The No. 2 nationally-ranked Franklin Pierce women's basketball team, which closed out the regular season with a 91-38 blowout victory over University of Massachusetts-Lowell on February 24, is headed into the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament with home court advantage.
The Ravens were named the No. 2 team in the nation in the February 23 ESPN/USA Today WBCA Division II Top-25 poll. They held the nation's top ranking, a first for the program, from January 5 until their first loss of the season last week. Senior standout Johannah Leedham called the upset loss to Merrimack that ended the team's undefeated streak a blessing in disguise.
“It’s a wake up call,” said Leedham. “We can't just expect to win because we're Franklin Pierce. If the other team is hungry for it, we can't expect to come out on top every night.”
Since the 71-64 home loss on February 17, Leedham and the Ravens have been able to refocus, going 2-0, and beating opponents by a combined 56 points. Both were impressive, statement-making wins.
Just three days after their first loss, Franklin Pierce bested a strong second-half comeback from rival Bentley, in front of a spirited crowd at the Dana Center in Waltham, Massachusetts, and a national television audience on CBS College Sports Network and NESN
With Leedham's 29 points, 13 rebounds and eight steals, a 20-point halftime lead was just enough as the Ravens held on to win 77-73.
Franklin Pierce's regular season finale was less tense down the stretch, as they defeated UMass Lowell 91-38 on Senior Night at the Fieldhouse. Leedham had 24 points and 14 rebounds, and was backed up by 14-point efforts from both Junior Cynthia Gaudet and Senior Kirsten Doldoorian.
Head Coach Steve Hancock, named NE-10 Coach of the Year in his first season back at the helm, was impressed with his team's resiliency.
“They recognize that we come to practice every single day, eliminate all these distractions, and focus on practice every day; focus on that next opponent,” said Hancock. “That’s the way we've been doing it all year long. If we stay the course, we'll be alright.”
Hancock replaced former coach Mark Swasey, who moved on to coach at California University of Pennsylvania. This season, Hancock set a program record for wins by a coach, now with 160. He also coached the Ravens from 1988-1996.
The Ravens' goal of returning to the National Championship game, and avenging last year's loss to Minnesota State University, starts with Leedham. Her 26.7 points per game leads the nation, and has put her within 58 points of being the all-time scoring leader in Division II. She was named the 2009-10 NE-10 Player of the Year.
Franklin Pierce has a first round bye and home court advantage throughout the NE-10 Conference Tournament, which takes place February 28-March 7. The Ravens then look to host the NCAA East Regional tournament, via Fitchburg State College.
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