Ravens have come from behind in the second half to win its first three games of the season

BOXSCORE

EASTON, Mass. (November 17, 2010) -- The No. 14-nationally ranked Franklin Pierce University women's basketball team mounted a second-half rally to pull off an 89-82 come-from-behind overtime win at Stonehill on Wednesday night in Merkert Gymnasium. The Ravens improved to 3-0 on the season, with all three wins being the come-from-behind variety in the second half. Stonehill dipped to 2-1.

Five Ravens scored in double-figures, including junior center Jewel White (Worcester, Mass.), who logged a double-double with 27 points and 17 rebounds, including 10 offensive. The 27 points were a career-high for White, who has also recorded a double-double in each of the first three games this season.

Junior forward Marielle Giroud (Martigny, Switzerland) also tallied a double-double with 25 points and 15 rebounds, marking the second time in three games this season she has turned the trick.

Freshman guard Brittany Martelle (Brookfield, Conn.) came off the bench to toss in 15 points, including hitting a critical three-pointer late in regulation to keep the Ravens in the game and ultimately force overtime.

Sophomore guard Amanda Saab (Windham, N.H.) and junior guard Lekia Cowen (Hopedale, Mass.) both came off the bench to toss in 11 points apiece.

Emily Rousseau led three Skyhawks who scored in double-figures as she dropped in 24 points. Kristen McWhirther added 20 points, while Erika Higginbottom chipped in with 12.

Franklin Pierce shot 50 percent (32-of-64) from the field, while Stonehill shot 48 percent (34-of-71). The Ravens also owned an impressive 45-30 advantage on the boards, aided by the impressive work from White and Giroud.

Stonehill led for the entire first half and in the early going of the second half. The Skyhawks held a 47-41 advantage with 17:51 to go in the game, but Franklin Pierce rallied by scoring 13 of the next 17 points to take a 54-51 lead with 11:29 remaining. White had four points during the run, while Martelle knocked down a big three and Cowen hit a driving layup to put the Ravens on top.

The game would settle into a back-and-forth affair the rest of the way as neither team could knock down that finishing shot.

It seemed that Rousseau had finally done it on back-to-back jumpers with 1:09 left to put Stonehill up 73-69. However, Saab answered at the other end of the court with a driving layup to keep the Ravens within two. After Stonehill could not answer on the other end, White tossed in a basket of her own with just :09 left to tie the game at 73. She was also fouled on the play sending her to the foul line, but after a Stonehill timeout White couldn't convert the free throw and the teams headed into overtime.

Franklin Pierce came out firing in overtime as Martelle drained a triple on the opening possession and White followed with a three-point play on a jumper and free throw. The Ravens opened their lead up to 10 with 2:24 left in the extra session as Martelle converted a pair of free throws to make it 85-75.

Stonehill, though, didn't fold and scored seven-straight points to pull within 85-82 with just :35 left. Rousseau aided the rally with four points on a layup and jumper.

But that was as close as Stonehill would get as the Ravens scored the final four points of the contest on a pair of free throws each from Giroud and White to seal the win.

Franklin Pierce returns to action Sunday afternoon when it travels to Connecticut to face the University of Bridgeport at 2 p.m. Bridgeport will already be the third team the Ravens have faced this season that qualified for last season's NCAA Tournament. The other two teams that Franklin Pierce has faced so far which made the big dance were Molloy in the season-opener and Stonehill on Wednesday night.

For more information on Franklin Pierce women's basketball, please visit the team's page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.) To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceAthletics).