BOX SCORE

When and Where: February 15, 2017 – Rindge, N.H. (The Fieldhouse)
Score: Franklin Pierce University 76, Southern New Hampshire University 69
Records: FPU 3-21 (1-18 Northeast-10), SNHU 11-15 (6-13 Northeast-10)

Senior Sara Ryan (Quincy, Mass.) notched a game-high 19 points to pace four scorers in double figures, but the Southern New Hampshire University women's basketball team saw their NE10 postseason chances ended with a 76-69 loss to Franklin Pierce University on Wednesday evening at the Fieldhouse.

Ryan finished 6-for-11 from the field, including 3-for-7 from long distance, and a perfect 4-for-4 from the line, while dishing six assists and grabbing five rebounds. Sophomore Kylie Lorenzen (Holliston, Mass.), despite playing just 26 minutes after fouling out, bounced back from her lowest scoring performance of the year and third lowest of her career with 15 points (5-9 FG, 5-6 FT), three boards and three steals. Freshman Molly Terry (Shrewsbury, Mass.) provided a career-high 14 points (6-11 FG, 2-5 3-FG), four assists and two rebounds off the bench, while junior Catherine Stinson (Lynn, Mass.) also scored in double digits with 10 points (4-8 FG, 2-5 3-FG), three rebounds, three assists and a trio of steals.

Mikayla Deguire led five Ravens in double figures with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Dana Campbell and Cameryn Wilson added 15 and 14 points, respectively. Sarah Middleton netted 13 points and dished seven assists.

Southern New Hampshire led, 8-7, just over four minutes into the contest when Wilson gave Franklin Pierce the lead for good with a 3-pointer that sparked a 6-0 spurt to make it 13-8 midway through the opening stanza. The Penmen would pull within one, but the Ravens rattled off eight straight to grab a 21-12 advantage with 3:03 to play.

SNHU responded with a 10-2 run – bookended by a pair of Stinson 3-pointers, with four Lorenzen free throws in between – that slashed the deficit to just one with 1:25 on the clock, but Middleton dropped in a layup at the buzzer to give Franklin Pierce a 25-22 lead after one.

A basket from sophomore Aaliyah Paxton (Hainesport, N.J.) brought Southern New Hampshire to within four at 30-26 at the 7:35 mark of the second quarter before neither team scored for the next five-and-a-half minutes. Wilson broke the ice with a layup, followed up a pair of Deguire buckets that sent the hosts into the break with a 36-26 lead.

Baskets from Ryan and Lorenzen made it a six-point game to start the second half before four points from Deguire powered a 9-2 run that gave Franklin Pierce its largest lead of the night at 45-32 with 6:13 remaining. A 6-0 spurt – with four points from Terry – whittled the Penmen deficit to five at 48-43 with 2:47 left in the third quarter and the margin would stay there as Franklin Pierce carried a 52-47 advantage into the final frame.

A Paxton bucket 39 seconds in would make it a one-possession game before eight straight from the Ravens expanded their lead to 11 at 60-49 with 7:15 left. The Penmen would not go quietly as back-to-back triples from Ryan triggered an 11-4 rush that sliced the deficit to 67-63 with 2:36 on the clock.

That was as close as SNHU would get, however, as a Middleton 3-pointer made it a seven-point game a half-minute later and the teams would trade scores the rest of the way.

Paxton tallied eight points (3-7 FG, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, three steals and a pair of rejections.

Notes:
-Terry, who is scoring 5.6 points per game in 26 contests this year, is averaging 10.3 ppg over her last four outings, which include three double-digit performances.
-Franklin Pierce outshot Southern New Hampshire, 47.5 percent (29-61) to 41.7 percent (25-60), including 47.1 percent (8-17) to 40 percent (8-20) from beyond the arc.
-The teams were nearly even at the line, with SNHU outshooting FPU, 91.7 percent (11-12) to 76.9 percent (10-13).
-The Ravens outrebounded Southern New Hampshire, 37-31, including 12-10 on the offensive glass for a 13-7 advantage in second chance points, and won the glass (38-28). The Penmen turned in a more impressive assist-to-turnover ratio (20/18-14/21) as they racked up a 28-14 gap in points off mistakes.

Up Next:
The Penmen return to action Saturday, Feb. 18 (1:30 p.m.) when they play host to Stonehill College on Senior Day at the Fieldhouse. It is also Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day, with SNHU faculty and staff receiving free admission for them and one guest.

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