Morast, Methven Each Score 15 Points, Tighe Adds Double-Double Effort Of 12 Points And 12 Rebounds As 16th-Ranked Women's Basketball Sees Six Game Win Streak Come To End With 75-61 Northeast-10 Setback At Franklin Pierce

December 2, 2006

STONEHILL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Saturday, December 2, 2006

Spaulding Gymnasium, Keene, N.H.

FINAL: FRANKLIN PIERCE 75, STONEHILL 61

KEENE, N.H.-- Freshman Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England) scored a career-high 39 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for her fourth double-double effort of the season in leading Franklin Pierce to a 75-61 Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball victory over 16th-ranked Stonehill Saturday afternoon at Keene State's Spaulding Gymnasium.

The host Ravens (5-1, 4-0 Northeast-10) jumped out to a 30-27 edge at the break and built their advantage to eight points early in the second half before the visiting Skyhawks (6-1, 2-1 Northeast-10) closed the gap back to three points (42-39) on a lay-in by sophomore Bethany Tighe (North Easton, Mass.) with 13:42 remaining. Leedham then scored Franklin Pierce's next 10 points to key a 10-2 run that extended the hosts' lead to 11 points at 52-41, but Stonehill whittled its deficit back to seven with 7:15 remaining before the Ravens used another 10-2 spurt over a four-minute span to take a 15-point cushion (67-52) with 3:23 to play, as the Skyhawks got no closer than eight points for the remainder of the contest.

Sophomore Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England) joined her sister in double figures with 12 points and nine assists in the win for Franklin Pierce, which posted its first victory over Stonehill since February 10, 1998 and just its second in 16 series meetings between the two squads. Senior Nicola Dalton (Danbury, Conn.) added eight points for the Ravens, who shot 51 percent from the field for the day and canned eight three-pointers while holding a 17-10 scoring advantage at the four line.

Senior Kim Morast (Bridgewater, Mass.) and freshman Megan Methven (Corning, N.Y.) each scored 15 points in the setback for Stonehill, which also received a double-double effort of 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds from Tighe. Senior Tiffany Huggins (Stoughton, Mass.) added eight points, 10 rebounds, six assists and six steals for the Skyhawks, who shot 35 percent from the field and connected for seven three-pointers. The visitors held a 35-31 rebounding edge but hurt themselves with 27 turnovers on the afternoon.

Stonehill travels to Worcester, Mass. on Tuesday evening to take on Assumption in a Northeast-10 outing that tips-off at 5:30 p.m., while Franklin Pierce heads to Syracuse, N.Y. on Tuesday evening to take on LeMoyne in a Northeast-10 match-up that also begins at 5:30 p.m.