RINDGE, N.H. (March 5, 2022) -- Completing their regular season as the second-seeded squad in the NE10's Northeast Division, the Franklin Pierce men's basketball program has reserved their spot in the NE10 Championship this Sunday, 3/6/22 at 3 p.m, where they will battle against the Bentley University Falcons. For the Ravens, it is just the second championship appearance in program history, with their last trip coming during the 2012-13 season, and are still seeking their first ever NE10 title.   

Live coverage will be available for the championship game at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/franklinpierce/

Additionally, live stats will be available for the game as well. Links can be found at Franklin Pierce at Bentley | PrimeTime | Sun, Mar. 6, 2022 3:00 PM EST (fpuravens.com)

The Ravens (17-9, 12-7 NE10) have put together an award-winning season, with a large amount of their success stemming from their top trio of juniors Isaiah Moore (Temple Hills, MD) & Maxwell Zegarowski (South Hamilton, Mass.), and first-year Mohamad Traore (Hyde Park, Mass.). Moore, who was recently named the NE10 Player of the Year, was a constant presence on the court every game for Franklin Pierce. Through this season, Moore has led the way offensively for Franklin Pierce, averaging both a conference and team-leading 23.1 points per game, along with an average of 35.6 minutes per game. Head Coach David Chadbourne, who has been at the helm and is in his 23^rd season with the team, was the recipient of the NE10 Coach of the Year honors, helping Franklin Pierce to their best performance in seven years.

Entering the playoffs with a 3-2 record over their last five games, the Ravens had a plan. Franklin Pierce defeated the southwest seventh-seeded American International Yellowjackets in the opening round, winning at home by a close final score of 86-82. Fresh off the win, momentum was in their favor upon the arrival of the Quarterfinal round, which was once again at home. The Ravens, in front of a capacity crowd, powered through Assumption College, upending the Greyhounds 86-73 and advancing to the NE10 Semifinals. Pace University, who had tied Bentley for the best in-conference season record, was next on the docket for Franklin Pierce. After a back-and-forth 35 minutes of play, the Ravens emerged triumphant with some late game heroics, booking their ticket to the Championship, which will take place in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Bentley University (21-4, 14-5 NE10) has been one of the toughest teams to play in the NE10 this season, especially on their home court. This season, the Falcons have put together an intimidating 14-1 record at home, with their only loss coming at the hands of Franklin Pierce back on December 12, 2021. This season, Bentley has had no issues scoring points, with the team rallying behind graduate guard Colton Lawrence (Myerstown, PA). Despite missing a handful of games for the Falcons mid-season, Lawrence found a rhythm in the second half of the season, consistently hitting double-digit points.  Secondary scoring has also been present for the Falcons, with senior and sophomore guards Mason Webb (Oklahoma City, OK) & Zach Laput (Beacon Falls, CT), and graduate Jordan Mello-Klein (Sharon, Mass.) contributing on a nightly basis throughout the regular season.

Bentley, as the northeast division's top-seed, received a bye into the Quarterfinal round, and secured home court the whole way through. In the Quarterfinal, the Falcons saw victory against Saint Rose, the southwest division's fourth-seeded team. Bentley opened up the offense, and ultimately defeated Saint Rose by a lopsided final of 93-65. For the Falcons, the Semifinals finished in similar fashion, where they slid past Saint Anselm 81-65, thus advancing to the NE10 finale against the Ravens.  

Throughout the regular season, Franklin Pierce and Bentley have faced each other on two occasions, with the Ravens claiming the win in both meetings, one at home and the other on the road.