Four Starters Score in Double Figures, Ravens Win Third Straight

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (December 6, 2016) – Senior guard Donte Gittens (Hartford, Conn.) scored a team-high 24 points while Mike McDevitt (Cumberland, Maine) added 22 of his own as the Franklin Pierce University men's basketball team beat Northeast-10 Conference opponent Merrimack College 86-79 Tuesday night on Hammel Court. The win, the Ravens third in a row move them to 5-4, 4-2 NE10 and the loss drops the Warriors to 6-3 overall and 3-2 in league play.

Gittens matched a career-high with nine assists in the game while coming down with five boards. McDevitt shot 10-of-15 (66.7%) from the hardwood, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out six helpers. Jordan Lackey (South Plainfield, N.J.) tallied 18 points on a 7-for-10 (70.0%) shooting performance and snagged five caroms. Lackey tallied 16 of his 18 points in the second half and only missed one shot (a free throw) from the floor. Fellow starter Matt Banton (Brooklyn, N.Y.) joined his teammates in double-figures with 13 points.

The Ravens made 35-of-61 (57.4%) of their field goal attempts which is their best shooting performance of the young season. The Crimson and Grey also outrebounded their counterparts by a 40-to-25 margin and shared the rock more with teammates (23 assists to 15).

Freshman guard Juvaris Harris was a force for Merrimack as he accumulated a game-high 28 points on 11-of-13 (84.6%) shooting. Harris also handed out seven assists, came up with four steals and grabbed three boards. Sharpshooter Ryan Boulter connected on 6-of-10 (60.0%) shots from deep en route to 26 points.

The entire contest was a seesaw affair as the lead swapped hands 16 times and the score was knotted up 11 times.

The Ravens scored the first four points of the game as McDevitt knocked down a mid-range jumper from the elbow off an inbounds pass and Lackey cleaned up a missed McDevitt baseline jumper for two.

Merrimack tied the game until the Ravens took back the lead thanks to a 7-0 run that started as McDevitt slammed home a two-handed dunk. Next, McDevitt found Banton in transition for a three-ball from the top of the point to put Pierce up 11-7. A possession later, their lead built to five as McDevitt pounded the rock down low for two.

Seven straight from the hosts put them up two, 15-13 due to an Anthony Barry second chance score. After the Barry make, Dustin Cole (Standish, Maine) tied up the contest yet again as he came off a screen in the post and reversed a layup in.

Merrimack junior Kyle Howes scored two of his eight first half points at the 10 minute mark of the first frame to increase the Warriors lead to five at 30-25. The Ravens then used a 6-0 run following Howes make to go ahead by a point with six minutes to go.

The squads knocked down just one shot from the floor over the final 2:54 of the half and it came from the host Warriors as Hayes poured in his second deep try of the half to give Merrimack a 40-38 lead at the break.

The Ravens scored four points to begin the second half as McDevitt and Lackey converted driving layups to put Pierce up two. Ryan Boulter regained the lead to his side with a catch and shoot three from the top right of the arc. Juvaris Hayes then upped the lead to four after an and1 conversion.

After a Raven timeout, Gittens inbounded the ball to a waiting McDevitt who stroked a jumper from the right elbow to bring the deficit to 52-50. Hayes responded by hitting a three as Gittens hand was in his face to increase the Merrimack lead to five, 55-50. Asante Sandiford (Boston, Mass.) matched Hayes' and1 with one of his own to bring the Warrior lead back down to one.

Action picked up at the 8:22 mark as Banton buried a long attempt from the left wing. Anthony Barry brought his team within one, collecting a Hayes feed and putting the ball off the glass for a layup. Lackey responded by driving the baseline for a two handed dunk that put FPU ahead by three. Boulter again was deadly from deep as he knocked home a corner three to tie the game at 67 all.

A 9-2 mini Raven binge gave the team a seven point, 76-69 lead when Lackey cleaned up a Gittens missed layup.

On three separate occasions over the final four minutes of competition, Hayes would bring his squad within one possession by pushing in layups including a baseline spinning, twisting reverse high off the glass which made it 82-79 in favor of FPU with 2:29 left.

Merrimack had three chances to tie the score in the waning seconds including a Howes miss with 14 ticks left, but the Ravens defensive unit held strong and Banton was 4-of-4 from the charity stripe down the stretch to ice the game.

The Ravens return to the hardwood on Saturday for another huge NE10 showdown versus Saint Anslem at 3:30 p.m. The winner of the contest will have sole possession of second place in the Northeast Division.

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).