JOHANNAH LEEDHAM TOSSES IN GAME-HIGH 31 POINTS TO MOVE INTO SIXTH PLACE IN NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HISTORY FOR CAREER SCORING WITH 2,618 POINTS

BOXSCORE

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (January 30, 2010) -- The top-ranked Franklin Pierce University women's basketball team turned in an impressive performance on the road on Saturday as the Ravens downed Le Moyne, 84-61, at the Ted Grant Court in Syracuse, N.Y. Franklin Pierce improved to 19-0 overall and 15-0 in the Northeast-10, while the Dolphins dipped to 6-14 and 3-12 in league play.

Senior standout Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England) continued to move up the charts in career scoring on Saturday as she dumped in a game-high 31 points to move into sixth place in NCAA Division II women's basketball history with 2,618 points. She became just the seventh player in Division II history to top 2,600 points for her career. Leedham shot 10-of-17 from the floor, including 4-of-7 from behind the arc, pulled down six rebounds, handed out five assists and swiped two steals. Leedham's two thefts gave her 396 for her career, which moved her into a tie for 17th place in Division II history for steals.

Junior guard Cynthia Gaudet (Conventry, R.I.) totaled a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists. She also had five steals and two rebounds. Classmate Tori Ahrens (East Greenwich, R.I.) logged eight points, nine rebounds and five blocks. The high number of blocked shots continued a trend for Ahrens, who has jumped up more than 30 spots in the national statistical rankings for blocks over the past two weeks. She ranks among the top-70 nationally in the category.

Sophomore forward Marielle Giroud (Martigny, Switzerland) had a solid game with seven points and seven boards. Sophomore forward Jewel White (Worcester, Mass.) also turned in a solid performance with six points and eight rebounds.

Freshman guards Tiffany Johnson (St. Albans, Vt.) and Amanda Saab (Windham, N.H.) each added six points apiece.

The Ravens outrebounded the Dolphins by a count of 52-45. Franklin Pierce has been outstanding on the glass during the past two games as it has averaged 57.0 boards a game.

Franklin Pierce recorded 23 assists on its 29 shots made for the game. The Ravens turned the ball over just 10 times, while forcing Le Moyne into 15 turnovers.

Muffy Sadler paced Le Moyne with 18 points, while Emily Bayly chipped in 10 points.

Franklin Pierce raced out to a quick 9-2 lead to take control of the game. Leedham scored five points to key the surge, while Johnson and Giroud each added a layup.

Sadler responded for Le Moyne by scoring five-straight points to pull the Dolphins within two at 9-7.

Franklin Pierce didn't flinch and went on to score 15 of the game's next 18 points to take control of the game. Leedham scored nine points during the run, while Ahrens, Saab and White each tossed in a basket.

The Ravens led by as many as 27 points during the first half in building a 48-24 lead at halftime. Leedham had 22 points during the opening 20 minutes to pace the Ravens. Franklin Pierce shot 47 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range in the half to open up its large lead.

The second half was similar to the first half as the Ravens never let Le Moyne threaten. Franklin Pierce never let its lead slip below 20 points during the second 20 minutes.

The Ravens have won 32 of its last 33 games overall and 24-straight regular season games dating back to the end of last season. Franklin Pierce, which has won five-consecutive games by 20 points or more, improved to 8-0 since becoming the No. 1 team in the USA Today/ESPN WBCA Division II National Top-25 Poll back on Jan. 5.

The first-place Ravens return to action Wednesday night when they travel to take on second-place Stonehill at 5:30 p.m. Fans who cannot attend the game can follow it online via audio and/or live stats through the team's page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.)