WORCESTER, Mass. (11/16/22) – Unable to overcome a first quarter deficit, the Franklin Pierce women's basketball team fell in their Northeast-10 conference opener at Assumption University, 61-54 at the Andrew Laska Gym on Wednesday evening. Assumption would gain the advantage in the game after holding a seven-point lead (23-16) through the first frame, as the two teams would produce matching scores through the remaining three quarters of play.  

The Ravens slip to 1-2 (0-1 NE10) following the road loss, as Assumption slides to 2-0 (1-0 NE10) with the win.

The Ravens opened the contest with a quick three-pointer from freshman guard Leana Heitmann (Pompey, N.Y.), eventually carrying a fragile 10-8 advantage through the first four minutes of play. Heitmann would then convert on the Ravens next four points, boosting their lead to 14-10 at the 4:08 mark of the frame. However, a trio of three-pointers on the next four scoring plays for the Greyhounds quickly saw the lead flipped in favor of the host team. Assumption would close the quarter on a 13-2 run to lead 23-16 after 10 minutes  

The second quarter proved to be a low scoring affair as both offenses struggled to find their flow. For the Ravens, it took until the 6:11 mark of the quarter before they saw their first set of points - a layup from junior Ines Gimenez Montserrat (Mallorca, Spain). The scramble for points would continue for Pierce as layup by junior Colette Mulderig (Scranton, Pa.) would break a three minute scoreless stretch, before Gimenez Montserrat would claim the final four points of the frame for the Birds. Eventually, the two teams would play to an 8-8 draw in the second quarter, with Assumption carrying a 31-24 advantage into the half.

After giving up the first four points to the Greyhounds to begin the third, junior guard Ana Badosa Soler (Girona, Spain) pulled the Ravens back to within seven points after a pass up top from inside the paint, converting on a three-pointer at the 7:24 mark. However, the Greyhounds countered with a fastbreak three-pointer of their own, putting themselves back ahead by ten. Despite continued struggles to put consistent points up on the board, the Ravens in turn managed to bear down defensively on Assumption, forcing another matching score at the conclusion of the frame.  

In an attempt to run away with the lead, Assumption opened the fourth quarter with a 7-2 run on the Ravens, stretching their advantage to a 48-36. However, the Ravens showed no signs of fading away and returned fire with an above the arc three-pointer from Kenzie Sirowich (Seymour, Conn.). From this, the Ravens managed to step up their offensive production throughout the remainder of the quarter, but found themselves matched once more on the score board by the Greyhounds, who finished the job with a lengthy 20-20 battle in the fourth quarter for the seven-point triumph.

Ines Gimenez Montserrat continued to lead the Ravens on the floor with 14 points (6-14 FG) along with a match-high tying seven rebounds and three assists in the effort. Ana Badosa Soler also contributed to the Ravens offense, chalking up a 10-point night while going a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line.  

Women's basketball continues their season opening road trip with the Regina Rivera Memorial Tournament hosted by Dominican University (N.Y), beginning with a matchup against the host Chargers on Saturday, November 19^th at 1:00 p.m.