Ravens off to 5-0 start for the first time in 12 years

RINDGE, N.H. (November 28, 2007) –Franklin Pierce University, among teams receiving votes in this week’s USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II poll, is off to a 5-0 start for the first time since the 1995-96 season after posting a 71-61 victory over Pace University in Northeast-10 Conference women’s basketball action at the Fieldhouse this evening.

Sophomore All-American Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) led a season-high four Franklin Pierce players in double figures and collected her third double-double of the year (13th career) with game-high totals of 23 points (including the 700th of her career) and ten rebounds to go with five assists and two steals. She hit 10-of-16 shots from the field, including 2-of-4 from three-point range, on the night and notched her fifth-straight 20-plus point outing to open the season (21st career).

Junior Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) matched her season-high with 12 points to go with five assists, four rebounds (three offensive) and three steals. Classmate Toby Martin (Wayne, Maine/Maranacook) matched her career-high with 12 points and added three assists and three rebounds, while senior Josie Lidke (Chaska, Minn./Chaska) chipped in a season-best 11 points, hitting 4-5 shots from the field (3-4 three’s).

Freshman Kristin Connolly (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter’s) led Pace with 21 points, shooting 7-for-13 from the field, including 3-of-7 from three-point range, and converting all four free-throw attempts to go with seven rebounds and two steals. Sophomore Taylor Losey (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) added 13 points, three rebounds and three assists, while senior Stephanie Klingele (Staten Island, N.Y./St. John Villa) notched 11 points. Senior Stephanie Rossmy (Staten Island, N.Y./St. John Villa) grabbed a team-best nine rebounds to go with eight points, five assists and two steals.

Both teams shot very well in the first half, with Franklin Pierce taking a 34-32 lead into halftime after shooting 53.8-percent (14-for-26) from the field, while Pace shot 52% (13-25). The Ravens clamped down defensively in the second half, holding the Setters to 36% (9-25) shooting, including 3-13 (23.1%) from three-point range, while hitting 43.3% (13-30), including 7-16 (43.8%) from long-distance themselves. Franklin Pierce finished shooting 48.2% from the field overall. Franklin Pierce also posted a 22-7 advantage in points off turnovers despite committing one more turnover than Pace (19-18) on the night.

Franklin Pierce led by two (34-32) after a first half which featured six ties and five lead changes. Pace took a three-point lead (44-41) after a Klingele lay-up 4:02 into the second half, but Franklin Pierce posted a 10-2 run to open a five-point lead (51-46) – its largest of the night to that point with 13:17 to play following three-pointers from Johannah Leedham and junior Vanessa Power (Mildura, Australia).

Leading by three midway through the half, Franklin Pierce used an 8-0 spurt sparked by another Power three, to notch a double-digit advantage (63-52) with 6:19 left. Pace drew within seven after a Klingele lay-up with 4:19 to play, but the Ravens got back-to-back threes from Lidke and Martin to run their lead to 13 (69-56) with 2:04 to go and seal the victory.

Franklin Pierce (5-0, 3-0 NE-10) will look to open 6-0 for the first time since 1992-93 when it travels to Stonehill College, also among teams receiving votes nationally, on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Pace (1-3, 1-2 NE-10) hosts Southern New Hampshire University on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.