NCAA SEMIFINALS: #14 Franklin Pierce Stifles #24 Delta State, 58-39
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East Region champion Ravens reach National Championship for first time in program history with record 29th win behind strong defensive performance
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (March 25, 2009) - East Region champions Franklin Pierce University, ranked 14th in the final regular season USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II poll, held 24th-ranked Delta State University to just 24.1-percent shooting in the second half to claim a 58-39 victory in semifinal round action of the 2009 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championships, hosted by the San Antonio Sports Commission and Saint Mary's University, at Bill Greehey Arena tonight.
Franklin Pierce (29-5) advances to Friday's National Championship for the first time in program history and will face No. 4-ranked Minnesota State University-Mankato (31-2) on Friday night at 8 p.m. (EDT). The game will be televised live on ESPN2 and broadcast in the Monadnock Region by WFPC-LP 105.3 FM. Minnesota State reached the championship game with an 83-60 victory over No. 2-ranked University of Alaska-Anchorage in tonight's opening semifinal.
"We are elated to be in the National Championship on Friday," said Franklin Pierce head coach Mark Swasey, the Russell Athletic/WBCA East Region Coach of the Year. "I think to get here this week, we have had to put together two different kinds of performances. (Last night) we had to outscore California and then tonight we had to defend well against Delta State."
Delta State sees its season come to a close at 30-7 overall, including a 13-1 clip in the Gulf South Conference, winning the Conference's regular season and tournament titles while also claiming its second-straight regional championship.
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"I felt like tonight we were just out-matched and we got beat by a better team," said Delta State head coach Sandra Rushing. "(Franklin Pierce) are legit. They are the real deal. They beat us to every loose ball and rebound."
Franklin Pierce will be just the second college basketball program, first women's, from the State of New Hampshire to play for a National Championship, joining Dartmouth College who played for the men's championship in 1942 and '44. The Ravens will be looking to capture the state's first basketball National Championship as Dartmouth was unsuccessful in both of its trips.
Junior All-American and Great Britain international Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) was the lone Franklin Pierce player in double-figures with a game-high 28 points on 11-for-22 shooting from the field, including 3-of-9 from three-point range, and converting 3-of-4 free-throws. She also added a season-high matching six assists, four rebounds and two steals. Senior Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) added nine points, five steals and three assists, while sophomore Tori Ahrens (East Greenwich, R.I./East Greenwich) grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and blocked a career-best eight shots to go with six points.
"We've been knocked a little bit back (in England) for going to Division II," said Jennifer Leedham. "But we've always made that statement that we wanted to win a championship. Now, hopefully it will open people's eyes to show that Division II is good basketball."
Freshman Veronica Walker (Indianola, Miss./Gentry) led two Delta State players in double-figures with 13 points (nine second half) on 6-for-10 shooting from the field, five rebounds, four steals and two assists in 21 minutes. Sophomore "Bug" Cooper (Indianola, Miss./Gentry) added 12 points (10 first half), five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Senior LaMaesha McAdory (Coldwater, Miss./Coldwater) chipped in with a team-best six rebounds.
Franklin Pierce finished shooting 40.4-percent (23-for-57) from the field, including 44.4% (12-27) in the first half. Delta State was held to 30.4-percent (17-for-56) shooting, just 7-for-29 (24.1%) in the second half, including 1-for-11 (9.1%) from three-point range. The Ravens posted a 24-3 advantage in points off turnovers, forcing the Lady Statesmen into 21 turnovers while committing just 15 themselves.
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"You name it, (Franklin Pierce) did it defensively," said Rushing. "We couldn't get the ball below the free-throw line and they did a good job with our personnel. We never got into our offense, into our hi-low."
Franklin Pierce carried a seven point lead (29-22) into halftime and was up six (34-28) after Walker made her second-straight basket for Delta State three minutes into the second half. That would prove to be the Lady Statesmen last field goal for nearly ten minutes as the Ravens held them scoreless for nine of those minutes in posting an 11-0 run to open a 17-point lead (45-28) after a Johannah Leedham layup with 9:12 on the clock.
"They tried to pound it inside and our kids just really stepped up with one of the best interior defensive performances we have had all year long," said Swasey. "Tori (Ahrens) was tremendous down low. The entire team really followed the scouting report to the letter. To hold (Delta State) to 39 points was just tremendous."
Delta State ended its scoring drought with two free-throws by senior Kirsten McBride (Clarksdale, Miss./Clarksdale) with 8:51 left in regulation and then Walker scored the Lady Statesmen's first field goal in 9:51 to draw her team within 15 (47-32) with 7:56 left. Johannah Leedham hit two free-throws to put Franklin Pierce back up 17 (49-32) with 7:16 to go, when DSU made one last run, pulling within 13 (49-36) with 6:35 to go after back-to-back baskets from Cooper and Walker.
Leedham answered with a three to put Franklin Pierce back up 16 (52-36) with 5:44 to go, but Delta State drew within 13 again (52-39) on a layup by freshman Denesha Henderson (Guy, Ark./Guy-Perkins) with 5:11 left. However, that would be the final points of the night for the Lady Statesmen as the Ravens scored the final six points of the game, capped by a three-pointer by senior Vanessa Power (Mildura, Australia) to ice the win with 1:55 to play.
Franklin Pierce never trailed, scoring the first six points of the contest capped by a Leedham three 52-seconds into the game. Delta State forced the only tie of the night (7-7) after a Cooper jumper 3:30 in. A Leedham jumper and three-pointer by senior Toby Martin (Wayne, Maine/Maranacook) pushed the Ravens lead back to eight (18-10) midway through the opening half. The Ravens grew to nine (29-20) with a Leedham free-throw with 21-seconds to go before halftime, but Cooper canned a defended jumper at the buzzer to bring DSU within seven (29-22) at the break.
"It's so important to get off to a good start to gain confidence," said Swasey. "It's difficult to play catch up in this environment against really good teams."
With the win, Franklin Pierce extends its current winning streak to a season-high 13 games. The Ravens are also winners of 23 of 24 since the calendar turned to 2009 and 25 of 26 after starting the season 4-3.
"We struggled tonight offensively," said Swasey. "We weren't sharp. We had wide open looks and nothing seemed to drop. Today we needed the defense to win and we did."