedham canned a three-pointer.

Franklin Pierce’s lead was 15 (51-36) after a Mooney three with 9:44 to play, but the Ravens went on a 16-4 jaunt over the next five minutes to open a game-high 27-point bulge (67-40) after two Tori Ahrens (East Greenwich, R.I./East Greenwich) free-throws, putting the game out of reach. Johannah Leedham had a three-pointer and junior Toby Martin (Wayne, Maine/Maranacook) converted a conventional three-point play to spark the deciding run.

Franklin Pierce shot 46.6-percent (27-for-58) from the field in the contest, including 50% (12-24) in the first half, while holding Pace to 28.6% (16-56) shooting, including 32.4% (11-34) from three-point range.

“We really bounced back well after the tough loss (at Saint Rose) on Saturday,” said Swasey. “We played with a lot of composure tonight and really shut down their top two scorers, especially in the first half.”

Franklin Pierce (16-4, 11-4 NE-10) returns home for the first time in two weeks on Saturday when it hosts the University of Massachusetts Lowell at 1:30 p.m. The Ravens have four of its final seven games of the season at the Fieldhouse beginning with Saturday’s contest. Pace (5-14, 4-10 NE-10) hosts Saint Anselm College on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.