Ravens outscore hosts 24-11 over final 6:36 to claim key road win

Boxscore 

WEST HAVEN, Conn. (February 14, 2009) -  Franklin Pierce University, ranked 25^th in this week's USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II poll and first in the East Region rankings, outscored the University of New Haven 24-11 over the final 6:36 to erase a five-point deficit and claim an 86-78 victory in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at Charger Gymnasium this afternoon.

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 four Franklin Pierce players in double-figures with a game-high 22 points (14 second half) on 6-for-13 shooting from the field while converting all ten free-throw attempts to go with five rebounds and two assists. Senior Toby Martin (Wayne, Maine/Maranacook) added a season-best 16 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the field, including 3-for-5 from three-point range, while classmate Vanessa Power (Mildura, Australia) posted 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting, including 3-for-7 from beyond the arc, five rebounds and two steals. Senior Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) chipped in 11 points and eight assists.

Freshman Nikki Carroll (Oswego, N.Y./Oswego) led New Haven with a double-double effort of 16 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, making 7-of-9 field goal attempts. Senior Lauren Hood (Ashland, Mass./Ashland) led the Chargers with 17 points, while junior Helin Marte (Woodhaven, N.Y./Richmond Hill) posted 16 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists. Sophomore Yasmin Ithier-Vicenty (Newington, Conn./Newington) chipped in 12 points off the bench. 

Franklin Pierce finished shooting 54.4-percent (31-for-57) from the field and converted 77.3% (17-for-22) of its free-throw attempts for the afternoon. New Haven shot 48.5-percent (32-for-66) from the field, but just 43.3% (13-30) in the second half, and converted only 57.1% (8-14) of its free-throws. The Ravens overcame a 39-29 rebounding disadvantage which resulted in a 14-7 disadvantage in points off turnovers.

In a game that featured eight ties and 16 lead changes, Franklin Pierce finally assumed control over the final six and a half minutes. New Haven held a game-high matching five-point lead (67-62) after a Marte jumper with 6:36 remaining in regulation. The Ravens scored the next ten points to reverse the five point cushion (72-67) after a Martin layup with 4:08 to play. Johannah Leedham sparked the rally with back-to-back conventional three-point plays, while Martin totaled four points in all during that stretch.

Hood scored a layup to pull New Haven back within two (76-74) with 2:05 to go, but Franklin Pierce answered with a Power three that sparked a string of seven-straight points to gain a nine-point cushion (83-74) after a Tori Ahrens (East Greenwich, R.I./East Greenwich) layup with 31-seconds to play as part of a greater 10-4 Ravens run to close out the victory. The Ravens converted 5-of-6 free-throws, including 4-4 from Leedham, over the final minute to seal it.    

Franklin Pierce (18-5, 15-4 NE-10) is back in action on Monday when it visits Saint Anselm College for a makeup game from December 12 at 5:30 p.m. The Ravens return home next Saturday, February 21, for their WBCA PinkZone event against American International College at 1:30 p.m. New Haven (13-11, 8-11 NE-10) hosts Southern New Hampshire University on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.