Jo. Leedham leads Ravens to 10-1 start at Pace Holiday Classic

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. (December 29, 2007) – Franklin Pierce University, ranked 25th in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II poll, continued its best start in program history with a 69-57 victory at Pace University at the Pace Holiday Classic in the Goldstein Athletic Center this afternoon.

Sophomore All-American Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) led the way for Franklin Pierce, nationally-ranked for the first time in program history, with 23 points, aided by a 9-for-9 effort at the free-throw line, six rebounds and five assists.

Junior Vanessa Power (Mildura, Australia) matched her season-high with 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field, including 4-5 from three-point range, to go with three assists off the bench. Classmate Toby Martin (Wayne, Maine/Maranacook) contributed 11 points, three rebounds and three steals. Sophomore Jess McPherson (Croydon, Australia) chipped in a team-best seven rebounds.

Senior Stephanie Rossmy (Staten Island, N.Y./St. John Villa) posted a double-double for Pace, collecting 12 points, a game-high ten rebounds, two assists and two steals. Sophomore Taylor Losey (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) led the Setters with 14 points, while senior Stephanie Klingele (Staten Island, N.Y./St. John Villa) contributed 13 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Franklin Pierce led by 13 (38-25) at the break behind a hot shooting effort from three-point range in the opening half. The Ravens shot 40-percent (12-for-30) from the field overall in the first half, but canned 8-of-11 (72.7%) from beyond the arc. Pace on the other hand, shot 32.1-percent (9-of-28) from the field in the frame, including just 2-of-15 (13.3%) from long-distance.

Pace led by four (9-5) after a lay-up by sophomore Laura Mooney (Staten Island, N.Y./St. John Villa) less than five minutes into the contest, but Franklin Pierce scored ten-straight points to reverse the score (15-9) and take the lead for good. Power drained two-straight three-pointers to cap the run.

Junior Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) hit a three-pointer to put Franklin Pierce’s lead into double-figures for the first time (26-15) with 6:23 to play. Johannah Leedham hit a jumper just under three minutes into the second half to put the Ravens up 19 (48-29), but Pace wouldn’t go away, drawing within seven (52-59) after two Rossmy free-throws with 3:16 to go.

That would be as close as Pace would get with Franklin Pierce netting six-straight points - all from Johannah Leedham on back-to-back conventional three-point plays, to regain a 13-point cushion (65-52) with 2:11 left.

Franklin Pierce (10-1) is back in action tomorrow when it visits Dominican College at 4 p.m. The Ravens don’t return home until January 8 when they host preseason Northeast-10 favorites Bentley College at 5:30 p.m. Pace (2-9) visits Merrimack College on January 5 at 1:30 p.m.