Je. Leedham nets 1,000th career point in loss for Ravens

Boxscore 

EASTON, Mass. (November 22, 2008) - Stonehill College, ranked No. 8 in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II preseason poll, shot 51.8-percent from the field to defeat No. 4-ranked Franklin Pierce, 76-63, in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at Merkert Gymnasium this afternoon.

Stonehill sophomore Emily Rousseau (Biddeford, Maine/Biddeford) led all scorers with 23 points (13 second half) on 6-of-11 shooting from the field, including 3-for-3 from three-point range, converting 8-of-9 free-throw attempts. She also added four rebounds and four assists.

Junior Kelsey Simonds (Middleboro, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) and senior Bethany Tighe (North Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames) each notched double-doubles for the Skyhawks. Simonds posted 16 points and a game-high 15 rebounds to go with two assists, two blocked shots and two steals, while Tighe finished with ten points and ten rebounds.

Senior Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) posted a season-high 19 points (11 first half), including the 1,000^th of her career, to go with five steals. She made 5-of-16 shots from the field, including 3-for-8 from three-point range, and converted 6-of-8 free-throws attempts. She made two free-throws with 4:56 to play in the first half to become the 19^th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Her 19 points today give her 1,008 for her career - good for 18^th all-time.

Junior All-American and Great Britain international Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)), the reigning State Farm/WBCA Division II Player of the Year, led the Ravens with 21 points (14 second half) as she hit 8-of-22 shots from the field, including 3-for-10 from three-point range, and converted 2-of-3 three-point attempts. She also finished with a team-best nine rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots. Senior Toby Martin (Wayne, Maine/Maranacook Academy) chipped in with eight points.

Stonehill made 51.8-percent (29-of-56) of its shots from the field on the day, compared to 32.8% (21-for-64) for Franklin Pierce. The Skyhawks built a ten-point (37-27) halftime lead with 55.2% (16-29) shooting in the first half, while the Ravens connected at just 25.8% (8-31). Stonehill also drained 6-of-8 (75%) three-point attempts, compared to 9-of-30 (30%) shooting from downtown by Franklin Pierce. Stonehill also posted a 41-33 advantage in rebounding.

Franklin Pierce jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead on a Johannah Leedham runner and Vanessa Power (Mildura, Australia) three-pointer 47-seconds into the contest, but Stonehill answered with a 10-0 run over the next three-minutes to regain a lead it would not relinquish the rest of the day. Jennifer Leedham was fouled shooting a three-pointer and buried all three free-throws to pull the Ravens within a point (21-20) with 9:13 left in the half, but Stonehill opened an eight point lead (30-22) after a Simonds layup with 3:40 left in the half.

Franklin Pierce was within five after a Johannah Leedham basket with 1:26 to go in the frame, but Stonehill scored the final five points of the half on a Tighe layup and Rousseau three to take a double-digit lead (37-27) into the lockerroom. Stonehill's lead grew to 15 points (45-30) after a Tighe layup with 14:17 to play and was 18 (52-34) after an Amanda Smith (Penacook, N.H./Merrimack Valley) layup with 10:43 to go.

Franklin Pierce used a 13-3 run over a 2:19 span to pull within seven points (59-52) after a Johannah Leedham three with 3:56 to go. Leedham had 11 points during that stretch, including a pair of three-pointers and a conventional three-point play, while Jennifer Leedham had the other basket. Simonds answered with an off-balance three as the shot clock expired to put Stonehill back up ten (62-52) with 3:22 to go. The Ravens got within eight twice in the final two minutes, but could get no closer as the Skyhawks hit 7-of-8 free-throw attempts down the stretch to seal the victory.

Franklin Pierce (2-1, 1-1 NE-10) is back in action on Tuesday, when it visits Bentley University at 5:30 p.m. The Ravens return home on Wednesday, December 3, to host Le Moyne College at 5:30 p.m. Stonehill (4-0, 2-0 NE-10) hosts the University of Massachusetts Lowell on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.