EASTON, Mass. (December 2, 2015) – Junior Donte Gittens (Hartford, Conn.) notched a team-high 14 points with eight coming from the free throw line, but Ryan Logan scored 15 points in favor of the Stonehill College Skyhawks as they defeated the Franklin Pierce University Ravens Men's Basketball team by a final score of 75-54 on Wednesday night at Paula Sullivan Court.

With the loss, the Ravens drop their first conference matchup and go to 3-2 overall (2-1 Northeast-10) while Stonehill improves to 5-1 (2-1 Northeast-10).

Out of the gate, the Ravens started strong as they got the first two scores of the game with a Gittens layup and three-pointer from sophomore Mike McDevitt (Cumberland, Maine) for an early 5-0 lead. That would quickly disappear with Logan coming up big through the opening minutes, pacing Stonehill to a solid lead at 22-13 with 6:19 to play in the first half.

Back came Franklin Pierce in the final five minutes of the first half, with a little help from junior Matt Banton (Brooklyn, N.Y.) as she knocked down a pair from long-distance, aiding the Ravens to only a three-point deficit at the half.

The first five minutes of the second half brought plenty of action between the two teams, as Franklin Pierce would not leave the back bumper of Stonehill. The Ravens pulled even at the 16:24 mark after a Gittens layup, putting the score at 32-32.

After a Stonehill timeout with the game tied, the Skyhawks woke up and unleashed a 15-4 run on the Ravens, grabbing an 11 point lead at 10:51, with the score 47-36.

Floating around a double-digit lead with just under 10 minutes remaining, the Skyhawks started to really pour things on the Ravens, leading by as much as 14. Franklin Pierce would come as close as 10 points after sophomore Dustin Cole (Standish, Maine) hit a three-pointer with 6:24 to play. Three minutes later, a pair of free throws from Gittens would drop the lead to nine, giving the Ravens their smallest deficit since the start of the half.

However, the crimson and grey would come no further, with the only scoring contribution coming from a single free throw from Gittens, allowing Stonehill to pull away for the 75-54 final, which was capped by a layup from Logan with under a minute to play.

Hampering the Ravens on the evening was their shooting from behind the arc, only finding twine 22.7 percent of the time at a 5-22 clip. Things weren't much better from the charity stripe, as the only converted slightly below 53 percent, going 9-17 on free throw attempts.

Behind Gittens, junior Tyler Iacuone (Mahopac, N.Y.) pumped in nine points, while McDevitt contributed seven points and a team-leading seven rebounds. Lolami Charles (Edgewood, Md.) chipped in six rebounds off the bench.

For Stonehill, Logan finished with a solid double-double with those 15 points, adding 12 rebounds and six assists, each team highs as well. Pierce Cumpstone finished with a solid 14 points off the bench, while Jimmy Walsh and Adam Bramanti also finished in double-digit points with 12 and 11, respectively.

The Ravens return to the hardwood this Saturday, December 5 as they travel to Assumption. Game time is set for 3 p.m.

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 volleyball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).