RINDGE, N.H. (1/2/23) – From start to finish, it was a low-scoring affair between the Franklin Pierce men's basketball team and the visiting Daemen University Wildcats on Monday afternoon. However, Daemen held the offensive edge over the Ravens in the effort, handing Pierce a 59-51 non-conference loss at The Fieldhouse.

With the loss, the Ravens drop to 7-5 (3-3 NE10) overall having now lost two straight matchups. The Wildcats move to 7-6 (1-3 ECC) with the win.

From the tipoff, the Ravens struggled to find the basket from everywhere on the floor, shooting just 9-of-36 (25.0%) in field goals through the first 20 minutes. Mohamad Traore (Hyde Park, Mass.) registered a team leading six points scored in the first half, and hauled in seven rebounds while Pierce was limited on the court. Additionally, neither team was able to convert on more than a 5-0 scoring run on the other, leading to a 28-22 lead in favor of the Wildcats at the break.

Sophomore Sean Trumper (Ashford, United Kingdom) provided Pierce with an early spark following a three-pointer jumper just five seconds into the second. However, as the Raven offense began to discover its rhythm, Daemen continued to be present on their own offensive end, continuously matching Pierce nearly shot-for-shot. With 7:58 left to play, the Ravens found themselves trailing the Wildcats 52-36, but pulled back to within four points on a 12-0 scoring run, including consecutive baskets from sophomore guard Jarnel Snow-Guzman (Lynn, Mass.). Despite the comeback bid, Daemen powered forward with a 7-3 run in the final moments of the half, claiming the victory over Pierce 59-51.

Mohamad Traore registered the double-double in the loss for the Ravens, pairing 10 points scored with 12 rebounds, nine of which were defensive. Sean Trumper led the afternoon in scoring for Pierce, notching 12 points, while Jarnel Snow-Guzman contributed 11 points off the bench. As a squad, the Ravens shot 20-of-68 (29.4%) from field goals, going just 3-of-19 (15.8%) from three-range.

Men's basketball will look to get back on track on Wednesday, January 4^th when they will host Southern Connecticut State (9-4, 4-2 NE10) at 5:30 p.m. from The Fieldhouse for an NE10 Conference showdown.