This Franklin Pierce University women's basketball recap is presented by Belletetes

COLCHESTER, Vt. (November 20, 2018) – The Franklin Pierce University women's basketball team suffered another close defeat in the early stages of their season losing a 64-54 contest to Northeast-10 Conference opponent Saint Michael's College Tuesday evening at the Vincent C. Ross Sports Center. The win was the first league victory for the Purple Knights this season as they move to 2-3, 1-2 NE10 while the Ravens fall to 1-4, 0-2 NE10.

FPU junior guard and team captain Mya Mosley (Worcester, Mass.) carried the load for Pierce on offense scoring a team-high 17 points on 3-of-6 (50.0%) three-point shooting to go along with five boards, five assists, two blocks, and one steal. Sophomore guard Hannah Everidge (Baldwinville, Mass.) joined Mosley in double figures with 11 points and two steals. Freshman Izzy Lipinski (Farmington, Conn.) was dominant on the boards collecting a game-high 10 rebounds with five coming on the offensive end.

For the Purple Knights, Emily Ferreri led all athletes with a match-best 23 markers to go along with nine rebounds, four steals, and three assists. Saint Michael's used a post presence to upend the Crimson and Grey scoring 38 points to the Ravens 20 in the paint.

A sophomore forward Freya Cooney (Woodbridge, England) feed to Everidge for a three-ball gave the Ravens the early 3-2 edge over the Purple Knights. The Ravens missed on their next couple of shot attempts beyond the arc and down low. SMC would produce the next six markers, two via the charity stripe and two lay-ins under the basket to lead 8-3 in the early going. Sophomore guard Sophia Holmes (Oakland, Maine) stopped the mini-spurt when she corralled an offensive board, ran out towards the left wing and connected on a spot up three-pointer to bring the score to 8-6.

The Purple Knights advantage grew to six, 12-6 when Ferreri picked off an inbounds pass and went uncontested to the hole for two. Lipinski cleaned up a missed Raven layup and put the board back in for a second chance bucket, but on the next defensive possession, she fouled Nicole Ladas who dumped in the hoop and harm to expand the host lead to 17-8 at the intermission.

FPU turned the ball over 11 times in the first quarter leading to eight points off the Pierce miscues for the Purple Knights.

Ferreri upped the Purple Knights advantage to 11 driving the lane for an easy two. Eight consecutive markers by the Ravens capped off by a freshman forward Emma Carter (Bristol, Vt.) jumper brought the Ravens within two possessions, 21-16. Both opponents traded second-chance buckets until Alyssa Breunig expanded Saint Michael's ahead 30-18 midway through the second quarter. Mosley tallied the final five points of the stanza for the Ravens drilling a pull up three-pointer from the right side and absorbing contact through the baseline for a potential three-point play. However, Mosley missed the layup and Nicole Anderson ended the half manufacturing a wide-open trey on the right wing to push the Purple Knights ahead 38-27.

Seven consecutive points for FPU to start the third quarter including a sophomore forward Claudia Tucci (Trumbull, Conn.) scoop from the right block, good perimeter ball movement leading to an Everidge deep connection and a Tucci baseline J brought the Raven deficit to four, 38-34. A post tip pass feed by Purcell to Anderson sitting on the right baseline stopped the Raven stretch. Mosley kept attacking taking on two defenders from the top of the point into the restricted area. Mosley put an attempt up and in while being hacked for another potential three-point play. Mosley missed on the freebie but atoned for the miss on the next Raven possession sinking a long range spot up connection to make it a one-point game, 44-43 with 4:24 remaining.

Freshman guard Lisa Sulejmani (Burlington, Vt.) gave the Ravens the brief advantage, 45-44 hanging in the air while absorbing contact at the free throw line for two. No foul was called and Ferreri responded with a layup of her own on the other end to reestablish the lead towards the home side. SMC built the margin to five 50-45 as the quarter dwindled down. Everidge had an opportunity to cut into the lead, but her three-ball chance grazed the front of the rim.

Mosley began the fourth and final quarter with a step back unchallenged three-pointer to take it to a two-point contest 50-48. Behind by five with the shot clock winding down, Mosley ran through the left baseline. She put up a shot that rimmed out, grabbed the carom and put the rock into the hoop to make it a one-possession game, 55-52 at the 6:37 mark. Seven straight markers off the shot of Ferreri part of a 9-0 scoring binge via a free throw and two important offensive rebound scores increased the Purple Knight edge to eight, 64-52 with 3:17 to play. The Ravens could only muster one more bucket over the remaining portion of the duel.

The Ravens return to the friendly confines of The Fieldhouse next week for a tough two conference game week versus no. 7/8 nationally-ranked Bentley University and no. 22 ranked Stonehill College. FPU welcomes Bentley to campus Wednesday, November 28th at 5:30 p.m.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens ), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce women's basketball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store). You can also follow the women's basketball team on Twitter (https://twitter.com/FPURavensWBB) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/franklin_pierce_wbb/).