Ant Lessane with 12 points and 7 rebounds in the win

RINDGE, N.H. (February 8, 2014) – Four Ravens scored in double-figures, led by junior forward Ryen Vilmont’s (Philadelphia, Pa.) 18 points, and the Franklin Pierce University men’s basketball team got back on the winning track Saturday afternoon with a 74-70 triumph over Assumption at The Fieldhouse in Rindge.

Franklin Pierce improved to 17-4 overall and 12-4 in the Northeast-10, while the Greyhounds dipped to 5-16 and 3-13 in league play.

Vilmont was 10-of-11 from the foul line, while also turning in a solid all-around game of five rebounds, four blocks, and three assists. His two free throws in the waning seconds of a one possession game proved to be the difference in the Ravens sealing the win.

Senior forward Adrianos Vourliotakis Perdikaris (Cholargos, Athens) followed with 17 points, while senior Ant Lessane (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and freshman Donte Gittens (Hartford, Conn.) added 12 and 10, respectively. Each of the latter two also had impressive all-around efforts, as Gittens had five blocks, five boards, and three assists, while Lessane ripped down seven rebounds.

Marcus Murray dropped in a game-high 23 points for Assumption, while Jack Sullivan came off the bench to add 11.

The game remained close throughout, but Gittens’ free throw with 5:16 to go staked Franklin Pierce to a 66-58 advantage.

Assumption, though, slowly clawed into the deficit and pulled to within four at 69-65 with 3:12 remaining when Sullivan drained a pair of foul shots.

Murray’s three-point play with :19 left made it 72-68, and Chris Fitzgerald hit a driving layup with :04 remaining to make it a one-possession game. Vilmont’s free throws, however, capped it for the Ravens.

The Ravens attempted just 47 shots compared to Assumption’s 70, but did connect on 47 percent of those tries, while the Greyhounds slogged to just a 36 percent clip. Franklin Pierce also went a solid 7-of-16 from three-point range (44 percent).

Franklin Pierce led by as many as 12 late in the first half at 33-21 on a breakaway dunk and foul shot from Vilmont. However, the Ravens couldn’t deliver a finishing blow to Assumption late in the stanza, and took just a 35-28 lead into halftime.

Matt Bailey’s deep three for Assumption early in the second half knotted the score at 46-all, and the teams began trading baskets the remainder of the contest.

The Ravens return to action Tuesday night when they play host to Southern New Hampshire at 7:30 p.m. in The Fieldhouse.

For more information on Franklin Pierce men’s basketball, please visit the team’s page at http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu. To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce men’s basketball apparel can do so on the athletic department’s online store at http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store(.)