RINDGE, N.H. (January 16, 2016) – Senior Tyler Iacuone (Mahopac, N.Y.) and junior Matt Banton (Brooklyn, N.Y.) hit big shots when they were needed on Saturday afternoon, as their clutch buckets from beyond the arc helped propel the Franklin Pierce University Men's Basketball team to a win over the Saint Rose College Golden Knights by a final score of 71-61 in Northeast-10 Conference play at the Fieldhouse.

With the win, the Ravens improve to 8-7 on the season (5-5 Northeast-10) while Saint Rose drops to 7-9 overall (5-5 Northeast-10).

Off the opening tip, Saint Rose garnered control of the game jumping out to a 12-4 lead in the first five minutes. But the lead for the Golden Knights didn't last long, as Ravens then proceeded to run a 9-0 run after that point, taking a 13-12 lead with 11:59 to play in the first half. Franklin Pierce ran with that lead, getting up by five points with 6:45 to play, up 22-17 after a nice layup from sophomore Asante Sandiford (Boston, Mass.).

The chilly New England weather then somehow found its way inside the Fieldhouse, as the Ravens then went cold from the field over the rest of the half, as Saint Rose took advantage of it for a 14-3 run to end the half. Going into the locker room at the half, the Golden Knights had a four point lead, 29-25.

The second half then led to fireworks, as both teams jostled for the lead. Thanks to some help from sophomore Mike McDevitt (Cumberland, Maine) who collected eight points in the opening five minutes. As both teams traded the lead, it was a three-pointer from Banton with 9:49 to play that pulled the Ravens even for the sixth time in the game. However, it set up an Iacuone triple with 7:16 to play to break a 53-53 tie, giving the Ravens a 56-53 lead.

After Saint Rose pulled back even with 4:26 to play, it would be Banton stepping up once again to hit another clutch three pointer with 3:37 to once again break a tie and give Franklin Pierce a three point lead, 59-56. That three pointer would give the Ravens a perminant lead, as Saint Rose struggled to put the ball in the hoop down the stretch.

Thanks to some solid shooting from the free throw line, Franklin Pierce pumped up their lead to 10 by the final buzzer.

Both McDevitt and Banton each collected 14 points, with McDevitt collecting his inside the arc and Banton doing his job from behind the arc. Sandiford and sophomore Jordan Lackey (South Plainfield, N.J.) each poured in 13 points apiece as well. Lackey also tossed out three assists along with junior Donte Gittens (Hartford, Conn.), while Sandiford snagged a team-high eight rebounds.

For Saint Rose, both Shane Herrity and Sam Eckstrom each collected 12 points, while Tyler Sayre added 11 points. Herrity also dished out three assists, while Pharroh Gordon grabbed a team-high five rebounds.

Both teams struggled with turnovers, as Franklin Pierce turned the rock over 17 times, with Saint Rose turned it over 13 times. The difference between the two teams came from behind the arc, as the Ravens hit 45 percent from distance (9-for-20) while the Golden Knights only shot 18.8 percent (3-for-16) from behind the arc.

The Ravens return to the court this Wednesday, January 20 when they travel to the University of New Haven. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

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 basketball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).