Kara Charette scores 20-plus points for second-straight game

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (November 10, 2013) – The Franklin Pierce University women’s basketball team was held scoreless over the final four minutes of Saturday’s contest, and USciences scored 10 points over that span to pull out a slim 75-73 win at Morgan Arena in Philadelphia, Pa. The Ravens fell to 0-2, while USciences improved to 2-0.

Senior guard Brittany Martelle’s (Brookfield, Conn.) layup with 3:57 remaining capped a mini 6-0 run by the Ravens to take a 73-65 lead, and put them in position to pick up their first win of the season.

USciences, however, had other plans and Camille McPherson’s three-pointer moments later sparked a rally, which she ultimately capped with two free throws with less than a second remaining to lift her team to victory. McPherson was able to make it to the free throw line as she was fouled attempting a three at the buzzer.

The officials put a little time back on the clock, but the Ravens weren’t able to get off a shot before the buzzer once again sounded.

Martelle was one of four Ravens in double-figures, as she pumped in 17 points. Sophomore forward Kara Charette (Fairhaven, Mass.) dropped in 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field, marking the second-straight game she went for 20-plus points. Senior guard Brooke Coderre (Woonsocket, R.I.) joined Martelle with 17 points herself, while sophomore Dyamond Gardner (Cambridge, Mass.) came off the bench to net 11 points.

McPherson led all scorers with 26 points, while Brianne Traub followed with 20 for USciences.

The Ravens fell behind early in the game, and trailed by 10 at 28-18 with 6:45 to go until halftime, but finally started to find their rhythm, closing out the half by scoring 19 of the final 25 points to take a 37-34 lead into the locker room. Five different Ravens scored during the closing surge, including six points from Charette.

A three-point play by Charette early in the second half pushed Franklin Pierce’s lead out to 45-38, but USciences responded with eight-consecutive points to go up by one.

The game remained close the rest of the way before the Ravens went on their brief run, followed by USciences’ winning rally in the waning minutes.

Franklin Pierce returns to action next Sunday when it plays host to Bridgeport at 1 p.m. in The Fieldhouse in Rindge.

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(.)