Jo. Leedham posts 22nd career double, surpasses 1,900 career points

Boxscore 

RINDGE, N.H. (February 21, 2009) - Franklin Pierce University, ranked 25^th in this week's USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II poll and first in the NCAA Division II East Regional rankings, closed out the regular season with a 65-51 victory over American International College, among other teams receiving votes nationally and ranked fifth in the region, in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at the Fieldhouse this afternoon. The Ravens received their NE-10 regular season championship trophy in a presentation by the Conference following the game.

Junior All-American and Great Britain international Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) led Franklin Pierce with her fourth double-double of the season (22^nd career) as she led all scorers with 24 points, including the 1,900^th of her career, to go with a game-high matching ten rebounds in 29 minutes of action. She made 10-of-15 shots from the field, including 3-for-6 from three-point range, and converted her lone free-throw attempt to go with four steals and three blocked shots. Her 15 first half points were enough to hit the 1,900-point plateau exactly and she finished the game with 1,909 career points (2^nd all-time).

Senior Vanessa Power (Mildura, Australia) came off the bench to bury 5-of-9 three-pointers en route to 16 points in 17 minutes in the final regular season home game of her career. Classmate Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) chipped in ten points, five rebounds, four assists (no turnovers) and two steals.

Junior Stacy Boisvert (Agawam, Mass./Agawam) led American International with 17 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore Laechia Conley (Urbandale, Iowa) added 12 points and five assists, while freshman Rhea Pascal (Pickering, Ontario/Notre Dame) grabbed a game-high matching ten rebounds for the Yellow Jackets.

Franklin Pierce finished shooting 41.5-percent (22-for-53) from the field after converting on 44% (11-25) of its shots in the second half. The Ravens also converted 12-of-14 (85.7%) free-throw attempts on the afternoon and their bench outscored AIC's 23-8. The Yellow Jackets shot 36.8-percent (21-for-57) from the field, but just 34.3% (12-35) in the second half, and converted only 4-of-10 (40%) free-throw attempts. 

Franklin Pierce never trailed, opening a ten-point lead (19-9) after a Power three with 11:22 left in the first half that capped a 9-2 spurt. Johannah Leedham also connected on a three in that run. AIC closed within four (19-15) after a pair of Boisvert free-throws with 7:41 left in the half, but the Ravens regained its ten-point cushion with five-straight points before halftime with a Power three and two free-throws by freshman Marielle Giroud (Martigny, Switzerland).

American International immediately cut the lead back to five (32-27) after a Pascal lay-up 1:40 into the second half. Franklin Pierce answered with a 12-5 run over the next four minutes to open a then game-high 12-point lead (44-32) after two free-throws from sophomore Tori Ahrens (East Greenwich, R.I./East Greenwich) with 14:12 left. The Leedham sisters each drained three-pointers during that stretch.

Franklin Pierce worked its lead to a game-high 19 points (60-41) after two free-throws by sophomore Ashley Robinson (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Nova) that capped an 11-3 run with 7:04 on the clock. Power hit two more three-pointers during that rush and the Ravens kept the Yellow Jackets at bay the rest of the way.

Franklin Pierce (21-5, 18-4 NE-10), which claimed its first Northeast-10 regular season title since joining the Conference in 2000, is now off until the quarterfinal round of the NE-10 Tournament on Tuesday, March 3, at 7 p.m. The top-seeded Ravens will host the winner of a March 1 first round game between the No. 8 and 9 seeds. American International (19-10, 14-7 NE-10) completes its regular season with a key match up with No. 19 Stonehill College on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., in Springfield, Mass., before opening postseason play.