ALBANY. N.Y. (January 14, 2017) – The College of Saint Rose Golden Knights scored the game-winning bucket with three seconds left as the Franklin Pierce University Ravens dropped a Northeast-10 Conference contest 69-68 on Saturday afternoon in the Daniel P. Nolan Gymnasium. With the win, the Golden Knights move to 10-6 overall and 5-5 in the conference and the setback was the Ravens 13th of the season.

Jemma Thacker (Nairne, South Australia) led the team with a game-high 18 points to go along with nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal. Sarah Middleton (Barrington, R.I.) poured in 15 points, handed out five assists and came up with two steals. Mikayla Deguire (Watervilet, N.Y.) and Cameryn Wilson (Newport News, Va.) each racked up 11 points apiece.

Thacker scored the first points of the contest, 20 seconds in with a jumper. Taylor Nazon wasted no time in tying up the score by hitting two free throws a few seconds later. Middleton regained the lead to her team's side by draining a three-ball off a Thacker feed. On the next Golden Knights possession, Ashley Vanderwall tied up the contest, 5-5 by matching Middleton's three with one of her own.

Point swapping ensued until Kelsey Mayo (Oakland, Maine) began a quarter closing 13-4 scoring binge as she converted the old fashioned three point play which put Pierce up 11-10. However Thacker one upped her teammate by converting a trey and the freebie for a four point play a few minutes later that increased the FPU lead to five, 15-10. At the end of one, the Ravens led 21-14.

The Raven run continued into the second stanza as they outscored the Golden Knights 12-2 over the first six minutes of the quarter to increase their advantage to 33-16 after a Thacker three. With 1:22 remaining before the intermission, Middleton buried a three-ball to give Pierce their largest lead of the contest at 40-20. Saint Rose scored one more point over the final 82 seconds to head into halftime with a 19 point, 40-21 deficit.

Thacker had a huge first half for the Ravens as she tallied 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting and a 3-of-5 showing from beyond the arc. The junior guard also added seven rebounds, a block and a steal. As a team, the Crimson and Grey made 16-of-33 (48.5%) of their attempts from the floor and 6-of-12 (50.0%) from long range. They also held their opponents to 25.9% shooting in the first half while they outrebounded Saint Rose by a 24 to 13 margin.

Saint Rose racked up eight points in a row to being the frame as Vanderwall made two shots from long range and Staci Barrett converted a layup to cut the Golden Knight deficit to 11, 40-29. About a minute later, Cameryn Wilson took a pass by Middleton and put the layup in to stop Saint Rose's run. The Golden Knights would cut the Raven lead to 11 points multiple times, but couldn't crack single digits as FPU led by 12, 49-37 at the end of three.

In the fourth Staci Barrett made two free throws to cut the deficit to three possessions at 50-41 before Thacker made a three-ball on the next trip down to floor to put FPU back ahead by 12, 53-41. At the 5:34 mark, Zoe McDonald stole the rock from a Raven player which led to a transition trey by Nazon to bring the Raven lead down to eight, 56-48 which led to a Pierce timeout.

The Golden Knight's 9-0 run ended when Wilson buried two free throws to put Pierce up eight, 58-50 and after a Mayo theft, Middleton made a running layup to push the lead back to 10, 60-50.

Five in a row including a three by Nazon from Stowe put Saint Rose within two possessions at 60-55 with 2:32 left. Middleton came up huge as she followed her own missed jumper, snagged the offensive board and put the ball off the glass for two which increased FPU's lead to 62-55.

With 52 ticks on the clock, Vanderwall made another three which made it a four point game. Saint Rose was forced to foul and Mayo split a pair of freebies to push the advantage back to five, 65-60.

Saint Rose took a timeout and drew up a play for Nazon who missed a three which would have made it a two point game, but Stowe grabbed the ball for an offensive board and was fouled in the process. Stowe made one of two from the line to make it a 65-61 Pierce lead.

After a missed free throw by the Ravens, Deguire came down with the rock, but had it stolen by Zoe McDonald. The ball found the hands of Stowe again who was fouled and made one of two from the charity stripe. McDonald got the offensive board and was fouled by Thacker. McDonald like her teammates have done the past few possessions, split her free throws which made it 65-63.

After getting fouled, Middleton split her free throws to make it 66-63 in favor for FPU. With 17 seconds to go, Stowe however was fouled as her shot tickled the twine to make it a 66-65 Raven lead, Stowe missed the free throw, but fortunately for the Golden Knights, McDonald snagged the board, was fouled and buried both freebies to give the Golden Knights a one point lead.

Middleton regained the lead for FPU by making a layup with eight seconds left, but Nazon completed the comeback for Saint Rose by converting a layup with three seconds to go.

The Ravens return to the hardwood on Wednesday, January 18th with a home NE10 showdown against New Haven at 5:30 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).