RINDGE, N.H. (November 28, 2021) -- After opening up a 21-point halftime lead in the Fieldhouse on Sunday afternoon, the Franklin Pierce University men's basketball team was able, barely, to survive a 51-point second-half outburst from Caldwell, to hang on for an 83-78 non-conference victory. Junior Maxwell Zegarowski (South Hamilton, Mass.) led three Ravens in double digits with 23, and added 11 rebounds to record a double-double, while Caldwell senior Anthony Cooper led all players with 31 points.

With the win, the Ravens get back to .500 on the season, at 3-3, while Caldwell falls to 3-2.

The first half saw a strong showing from the Ravens on both sides of the ball, highlighted by a defensive effort which held the Cougars to just 11-for-37 from the floor (29.7%). Zegarowski collected eight rebounds in the first half alone, while junior Brandon Kolek (Cumberland, R.I.) snagged three steals. For their part, the Ravens hit at a 45-percent clip (18-for-40) in the opening stanza, keyed by 12 points from freshman Sean Trumper (Ashford, United Kingdom), 11 from junior Isaiah Moore (Temple Hills, Md.) and 10 from Zegarowski. Franklin Pierce drilled six three-pointers (6-for-14) as well, on the way to a 48-27 lead at the intermission.

The second half began with Caldwell beginning to battle back, through the help of Cooper and sophomore Daniel Dade Jr., who went for 16 and 17 points, respectively, in the half. With the two guards heating up, the Ravens got into foul trouble, which put Caldwell into the bonus just halfway through the period. Utilizing a second-half shooting performance which included 6-for-9 from three-point range and 11-for-12 from the foul line, the Cougars surged and cut the Franklin Pierce lead to just one (68-67), with seven minutes to play.

The Ravens were able to stem the tide however, with a Moore jump shot on the ensuing possession to kick-start a 6-0 burst in just over a minute, which was ultimately enough to keep the Cougars at bay. Caldwell would battle the lead back down to three once more (81-78), but could get no closer. Zegarowski sunk a pair of late free throws to put the game on ice and give the Ravens a tight, 83-78 victory.

In fact, Zegarowski made all nine of his free throws on the day to turn a 6-for-14 shooting day into a 23-point outing, and added the 11 rebounds as well, for his first double-double of the year. Moore added 21 points on 9-for-18 from the field, while Trumper notched 15 on 6-for-12, and narrowly missed a double-double of his own with nine rebounds. Moore dished out five assists along the way, while freshman Mohamed Traore (Hyde Park, Mass.) led all players with six helpers.

Meanwhile, Cooper did the heavy lifting for Caldwell, as he went 12-for-22 on the way to a game-best 31 points. Dade chipped in 17 points and nine rebounds, while sophomore Ty-Shon Pannell tallied 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting, including a pair of threes, in just seven minutes of work. Freshman Mark Heber led the team with 10 rebounds, and Dade narrowly missed a double-double with nine boards of his own.

Next up for Franklin Pierce is a home tilt against Southern New Hampshire on Saturday, Dec. 4, at 5 p.m.