COLCHESTER, Vt. (February 9, 2016) -- Sophomore forward Asante Sandiford (Boston, Mass.) and junior guard Donte Gittens (Hartford, Conn.) scored 15 points each to help push the Franklin Pierce University men's basketball team to victory over Saint Michael's college, on Tuesday night at the Ross Sports Center, 90-74.

With the victory, the Ravens are now 13-9 (10-7 Northeast-10), while the Purple Knights fall to 5-17 (3-14 Northeast-10).

Sandiford started out strong for the Ravens, making a layup to tie the game at 2-2. The Ravens then started to run away, putting together a 15-3 run after Saint Michael's had opened the scoring. After a scoreless three minutes for the Purple Knights, junior guard David Sullivan broke the streak by making a layup to make the score 15-7. The Purple Knights scored three more unanswered points to cut the deficit to five, before junior guard Matt Banton (Brooklyn, N.Y.) took matters into his own hands with a three-pointer to push the lead go back up to eight (18-10).

Senior forward Morrell Gaskins answered Banton's three pointer with a jump shot, but Banton responded again with another three-pointer to make the score 21-12. The Purple Knights then went on a 17-4 run to surge to the lead, 28-25, with 7:10 to play in the first half. Banton made a layup to cut the lead to only one point, but the Purple Knights responded, as senior guard Greg Grippo made a three pointer to make the score 31-27. Banton would score the next five points for the Ravens, while the sophomore guard Colin Richey would score a layup for Saint Michael's to make the score 33-32, in favor of the Purple Knights.

With 2:12 left in the half, the two teams were tied at 35, until junior guard Ben Mead (Ipswich, England) made a three-pointer to put the Ravens ahead, 38-35. Grippo would make another jumper for the Purple Knights to cut the deficit to one, but Ravens junior guard Marvilio Berroa (Bronx, N.Y.) would answer with a jump shot to make it 40-37. The Purple Knights would make one more layup before the half, to make the halftime score 40-39, in favor of Franklin Pierce.

The second half opened with a back-and-forth battle between the two teams. It was not until there was 11:46 left in the half until the Ravens were able to pull ahead for good. Gittens made a three-pointer to put the Ravens ahead, 59-57, which started an 8-0 run for the Franklin Pierce. Gaskins made a layup for the Purple Knights to end a scoreless two minutes for the team to cut the Ravens lead to 64-59.

The Purple Knights were able to close the gap to two with 5:51 left in the half by going on a 9-6 spurt to make the score 70-68. Sandiford made a layup to answer the basket made by Saint Michael's, which served to spark the offense. The Ravens went on another 8-0 run from there and did not allow the Purple Knights to score for the next 3:11. It was not until there was only 2:40 left in the game the Purple Knights were able to make two free throws cut the gap to 80-70. Three fouls made within the course of a minute-and-a-half sent the Ravens to the foul line three times, where they made five out of the six free throws to stretch the lead to 85-70.

Sophomore center Mike McDevitt (Cumberland, Maine) was sent to the free-throw line with 59 seconds left in the game, where he made one to put the Ravens ahead, 86-70. After Gittens committed his only foul on junior forward Matt Bonds, who made both of his free throws, the Ravens pulled all their starters off the floor, with the game well in hand. The Purple Knights would score another layup to push their total to 74 points, but it would be answered by freshman guard Amanie Craddock (Spring Valley, N.Y.), who scored the final four points for the Ravens to make the final score 90-74.

Banton finished the game with 22 points for the Ravens, while Gittens and Sandiford both finished with 15 points each. McDevitt's five defensive rebounds also helped lead the Ravens to this victory.

For the Purple Knights, four players finished with double-digit point totals. Freshman guard Levi Holmes III had a total of 21 points, Grippo had 15 points, Bonds had 21, and Gaskins finished with 10.

The Ravens will return to their home court Saturday, Feb. 13 at 3:30 p.m. in the Fieldhouse to face Bentley University.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce men's basketball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).