Women’s Basketball Closes Season with 65-50 Victory over Rivier
Framingham, Mass. – The Framingham State University women's basketball team used a balanced scoring attack with four players finishing in double figures to defeat Rivier College 65-50 this evening in non-conference women's basketball action at Framingham's Athletic Center.
With the win the Rams conclude the 2011-12 campaign at 13-12, while the Raiders are now 16-8 on the year with one game remaining.
Junior guard Madeleine Park (Blue Hill, ME) came off the bench to lead the Rams with 11 points, six rebounds and two steals, while classmate Kia Minor (Edgartown, Mass.), senior Emily Clark (Melrose, Mass.) and sophomore Kristen Hoffman (Foxboro, Mass.) all finished with 10 points apiece. Minor had a solid all-around game with seven boards, five assists and three steals. Freshman guard Nicole Bostic (North Easton, Mass.) finished the game with six points, seven boards and a game-best six assists.
With the Raiders leading 15-14 midway through the first on a three point play by freshman guard Deanna Purcell (Hudson, NH), the Rams rattled off an 11-2 run to take the half's largest lead (25-17) with just over five minutes remaining. Sophomore guard Cassie Liston (Stoneham, Mass.) led the spurt with five points including a three and a put back in traffic.
The Raiders countered with a jumper from Deanna Purcell and a three pointer from senior guard Amandra Purcell (Hudson, NH) to pull within three (25-22), but the Rams extended the lead back to seven before taking a 31-26 advantage into the locker room.
Rivier quickly erased the Rams lead and moved into the lead (36-35) just over four minutes into the second on a three by Amandra Purcell, but a Bostic lay-up on the next possession put the Rams back in the lead for good.
A Park trifecta with 7:27 remaining pushed the Rams lead to double digits and they extended it to as many as 16 before securing the 65-50 win. The Rams were able to convert 12 second half Raider turnovers into 11 points and received 14 points from their bench in the second to just four for the Raider reserves.
Amandra Purell led the Raiders with a game-high 17 points including 4-of-10 from behind the arc to go along with six rebounds and four assists. Deanna Purcell was the only other Raider in double figures as she finished with 13 points. Sophomore forward Jaclyn Penniman (Dudley, Mass) had a solid game defensively for the Raiders with a game-high 12 boards and three blocks.
The Raiders struggled from the floor in the game shooting just 29% (16-54), while the Rams shot 38% (27-71). The Rams held a slight advantage on the glass 48-44 as well as an 18-14 edge on the offensive end.
The Raiders close out their regular season on Saturday when they host Johnson & Wales at 3 p.m. Prior to the game, the Rams recognized their two seniors, Clark and guard Jill Johnson (Mansfield, Mass.), for their contribution to the women's basketball program over their careers.