Brittany Martelle bombs in game-high 20 points

WEST HAVEN, Conn. (January 18, 2014) – Senior guard Brittany Martelle (Brookfield, Conn.) pumped in a game-high 20 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Franklin Pierce University women’s basketball team dropped a 66-52 decision to New Haven on Saturday afternoon at Charger Gymnasium in West Haven, Conn.

New Haven improved to 12-4 overall and 7-3 in the Northeast-10, while the Ravens had their four-game winning streak snapped in falling to 8-7 and 5-5 in league play.

Martelle’s two free throws and sophomore guard Dyamond Gardner’s (Cambridge, Mass.) three-pointer on back-to-back possessions midway through the second half pulled the Ravens to within five at 45-40, but it was as close as they would come to getting back into the contest.

New Haven countered by scoring eight-straight points over the ensuing four minutes to open up a 13-point advantage, keyed by a pair of triples from Elizabeth Cruso.

Cruso had nine off the bench for New Haven, while three Charger starters logged double-figures in scoring, including Aquillin Hayes and Briana Bradford with 14 points apiece, and Bria Moore with 11.

The Chargers continued to add to their lead and Moore’s layup with 2:22 remaining staked UNH to a commanding 66-45 lead.

New Haven shot 42 percent for the game, but was even better in the second half by connecting at a 48-percent clip. The Chargers also held a 41-34 advantage on the boards.

Franklin Pierce shot just 35 percent, as sophomore forward Kara Charette (Fairhaven, Mass.) was the team’s other double-figure scorer with 12 points.

New Haven tried to pull away in the early stretches of the first half, but the Ravens wouldn’t budge and kept clawing away. The Chargers stretched it out to a 20-11 lead midway through the half, but Franklin Pierce clawed its way back with an 11-4 run to pull within two with 5:30 left until halftime. Martelle sparked the rally with five-straight points, while Charette followed with four consecutive, and the former capped it with another basket.

The teams remained close the remainder of the half with UNH taking a 31-26 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Franklin Pierce returns to action Wednesday when the Ravens travel to take on Pace at 5:30 p.m.

For more information on Franklin Pierce women’s basketball, please visit the team’s page at http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu. To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce women’s basketball apparel can do so on the athletic department’s online store at http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store(.)