No. 2 Women's Basketball Keeps Rolling With 87-55 Win Over Mercy
Three Ravens score in double-figures, including Johannah Leedham's 28 points; Cynthia Gaudet adds 13 points; Kirsten Doldoorian comes off the bench to net 11
MANCHESTER, N.H. (December 30, 2009) - The
second-ranked Franklin Pierce University women's basketball team
won its second game in as many days on Wednesday with an 87-55
triumph over Mercy in the final round of the Saint Anselm Holiday
Classic in Manchester. The Ravens improved to 10-0 on the season,
while Mercy fell to 3-7.
Senior standout Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England), the two-time reigning Northeast-10 Player of the Week, pumped in a game-high 28 points to place her just one point shy of 2,400 points for her career. She will get the opportunity to top the mark on Saturday afternoon when the Ravens return to conference action versus Southern New Hampshire at 1:30 p.m. in Manchester. Leedham shot 10-of-15 from the field, while also grabbing five rebounds, swiping five steals and handing out four assists.
Junior guard Cynthia Gaudet (Coventry, R.I.) dropped in 13 points, while also handing out five assists. Senior backcourt mate Kirsten Doldoorian (Brimfield, Mass.) came off the bench to add 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field and collecting three steals.
The Ravens shot a solid 50 percent (33-of-66) from the floor, while also providing a strong surge on the defensive end. Franklin Pierce forced Mercy into 31 turnovers and scored 37 points off those miscues. The Ravens also held a commanding 44-8 advantage in points in the paint, and out-rebounded the opposition by a 40-31 count. Junior center Tori Ahrens (East Greenwich, R.I.) aided in those statistical advantages as she scored eight points and ripped down eight boards.
Mercy proved to be a tough out in the early stages of the game as
it held a pair of two-point leads and stayed within shouting
distance for much of the half. Simone Williams knocked down a
jumper at the 10:38 mark of the first half to pull Mercy within
three at 20-17.
However, Franklin Pierce went on a 14-6 run over the next seven minutes to open up its first double-digit lead of the game at 34-23. Gaudet sparked the rally with a jumper and Leedham capped it with six-straight points. In all, Leedham had eight points during the surge.
Mercy tried to claw back within single digits, but the Ravens out-scored the opposition, 10-0, over the final 3:01 to open up a 44-28 advantage at halftime. Gaudet keyed the run with five points.
Leedham had 15 points in the opening 20 minutes, while Gaudet chipped in with 10. Franklin Pierce shot a strong 57 percent (17-of-30) from the floor.
That late first half run for Franklin Pierce put the game out of reach as Mercy would never get closer than 12 points during the second half. The Ravens led by as many as 39 at 82-43 with 4:43 left on a jumper by Siobhan Carnell (Quincy, Mass.).
For more information on Franklin Pierce women's basketball, please visit the team's page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.)