Senior standout Johannah Leedham tosses in 33 points to pace Ravens

BOXSCORE 

NYACK, N.Y. (November 17, 2009) - The No. 2-ranked Franklin Pierce University women's basketball team opened its 2009-10 season with a convincing 86-51 win over Nyack on Tuesday evening at Bowman Gymnasium in Nyack, N.Y. The Ravens (1-0) got a game-high 33 points from senior standout and preseason national player of the year Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England) to earn the win.

Leedham shot 10-of-19 from the field, 12-of-17 from the free throw line and pulled down 10 rebounds to complete the double-double. She also dished out six assists and swiped five steals to add to her evening. With the 33 points scored Tuesday, Leedham now stands just 21 points shy of becoming the leading scorer in Northeast-10 women's basketball history. She will get her chance to set the record on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. in the friendly-confines of The Fieldhouse when the Ravens play host to Molloy in their 2009-10 home-opener.

Sophomore forward Marielle Giroud (Martigny, Switzerland) and junior center Tori Ahrens (East Greenwich, R.I.) were the other double-figure scorers for Franklin Pierce on the night as they dropped in 14 and 12 points, respectively. Giroud shot 6-of-8 from the floor, while Ahrens collected three steals and blocked a shot.

Jasmine Minter and Vicky Sweet were Nyack's two double-digit scorers with 13 and 11 points, respectively. Nyack had a tough time handling Franklin Pierce's defense and shot just 31 percent (18-of-58) from the field for the game.

Franklin Pierce dominated the game in several areas, including: points in the paint (40-22); points off turnovers (29-12); and bench points (19-4).

Nyack raced out to an 8-3 lead two minutes into the contest.  However, the Ravens responded with a jumper from Giroud and a three from Leedham to knot the game at 8-8 moments later.

Nyack answered at the other end of the court with a basket to retake the lead at 10-8. The advantage was short lived as Franklin Pierce reeled off 15 of the game's next 21 points to open up a 23-16 lead with 12:18 to go in the half. The run was sparked by a layup from Leedham and aided by three-pointers from Cynthia Gaudet (Coventry, R.I.) and Kirsten Doldoorian (Brimfield, Mass.).

Franklin Pierce would slowly add to its lead in the ensuing minutes and with 6:44 remaining until halftime Leedham hit a pair of free throws to give the Ravens their first double-digit lead at 34-24. Franklin Pierce led by as many as 19 points in the first half when Giroud converted a three-point play on a jumper and free throw to give the Ravens a 45-26 advantage with 2:42 to go. The Ravens ended up taking a 48-30 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Nyack had no response for the impressive late surge by the Ravens to conclude the first half. Franklin Pierce kept up the intensity in the final 20 minutes and led by as many as 40 points twice. Leedham drained a pair of foul shots with 5:44 left to stake the Ravens to an 81-41 lead for their first 40-point advantage of the evening.

Franklin Pierce's defensive pressure was constant throughout the final minutes as they tallied 17 points off turnovers in the second half.

For more information on Franklin Pierce women's basketball, please visit the team's page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.)