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Second Semifinal: Franklin Pierce 58, Delta State 39
SAN ANTONIO, Texas-East Region champion and No. 14-ranked Franklin Pierce held No. 24-ranked Delta State to just 24.1-percent shooting in the second half to claim a 58-39 victory in a semifinal of the 2009 NCAA, Division II Women's Basketball Championship Wednesday, March 25.
Franklin Pierce (29-5) advances to the National Championship game for the first time in program history and will face No. 4-ranked Minnesota State-Mankato (31-2) Friday, March 27. The game will be telecast live on ESPN2.
"We are elated to be in the National Championship on Friday," said Franklin Pierce head coach Mark Swasey, the Russell Athletic/WBCA East Region Coach of the Year. "I think to get here this week, we have had to put together two different kinds of performances. (Last night) we had to outscore California and then tonight we had to defend well against Delta State."
Delta State sees its season come to a close at 30-7 overall, including a 13-1 clip in the Gulf South Conference, winning the Conference's regular season and tournament titles while also claiming its second-straight regional championship.
"I felt like tonight we were just out-matched and we got beat by a better team," said Delta State head coach Sandra Rushing. "(Franklin Pierce) are legit. They are the real deal. They beat us to every loose ball and rebound."
Franklin Pierce will be just the second college basketball program, first women's, from the State of New Hampshire to play for a National Championship, joining Dartmouth College who played for the men's championship in 1942 and '44. The Ravens will be looking to capture the state's first basketball National Championship as Dartmouth was unsuccessful in both of its trips.
Junior All-American and Great Britain international Johannah Leedham was the lone Franklin Pierce player in double-figures with a game-high 28 points on 11-for-22 shooting from the field, including 3-of-9 from three-point range, and converting 3-of-4 free-throws. She also added a season-high matching six assists, four rebounds and two steals. Senior Jennifer Leedham added nine points, five steals and three assists, while sophomore Tori Ahrens grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and blocked a career-best eight shots to go with six points.
"We've been knocked a little bit back (in England) for going to Division II," said Jennifer Leedham. "But we've always made that statement that we wanted to win a championship. Now, hopefully it will open people's eyes to show that Division II is good basketball."
Freshman Veronica Walker led two Delta State players in double-figures with 13 points (nine second half) on 6-for-10 shooting from the field, five rebounds, four steals and two assists in 21 minutes. Sophomore "Bug" Cooper added 12 points (10 first half), five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Senior LaMaesha McAdory chipped in with a team-best six rebounds.
Franklin Pierce finished shooting 40.4-percent (23-for-57) from the field, including 44.4% (12-27) in the first half. Delta State was held to 30.4-percent (17-for-56) shooting, just 7-for-29 (24.1%) in the second half, including 1-for-11 (9.1%) from three-point range. The Ravens posted a 24-3 advantage in points off turnovers, forcing the Statesmen into 21 turnovers while committing just 15 themselves.
Senior Jennifer Leedham added nine points, five steals and three assists in the win.
"You name it, (Franklin Pierce) did it defensively," said Rushing. "We couldn't get the ball below the free-throw line and they did a good job with our personnel. We never got into our offense, into our hi-low."
Franklin Pierce carried a seven point lead (29-22) into halftime and was up six (34-28) after Walker made her second-straight basket for Delta State three minutes into the second half. That would prove to be the Statesmen last field goal for nearly ten minutes as the Ravens held them scoreless for nine of those minutes in posting an 11-0 run to open a 17-point lead (45-28) after a Johannah Leedham layup with 9:12 on the clock.
"They tried to pound it inside and our kids just really stepped up with one of the best interior defensive performances we have had all year long," said Swasey. "Tori (Ahrens) was tremendous down low. The entire team really followed the scouting report to the letter. To hold (Delta State) to 39 points was just tremendous."
Delta State ended its scoring drought with two free-throws by senior Kirsten McBride with 8:51 left in regulation and then Walker scored the Statesmen's first field goal in 9:51 to draw her team within 15 (47-32) with 7:56 left. Johannah Leedham hit two free-throws to put Franklin Pierce back up 17 (49-32) with 7:16 to go, when DSU made one last run, pulling within 13 (49-36) with 6:35 to go after back-to-back baskets from Cooper and Walker.
Leedham answered with a three to put Franklin Pierce back up 16 (52-36) with 5:44 to go, but Delta State drew within 13 again (52-39) on a layup by freshman Denesha Henderson with 5:11 left. However, that would be the final points of the night for the Statesmen as the Ravens scored the final six points of the game, capped by a three-pointer by senior Vanessa Power to ice the win with 1:55 to play.
Franklin Pierce never trailed, scoring the first six points of the contest capped by a Leedham three 52-seconds into the game. Delta State forced the only tie of the night (7-7) after a Cooper jumper 3:30 in. A Leedham jumper and three-pointer by senior Toby Martin pushed the Ravens lead back to eight (18-10) midway through the opening half. The Ravens grew to nine (29-20) with a Leedham free-throw with 21-seconds to go before halftime, but Cooper canned a defended jumper at the buzzer to bring DSU within seven (29-22) at the break.
"It's so important to get off to a good start to gain confidence," said Swasey. "It's difficult to play catch up in this environment against really good teams."
With the win, Franklin Pierce extends its current winning streak to a season-high 13 games. The Ravens are also winners of 23 of 24 since the calendar turned to 2009 and 25 of 26 after starting the season 4-3.
"We struggled tonight offensively," said Swasey. "We weren't sharp. We had wide open looks and nothing seemed to drop. Today we needed the defense to win and we did."
(Source Franklin Pierce)
First Semifinal: Minnesota State-Mankato 83, Alaska-Anchorage 60
SAN ANTONIO, Texas–The No. 4-ranked Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks defeated the No. 2-rated Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves 83-60 in a semifinal of the 2009 NCAA, Division II Women's Basketball Championship Wednesday, March 25. The win brings MSU’s record to 31-2, while UAA ends its season with a 32-4 record. Minnesota State-Mankato advances to the national championship game against Franklin Pierce Friday, March 27.
“We worked hard all year and talked about the possibility of playing in the championship game, and here we are” interim head coach Pam Gohl said.
The Mavericks set a quick pace early on as they connected on their first six shots from the field to build a 17-6 lead with 13:48 left on the clock. Senior guard Heather Johnson chipped in 10 points during that span, including two shots from beyond the three point line.
Minnesota State and Alaska-Anchorage would match each other throughout the rest of the first half scoring 21 points each to bring the first half score to 38-27 in favor of MSU. Johnson led all scorers with 16 points, while senior guard Jo Noreen added nine more points for the Mavericks.
MSU maintained its double-digit lead throughout most of the second half as it held an 11 point lead at 58-47 with less than nine minutes left in the game. The Seawolves then managed to pull within seven points to Mavericks at 58-51.
The floodgates opened after this as the Mavericks responded with a 9-0 to extend their lead to 67-51 and never looked back as they closed out the game with an 83-60 win.
Johnson led all scorers with 25 points, while shooting 5-of-7 from behind the three point line. With her five three point field goals Johnson has tied Kelli Freeman for the most three point field goals made in a career at MSU with 241.
“Yesterday I stood a lot,” Johnson said. “Today I moved better off the screens to get some better shots.”
Noreen added 16 points and five rebounds while senior forward Alex Andrews recorded 15 points. Senior center Teresa Parker chipped in on the defensive end with five rebounds and three blocks.
The duo of junior guard Tiffany Moe and sophomore guard Andrea Walsh added a combined 15 points, 10 assists and five steals to the Mavericks cause.
(Source Minnesota State-Mankato)
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