Top two teams from Northeast-10 regular season to square off as top-seeded Ravens battle third-seeded Stonehill tomorrow at 7 p.m.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (March 15, 2009) - Top-seeded and No. 14-ranked Franklin Pierce University, regular season and tournament champions of the Northeast-10 Conference, will defend its regional championship when it battles third-seeded Stonehill College, among other teams receiving votes nationally, in third round action of the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament East Regional Championship, hosted by Holy Family University, tomorrow night at 7 p.m.

Admission is $8.00 for adults, $5.00 for senior citizens and $3.00 for students. Children ages two and under will be admitted free. Franklin Pierce's student-run radio station, WFPC-LP 105.3 FM, will be broadcasting the game back to the Monadnock region beginning at 6:40 p.m., with the broadcast also simulcast via the internet at athletics.franklinpierce.edu. Holy Family will also offer live video webcasting, which will also be linked through the Franklin Pierce athletics website.

Franklin Pierce (26-5, 18-4 NE-10) reached the regional final for the second-straight year after rolling to a 65-46 victory over fifth-seeded American International College in last night's NCAA Tournament second round. Junior All-American and Great Britain international Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) led a balanced offensive effort which placed four Ravens in double-figures with a game-high 20 points to go with seven rebounds, five assists, four blocked shots and three steals. Senior Toby Martin (Wayne, Maine/Maranacook Academy) added 13 points, while classmates Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) and Vanessa Power (Mildura, Australia) each chipped in ten points. The Ravens opened the regional with an 80-62 win here over eighth-seeded Philadelphia University on Friday.

Stonehill (22-8, 15-7 NE-10) advanced to the regional final for the fifth time in program history, but first since 2003, by eliminating second-seeded and host Holy Family University, 72-61, in last night's second round. Senior Bethany Tighe (North Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames) led four Skyhawks in double-figures with 22 points to go with eight rebounds, two assists and two steals. Junior All-American Kelsey Simonds (Middleboro, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) added 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots, while sophomore Emily Rousseau (Biddeford, Maine/Biddeford) contributed 12 points, five assists and four boards. Stonehill opened the regional with a 62-58 victory over sixth-seeded College of Saint Rose here on Friday night.

Franklin Pierce earned its seventh trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament by way of capturing the Northeast-10's automatic bid after winning the first NE-10 Tournament championship in Ravens history. The Ravens, who won their first regional title in program history here at Holy Family a year ago, also earned NCAA bids in 1992, '93, '94, '98, '99 and 2008. They have won ten-straight games for the second time this season and are also winners in 20 of their last 21 and 22 of 24.

Franklin Pierce leads the NE-10 in scoring (74.0 ppg), scoring margin (+12.2), field goal percentage (.443), assists (16.9/gm) and assist/turnover ratio (1.0). They also rank second in blocked shots (4.2/gm), steals (10.1/gm), turnover margin (+3.0) and three-point field goals (7.4/gm) and third in three-point shooting percentage (.356). The Ravens have scored 80-plus points 14 times this season, posting a 13-1 record in those games with the lone loss a double-overtime setback to Grand Canyon University back on December 30 in Phoenix. Franklin Pierce has lost just once since, rolling to a 20-1 mark after the calendar turned to 2009, including a perfect 9-0 clip in the month of January.

Franklin Pierce is led by the Leedham sisters, the All-East Region combo, who have combined to average 34.8 points this season, accounting for 46.0-percent of the Ravens scoring output. One or the other sister has led Franklin Pierce in scoring in all but four games (88 of 92) over the last three seasons, including 29 of the Ravens 31 contests so far this year. 

Johannah, named the Daktronics East Region and Northeast-10 Player of the Year for the second straight season, leads the NE-10 in scoring for the third-straight year, averaging 23.0 points (6^th nationally) and a Conference-best 3.0 steals per game to go with 6.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists (14^th NE-10) and 1.4 blocked shots per contest (6^th). She is shooting 49.4-percent (232-for-470) from the field (9^th), including 37% (70-189) from three-point range (8^th), and converting 86.3% (157-182) of her free-throw attempts (6^th), while her 2.3 three-point field goals per game are second in the NE-10.

Jennifer, a Daktronics All-Region and All-Northeast-10 second team selection this year as well as the NE-10's Defensive Player of the Year, is averaging 11.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists (2^nd) and 2.2 steals (5^th) per game in a team-high 32.4 minutes per game. She also ranks tenth among NE-10 leaders for assist turnover ratio.

Martin and Power are both having good NCAA Tournaments to this point for Franklin Pierce. Martin averaged 11 points, three assists, two rebounds and a steal over the Ravens first two games, shooting 58.3-percent (7-for-12) from the field and has converted all seven free-throw attempts in 28-minutes a game. Power has added ten points on 47.1-percent (8-for-17) shooting from the field in 17.5 minutes off the bench.

Stonehill is making its 19^th appearance in the NCAA Tournament after finishing as runners up to Franklin Pierce during the Northeast-10 Conference regular season. The Skyhawks will be seeking their third regional championship in program history and first since posting an 83-69 victory over Saint Anselm College in 1995. Their 19 NCAA Tournament appearances rank fifth all-time in Division II.

Stonehill, which finished second to Franklin Pierce in the NE-10 during the regular season, has rebounded from a February which saw the Skyhawks drop four of seven games to close out the regular season. The Skyhawks rank second in the Northeast-10 in scoring (69.7 ppg) and sixth in scoring defense (62.2 ppg). They lead the NE-10 in free-throw percentage (.829) and three-point field goal percentage (.378), while ranking second in field goal percentage (.435), scoring margin (+7.5), assists (16.1/gm) and assist/turnover ratio.

Simonds, a first team All-Conference selection, recently returned from a hand injury which forced her to miss six games in February and leads Stonehill with 15.6 points (6^th), 8.9 rebounds (4^th) and 2.3 blocked shots per game (3^rd). Rousseau, also an All-NE-10 pick, adds 14.3 points (12^th), 3.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists (6^th) and 1.4 steals per game, shooting a team-best 45.4-percent (49-for-108) from three-point range (2^nd). Tighe adds 13.9 points (15^th) and 8.5 rebounds (6^th), converting a Conference best 91.8% (89-97) of her free-throw attempts, while sophomore Kristen McWhirter (Melvin Village, N.H./New Hampton Prep) contributes 11.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists.

Tomorrow night marks the 24^th meeting all-time between these two programs. Stonehill holds a 16-7 advantage in the all-time series, but Franklin Pierce won the lone postseason and NCAA Tournament matchup with a 68-56 victory here in Philadelphia in the second round of last year's regional. Johannah Leedham drained 14-of-14 free-throw attempts en route to a game-high 30 points to lead the Ravens to its first regional title game. Simonds led the Skyhawks with 20 points.

The two teams split the regular season series this winter, with each club winning at home. Stonehill posted a 76-63 victory in Easton, Mass., back on November 22, while Franklin Pierce responded with an 81-71 win to move into sole possession of first place in the NE-10 in Rindge, N.H., on February 4. Johannah Leedham averaged 25.5 points, five rebounds, three assists, three blocked shots and 4.5 steals over the two games against Stonehill this season, while Jennifer Leedham added 17 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.5 steals over the two matchups. Rousseau averaged 17 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the two games against Franklin Pierce for Stonehill, while McWhirter added 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and two steals.

Simonds collected 16 points and 15 rebounds in the November win for Stonehill, but missed the February battle with her hand injury. Senior Megan Methven (Corning, N.Y./Corning-Painted Post East) had 13 points and three assists in the February meeting after missing the November victory.

In addition to being crowned the East Region champions, the winner of tomorrow's game will advance to the NCAA Division II Championships Elite 8 in San Antonio, Texas, hosted by Saint Mary's University, March 24-27, at Bill Greehey Arena. The East Region champions will face the winner of tomorrow's Atlantic region championship between top-seeded California University of Pennsylvania and third-seeded Gannon University.

Regardless of tomorrow night's result, the Northeast-10 will send a Conference member to the women's Elite 8 for the tenth-straight season and 20^th time in the NE-10's 29-year history.

2009 NCAA Division II
Women's Basketball Tournament East Regional
(hosted by Holy Family University, Philadelphia, Pa.)

Friday, March 13 (First Round)
#1 Franklin Pierce 80, #8 Philadelphia 62
#5 American International 71, #4 Bentley 59
#3 Stonehill 62, #6 Saint Rose 58
#2 Holy Family 74, #7 Queens 43

Saturday, March 14 (Second Round)
#1 Franklin Pierce 65, #5 American International 46
#3 Stonehill 72, #2 Holy Family 61

Monday, March 15 (Regional Final/Third Round)
#2 Stonehill (22-8) vs. #1 Franklin Pierce (26-5), 7 p.m.