RINDGE, N.H. (December 15, 2021) -- The Franklin Pierce University men's basketball team could not hold a 13-point second-half lead at home on Tuesday night, but then turned around and got the job done in overtime against Stonehill. Juniors Isaiah Moore (Temple Hills, Md.) and Maxwell Zegarowski (South Hamilton, Mass.) both posted double-doubles as the Ravens pulled out a 68-63 (OT) Northeast-10 Conference win in a defensive battle.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 6-3 (4-1 NE10), while Stonehill falls to 7-3 (3-1 NE10). The Ravens will make the return trip to Stonehill on Feb. 8.

Moore, the reigning NE10 Player of the Week, led all players with 18 points, and finished with a double-double by adding 10 rebounds. Stonehill sophomore Jackson Benigni followed with 15 points off the bench, while Zegarowski and freshman Mohamed Traore (Hyde Park, Mass.) both contributed 14. Stonehill senior Isaiah Burnett and fifth-year Owen Chose rounded out the double-figure scorers with 12 apiece.

Zegarowski's 14 boards led all players, as Franklin Pierce held a 51-41 rebounding advantage. The total included 14 offensive boards, which enabled the team to post a 13-5 edge in second-chance points. The two teams turned the ball over a similar amount, but it was the Ravens who were able to capitalize, to the tune of a 19-11 margin in points off of turnovers.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams struggling to find momentum. Both sides hovered just above 30% shooting from the field, as the Ravens went 10-for-31 and the Skyhawks 10-for-29. The half ended with the Ravens ahead, 29-24.

The game came alive in the second half, as an early run gave the Ravens a big lead, which peaked at 13 points (52-39) with eight minutes to go. The Skyhawks were quick to respond from there, as they went on a two-minute, 10-0 run to make it a one-score game. Stonehill ultimately leveled the game at 57-57 with 1:19 left, on a layup by senior Andrew Sims. Both sides missed a pair of field goals in the final 63 seconds, and the game would go to overtime.

With the Ravens in the bonus, free throws would make a difference in the extra period. Eight of Franklin Pierce's 11 points in overtime came from the line, save for a key three-pointer from freshman Sean Trumper (Ashford, United Kingdom) near the midpoint of the frame. Zegarowski converted four consecutive free throws and snagged a pair of key defensive rebounds down the stretch to seal the deal.

Next up for the Ravens is a non-conference matchup on the road against Daemen on Saturday, Dec. 18.