This Franklin Pierce University men's basketball recap is presented by Belletetes

COLCHESTER, Vt. (November 20, 2018) – Franklin Pierce University men's basketball junior guard Doyin Fadojutimi (Temple Hills, Md.) exploded for a career-high 33 points as the Ravens collected their first Northeast-10 Conference win of the season defeating Saint Michael's College 99-92 Tuesday evening at the Ross Sports Center. The win, the second in a row for the Ravens moves them to 3-2 overall aand1-0 NE10 while the Purple Knights crumble to 2-3 and are still in search for a league win.

Franklin Pierce has now won the last seven meetings against their conference rivals with the Crimson and Grey's last setback at the hands of the Purple Knights coming on February 4, 2015, a 76-64 victory in Colchester.

Fadojutimi was a factor on offense and defense for FPU. His 33 markers were a game-high as the team captain shot 11-of-17 (64.7%) from the hardwood, 5-of-6 (83.3%) beyond the arc and stroked a perfect 6-of-6 (100%) at the line. On the defensive side, Fadojutimi stuffed a personal-best four shot attempts and recorded one still. The two-way guard also added three rebounds and three assists.

Joining Fadojutimi in double-digits were three other Ravens. Fellow starters, sophomore guard Sean Fasoyiro (Houston, Texas) and junior guard Falu Seck (Washington, D.C.) tallied 12 and 11 points respectively. Fasoyiro snagged six boards and came up with two steals and two blocks.  Graduate forward Jeremy Arthur (Westbury, N.Y.) produced 11 points, three caroms, one assist and one steal across 16 minutes off the bench.

Fellow Raven starters sophomore guard Sam van Oostrum (Sheffield, England) handed out 6+ assists for the third time this year and graduate forward Lolami Lola-Charles (Aberdeen, Md.) stuffed the stat sheet with six points, a game-best eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

For the Purple Knights, Derek Cheatom notched 30 points doing most of his damage at the line (11 free throw conversions). NE10 leading scorer Levi Holmes III (25.3 PPG) was limited to only 18 points in the setback.

The Ravens took their first lead 8-5, just two minutes into the game following back to back steals from van Oostrum leading to a Fadojutimi driving two and a Fasoyiro theft which he slammed down a two handed jam with authority. The steals were part of a stretch of eight consecutive points by FPU which was capped off by a Fadojutimi runner to extend the Raven edge to seven 12-5 at the 17:02 mark. Saint Michael's tallied five in a row as Winston Jones II and Fadojutimi swapped treys to reestablish the Ravens two possession edge 15-10.

A Seck deadeye deep three-ball brought the Raven lead to 20-12. A couple of possessions later Seck fed Fadojutimi for an off balance three-ball on the left wing to push Pierce ahead 25-16. SMC chipped away to bring their deficit to a four point game following a Cheatom three and two Eli DeGrande freebies. van Oostrum and Seck restored the nine point Raven advantage when the sophomore guard drove the right side for two and Seck buried a step back, crossover three pointer with the shot clock winding down.

Fasoyiro gave the Ravens their first double-digit lead of the game, 33-23 at the 9:15 mark as he got a kind roll around the rim and his three-ball fell through the net. A Cheatom and1 and two free throws made it a five-point game, 33-28. The five point margin remained true for the next couple possessions until junior forward Jameson Pierrelus (Martin County, Fla.) rifled home a long range connection to make the score 38-30. Two Fadojutimi free throw conversions pushed the Ravens ahead 40-30. Five in a row by the guests cut into the score at 40-35 until senior guard David Bradbury Jr. (Deep River, Conn.) broke a Raven scoreless stretch with a catch and shoot trey from the left corner. Cheatom responded on the next possession with a pull up two on the left elbow, however, freshman guard Isaiah Moore (Temple Hills, Md.) wrapped up the first half running into traffic and getting his last second lay-in to fall as the Ravens controlled the score 45-37 at the intermission.

Pierce began the second stanza manufacturing five straight points as a van Oostrum driving take which upped the Ravens lead to 13, 50-37. A Holmes III steal off a press and slash to the rack brought the deficit down to seven 53-46. Fadojutimi responded with the rare four-point play as he was fouled on his three-point attempt and converted the trey and free chance to bring the contest to 57-46. After an Arthur long three-ball, SMC tallied six straight points to move the deficit back to five points for the Purple Knights. Arthur answered on the next Raven possession by bringing the ball to the rack for a bucket while being fouled. Arthur knocked down the charity stripe attempt to extend the Raven lead to 63-55.

Cheatom knocked the Purple Knight deficit to four, 63-59 with 13:34 to play. On the next possession, the Ravens broke the press and van Oostrum who was standing at the free throw line quickly dished the ball to a wide open Bradbury Jr. in the left corner. After passing up a three a couple of possessions early, the team captain did not pass up this shot as he hit the crucial downtown connection to halt the host momentum.

With 4:43 to go Fasoyiro drained a three-pointer to increase the Raven lead to 13, 86-73. Saint Michael's would tack on a 10-1 scoring binge capped off by a Holmes III dribble handoff three pointer making it a four point game, 87-83. Fadojutimi answered with a three-ball of his own on the left wing moving the Ravens ahead 90-83. He iced the game at the 1:04 mark using a layup off a van Oostrum feed giving the Ravens a nine point advantage.

Bradbury Jr. was productive in his limited bench minutes scoring eight points on 3-of-4 (75.0%) shooting in only eight minutes. Pierrelus produced six points, four boards and two assists in 14 minutes off the pine.

The Ravens return to action after the Thanksgiving break for their home opener on Wednesday, November 28th at 7:30 p.m. against NE10 opponent 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). You can also follow the men's basketball team on Twitter (https://twitter.com/FPURavensMBB) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fpuravensmbb/).