#18 Franklin Pierce Falls to #9 Alaska Anchorage in OT, 71-65

Jo. Leedham’s eighth double-double of the season (18th career) not enough as Seawolves dominate the glass to claim win

KEARNEY, Neb. (March 26, 2008) – Franklin Pierce University, ranked 18th in the final regular season USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II poll, saw its record-breaking season come to a disappointing end with a 71-65 overtime setback to 9th-ranked University of Alaska Anchorage in game one of the 2008 NCAA Division II Women’s Elite Eight, hosted by the University of Nebraska Kearney, at the Health and Sports Center this afternoon.

Alaska Anchorage (30-4) advances to tomorrow’s national semifinal round where it will face the University of Northern Kentucky (26-8) at 8 p.m. (EDT). UNK advanced with a 78-65 win over Wingate University in today’s second game. Franklin Pierce (27-6, 18- 4 NE-10) sees its season come to a close after setting a new program record for wins en route to capturing its first Northeast Regional title and berth in the Elite Eight.

“Franklin Pierce is really well coached and we knew we had our hands full with a really good offensive team,” said UAA head coach Tim Moser. “We had a couple chances to fold it in there, but I’m proud of our kids that they fought through it and won the game. Survive and advance they say.”

Alaska Anchorage dominated the glass, out-rebounding Franklin Pierce 50-36 - including 26 offensive rebounds, which resulted in a 29-5 advantage in second-chance points. The Seawolves shot just 35.6-percent (26-for-73) from the field, including 3-of-20 (15%) from three-point range. Franklin Pierce finished shooting 39.6-percent (19-for-48) from the field, including 41.7% (5-of-12) from three-point range, after making just 5-of-21 (23.8%) shots from the field in the first half.

“When we’ve lost we’ve been out rebounded and I think we’ve only lost one game when we’ve out-rebounded the other team,” said Moser.

Junior Rebecca Kielpinski (Mandan, N.D.) led the way for Alaska Anchorage with a double-double effort of 28 points and 14 rebounds (six offensive) to go with five blocked shots and three assists. The State Farm/WBCA honorable mention All-American made 12-of-23 shots from the field. Senior Kalhie Quinones (Loveland, Colo.) also picked up a double-double with 16 points and ten rebounds (nine offensive) to go with four steals and three assists. Junior Ruby Williams (Phoenix, Ariz.) chipped in nine points, four rebounds and two steals.

Sophomore All-American Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)), the State Farm/WBCA NCAA Division II Player of the Year, led Franklin Pierce with a game-high 31 points (19 after halftime) and career-best 18 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season (18th career). She made 8-of-20 shots from the field (6-for-10 after halftime) and converted 14-of-15 free-throw attempts (including each of her first 13 tries) to go with four assists and two steals.

“(Johannah) is the player of the year in the country for a reason,” said Franklin Pierce Head Coach Mark Swasey. “She’s a very special and talented player. If you look at all our games, and particularly in the playoffs, she has shown that when we need someone to step up, she can do it.”

Junior Toby Martin (Wayne, Maine/Maranacook) added a season-high 15 points as she made 6-of-9 shots from the field, including all three three-point attempts, to go with three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Sophomore Jess McPherson (Croydon, Australia) chipped in eight points and five rebounds (four offensive).

Franklin Pierce led by eight (54-46) after a three-pointer by Martin with 7:24 to play. The Ravens had the ball with a chance to extend the lead to double-digits, but UAA got a steal and Kielpinski scored a lay-up to start an 8-0 run over the next three and a half minutes to force the ninth tie of the contest after two free-throws from Maria Nilsson (Kovde, Sweden).

The Ravens regained the lead on two Leedham free-throws, but lay-ups from Kielpinski and Williams put the Seawolves up two (58-56) with 2:41 to play. The Ravens answered with four-straight points of their own on lay-ups from Martin and McPherson to regain the lead (60-58) with 1:04 left, but Kielpinski scored a second-chance basket with 34-seconds to go to knot the game at 60-60.

Both teams had shots in the final half minute to earn a regulation win, but Leedham was called for an offensive foul driving to the basket with five seconds to go and Quinones missed a runner at the other end as time expired.

McPherson scored the first basket of overtime to give Franklin Pierce a quick lead, but Alaska Anchorage scored six-straight points to take a four-point lead (66-62) after a Kielpinski hoop with 1:35 to go. The Ravens came back again with two free-throws from Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)), but Johannah Leedham missed one of two with a chance to tie with 1:06 left in overtime. UAA took over from there, scoring the last five points of the contest to seal the victory.

“We had control of that game and had our chances, but we just got killed on the glass,” said Swasey. “The second chances we gave up cost us the game.”

Alaska Anchorage took a five-point lead (30-25) into halftime after Franklin Pierce shot just 23.8-percent (5-21) from the field in the half. The Ravens were in the game on a 14-for-19 effort from the free-throw line in the stanza, including an 8-for-8 effort by Johannah Leedham. The Seawolves led by eight (30-22) after a Williams jumper with 12-seconds left in the half, but Leedham came back and converted a conventional three-point play with two-seconds left in the half, to draw the Ravens back within five.

“We were tight and came out a little unsure (in the first half),” said Swasey. “I’m not sure we were a confident five players on the court. We came out in the second half like the team we’ve been pretty much all season long.”

The play sparked Franklin Pierce into the second half, as Leedham caught fire, scoring 11 points during an opening 17-7 run that put the Ravens up five (42-37) 4:40 into the half. Martin added a three-pointer and lay-up during the spree as well.

Alaska Anchorage answered with a 9-2 run to regain the lead (44-42) with 12:48 to go, capped by back-to-back three-pointers from Danielle Dekel (Kibbutz Ein Shemer, Israel) and Quinones. Franklin Pierce reeled off ten-straight points to gain their largest lead of the game (54-46).

“The biggest question mark having never been here before, was do we belong here with the top eight teams in the country,” said Swasey. “I think we definitely showed we certainly belong.”

“I think we’re all really upset right now,” said Martin. “But, we will be back.”