PLESANTVILLE, N.Y. (January 29, 2020) – Franklin Pierce University women's basketball sophomore guard Lisa Sulejmani (Burlington, Vt.) scored a career and game-high 22 points as the Ravens never trailed in a 69-59 win over Northeast-10 Conference opponent and no. 6 D2SIDA East Regionally-Ranked Pace University Wednesday night at the Goldstein Fitness Center. With the win, the Ravens move to 9-10 overall and 3-9 NE10. The three conference victories are their most since the 2015-16 campaign. The setback sends the Setters to 15-6, 8-4 NE10.

Sulejmani recorded the first 20+ point game of her career and she has three double-digit scoring matches over her past four games. The Raven guard was 7-of-15 (46.7%) from the floor and 7-of-8 (87.5%) at the line with one triple, a contest-best six assists, five rebounds, and two steals. Sulejmani scored all 10 of her first-half markers in the second quarter.

Classmate Izzy Lipinski (Farmington, Conn.) came in second on the squad with 15 points also on 7-of-15 (46.7%) shooting. She secured a team-high tying six caroms with four dimes, two steals, and two blocks. Junior team captain Sophia Holmes (Oakland, Maine) chipped in 12 points of her own with four caroms while sophomore Rylee Skinner (Leominster, Mass.) rounded out the Ravens in double-digits with 11 points on 5-of-7 (71.4%) field goal efficiency, six rebounds – four offensive, and a match-high three steals.

Two starters for Pace were in double-figures and both of the players had double-doubles. Lauren Schetter paved the way with 15 points and a game-high 16 rebounds while Jackie Dellsanti produced a 14 point, 11 rebound – five offensive performance.

As a team, FPU outshot Pace (47.2%-to-38.3%) and were more careful with the rock committing only 12 turnovers to the Setters 18. Pierce tallied 20 points off the 18 Pace mistakes.

The Ravens won the jump ball and Lipinski immediately went to work on the low right block and muscled a layup in through contact for the traditional three-point play to give the Ravens an early 3-0 edge. Lipinski then stole the rock away on the baseline and dished the ball to Skinner who went coast to coast for the deuce upping the early margin to 5-0. Following a missed jumper, Sulejmani kicked the rock to Emma Carter (Bristol, Vt.) wide open on the left-wing for the catch and shoot trifecta putting Pierce ahead 8-0.

Pace looked to cool the Ravens hot start with a timeout, but Carter picked off the backdoor pass and Lipinski who was doubled down low passed the rock to a cutting Skinner for two. Their run expanded to 12-0 when Lipinski banked a layup in off the glass. The Setters took a full timeout and scored their first bucket of the game, but Holmes countered with a triple on the left-wing making it a 15-2 margin.

With the game 17-7, Pace cut their deficit down to single figures as a Lauren Hackett bounce pass to Fiona Mullen in the left corner for the three-point conversion. Pace kept chipping away part of a 16-6 spurt to come within one possession, after a Schetter and1 minus the freebie with a Dellisanti and Naya Rivera second-chance bucket. Lipinski stepped into the passing lane and went the other way for a fast-break bucket to reestablish the two-possession Raven advantage 20-16 after one period of play.

FPU began the second quarter scoring eight straight markers four via Sulejmani, two from the stripe and one running layup coupled with a long Skinner baseline jumper and a second chance score to regain a double-digit lead 28-16. Pace concluded their scoreless stretch when Kayla Podlovits knocked down a trifecta from the top of the point. The host's stretch grew to seven straight until Sulejmani hit an athletic shot on the right block and an off-balance jumper to grow the score to 32-23. FPU held the 10-point lead at the intermission when Sulejmani made a layup with two seconds left.

Pace slowly subtracted from their margin, but Lipinski took a Holmes feed for an 11, point 45-34 lead at the 6:26 mark. Sulejmani kept the Ravens up 11 when she threw the inbounds pass off the defenders back and banked home a layup. The Setters scored only four points the rest of the quarter to trail 53-45 at the end of three.

Another Sulejmani drive to the left side regained the double-figure margin, 55-45 just seconds into the fourth and final quarter. Two free throws by the hosts moved it to a 57-49 game then Sulejmani threw in a dagger three from the left corner and a Lipinski post connection clinched the game for the Ravens.

The Ravens are back out on the road Saturday for a conference battle with the University of New Haven (13-6, 7-5 NE10) at 1:30 p.m.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://www.fpuravens.com). 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 apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (https://shopfpuravens.com). You can also follow the women's basketball team on Twitter (https://twitter.com/FPURavensWBB) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/franklin_pierce_wbb/).