NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (December 6, 2016) – It took an extra quarter to decide a winner on Tuesday night at Hammel Court as the host Merrimack College Warriors defeated Franklin Pierce University 72-61 in overtime during Northeast-10 Conference action. With the win, Merrimack moves to 4-5, 3-2 NE10 and the loss was the Ravens seventh of the season.

My'Asia Alston led all scorers with 17 points and dished out five helpers. Savannah Johnson recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 boards while Hannah Neild added 16 points on 4-of-8 (50.0%) three-point shooting and seven caroms.

Leading Franklin Pierce was Sarah Middleton (Barrington, R.I) who chipped in a team-high 12 points and handed out four assists. Teammate Dana Campbell (Merrick, N.Y.) matched Middleton in markers and assists and Alison Palma (Stamford, Conn.) snagged 14 boards in the setback.

The Crimson and Grey opened the contest with the first points as Campbell swished home a jumper from the left elbow. The next three possessions resulted in buckets from both squads which led to Middleton pouring in a corner three-ball that put the guests up three, 7-4.

The Ravens regained possession due to a turnover by Lexi Martin which led to Palma and freshman Mya Mosley (Worcester, Mass.) using a pick and roll play that Mosley put in to give FPU a five point, 9-4 lead.

Martin responded with a lay-in from underneath to cut their deficit to three at 9-6, but Campbell took a feed by Cameryn Wilson (Newport News, Va.) off a screen, set her feet and drained a three-pointer from the left wing to push the lead back to six. Campbell's three-ball was a springboard to a 9-2 binge for the guests as their advantage grew to a game-high 10 points, 18-8 with 1:51 left. Hannah Neild brought the lead down to single figures with a three of her own as FPU led 18-11 after one.

In the second stanza, the Ravens advantage increased to nine thanks to a Mikayla Deguire (Watervilet, N.Y.) jumper. After the Pierce points, 11 consecutive markers for Merrimack gave the Warriors their first lead of the game off two Denia Stewart-Davis freebies.

Palma stuffed My'Asia Alston at the rim, corralled the ball and tossed an outlet pass to Middleton who drove the length of the floor for the hoop and harm. Middleton knocked down the free throw to push her squad ahead one, 25-24. With 1:20 to go, Alston converted a jumper for the last points of the half which put Merrimack ahead 30-29 at the intermission.

The hosts started the new half with a 6-1 run to take a 36-30 lead. Kelsey Mayo (Oakland, Maine) stopped the mini-spurt as she banked a layup in off the glass from the left block while she was fouled. Her free throw attempt however bounced off the rim.

Following a Mosley stuff of Davis-Stewart, Campbell was pushed to the ground on the left wing which resulted in foul shots due to Merrimack being in the bonus. The senior guard converted both freebies to cut the Warrior advantage to 36-34.

With the shot clock expiring, Hannah Neild threw in a shot from beyond the arc which moved her team's lead to two possessions at 39-34.

Point swapping ensued until the waning moments of the quarter as Middleton took the clock down to nine seconds and slashed through the teeth of the Merrimack defense for a driving two. FPU trailed 45-43 after three quarters.

In the fourth, Wilson tried to knot up the contest with a hop-step layup from a few feet out, but missed the mark. Savannah Johnson corralled the rock, heaved the ball to Martin who was waiting down court and she connected on a layup while getting fouled. She made the freebie which increased the Warriors lead to five, 48-43.

The Ravens rallied with an 11-1 run to take a five point 54-49 lead as Jemma Thacker (Nairne, South Australia) led the charge. Thacker started the binge with a transition three on the left wing. The junior guard then poked the rock away from Alston and pulled up for another three. Thacker missed the attempt, but the ball was gobbled up by Mosley for a second chance bucket.

On the defensive end, like Thacker did on the previous possession, Mosley came up with a theft of Alston which led to another bucket. Savannah Johnson temporarily halted the Raven run as she made one of two free throws.

Thacker ended the run with two free throws and then pulled up for a mid-range jumper which concluded the binge.

The hosts scored five in a row due to the efforts of Alston who knocked down a corner trey, stole the rock and led a fast break charge for an easy two which tied the game. Middleton put her squad back ahead by three as she drove down low, scooped the rock off the glass and in while getting fouled.

One possession later, Neild tied the game at 57 as she buried a three from the exact same spot as Alston did a few minutes later with 90 seconds to go. The Ravens had two chances to take the lead/win the game, but a shot clanked off the rim and they committed a travel as the game went into overtime.

In extra time, Neild buried a three to open the scoring and give her team the lead, but Campbell hit a jumper on the next possession to narrow the gap to one, 60-59. The Warriors scored the next six points via free throws which was enough to take game from the Ravens.

The Ravens return to the friendly confines of The Fieldhouse on Saturday when they host NE10 opponent Saint Anslem at 1:30 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 women's basketball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).