FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ravens Finished the 2008-09 Season with a 29-6 Record.
"On This Date" in 2009, the Franklin Pierce women's basketball team advanced to its first-ever NCAA Division II Championship game with a win over Delta State in the national semifinals by a 58-39 margin at the Bill Greehey Arena in San Antonio, Texas.
Johannah Leedham led the Ravens that day with a 28-point performance on 50-percent shooting from the field, as part of her Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) National Player of the Year campaign – an award she won a remarkable three times as a Franklin Pierce student-athlete.
The Ravens' defense held Delta State to just 24.1-percent (7-of-29) shooting in the second half, and an overall 30.4 percent for the game (17-of-56), to earn a trip to the NCAA finals. With the win, Franklin Pierce became just the fourth NE10 women's basketball team in league history to reach the national title game.
The 2008-09 season was part of a dominant three-year stretch for Franklin Pierce, where it won three-straight East Region titles and advanced to a pair of national semifinals. Leedham, a three-time NE10 Player of the Year, went on to become the league's career leader in points (3,050), steals (459), field goals made (1,023) and free throws made (742).
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 student-athletes compete in conference championships, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
