Stonehill Skyhawks

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#2 Franklin Pierce Holds Off #21 Stonehill, 77-66

Second half comeback bid comes up short for Skyhawks

Junior Emily Rousseau shared the team lead with 18 points to go with six rebounds, four assists and three steals at #2 Franklin Pierce tonight.

RINDGE, N.H. (December 11, 2009) - Stonehill College, ranked 21^st in this week's USA Today/ESPN/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II poll, saw a comeback bid from a 27-point first half deficit come up short in the final ten minutes of regulation in a 77-66 setback at No. 2-ranked Franklin Pierce University in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action tonight at the Franklin Pierce Fieldhouse.

Senior Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) led Franklin Pierce with a game-high 24 points (16 first half) on 7-of-14 shooting from the field, including 4-for-7 from three-point range, while converting 6-of-8 free-throws, to go with nine assists, six rebounds, five blocked shots and four steals. Junior Cynthia Gaudet (Coventry, R.I./LaSalle Academy) added 17 points, four rebounds and three assists, while classmate Tori Ahrens (East Greenwich, R.I./East Greenwich) posted 15 points, on 7-for-10 shooting from the floor, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals. Sophomore Marielle Giroud (Martigny, Switzerland) chipped in with a game-high 14 rebounds.

Senior Kelsey Simonds (Middleboro, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) and junior Emily Rousseau (Biddeford, Maine/Biddeford) combined for 36 points for Stonehill with each netting 18 points on the night. Simonds, who scored 14 second half points, made 5-of-10 shots from the field and converted 8-of-9 free-throws to go with seven rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot, while Rousseau made 8-of-20 shots, including 2-for-5 from three-point range, to go with six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Senior Megan Methven (Corning, N.Y./Corning East) and junior Kristen McWhirter (Melvin Village, N.H./New Hampton Prep) each chipped in with nine points for the Skyhawks.

Franklin Pierce finished shooting 49-percent (25-for-51) from the field, including a sizzling 63% (17-27) in the first half to build as much as a 27-point lead before settling for a 17-point halftime advantage. Stonehill shot 39.3-percent (24-for-61) from the field, including 47.1% (8-17) from three-point range.

Franklin Pierce stormed out to a 15-2 lead just 3:37 into the contest on 11 Leedham points, including three three pointers. The Ravens lead stretched to 22 points (31-9) after another Leedham three midway through the opening half on their way to a 27-point bulge (40-13) following a Giroud free-throw with 5:45 remaining in the opening half.

Stonehill was able to get within 17 (47-30) at the break, sparked by a trio of three-pointers from Methven. The Skyhawks carried that late momentum into the second half, scoring the first nine points of the stanza to close within eight (47-39) after a layup from Rousseau with 17:10 still to play in regulation.

Franklin Pierce was able to regain a 12-point margin (51-39) on a Giroud jumper with 15:06 remaining, but Stonehill pulled within seven (53-46) on a McWhirter jumper with 13:14 to go. Following an Ahrens free-throw, the Skyhawks crept within five (54-49) after Simonds made one of two at the line with 11:03 still to play.

That would prove to be as close as Stonehill would get as Franklin Pierce answered by making one of two free-throws at the other end after grabbing three offensive rebounds to spark an 8-2 run over the next six minutes to push its lead back to double-figures (62-51) after an Ahrens layup with 5:52 remaining. The Skyhawks wouldn't get back within double-digits the rest of the way.

Stonehill (8-4, 4-2 NE-10) is off until Monday, December 28, when it visits Molloy College at 4 p.m. The Skyhawks return home on Saturday, January 2, to host the University of Massachusetts Lowell at for an NE-10 matchup at 1:30 p.m. Franklin Pierce (7-0, 5-0 NE-10) hosts Bentley University next Friday at 2 p.m.