RINDGE, N.H. (December 15, 2021) – A lopsided fourth quarter saw the Franklin Pierce University women's basketball team drop a 70-59 decision to Northeast-10 Conference opponent Stonehill College at home on Tuesday night. Senior guard Rylee Skinner (Leominster, Mass.) led all players with 22 points, but the Ravens managed just six points in the final period as a five-point halftime lead, and two-point lead through three, slipped away in the Fieldhouse.

With the loss, the Ravens fall to 5-5 (1-3 NE10), while Stonehill improves to 3-4 (2-3 NE10). Franklin Pierce will make the return trip to Stonehill on Feb. 8.

The first quarter was the closest in terms of points between the two teams. Stonehill took the advantage, 17-15, after the first 10 minutes with a balanced effort on the offensive end, while sophomore Gisela Vazquez Segura (Igualada, Spain) led the Ravens with seven points.

Franklin Pierce applied the pressure heading into halftime, as the Ravens outscored Stonehill 21-14 in the second quarter. Skinner picked up nine points, while senior guard Lisa Sulejmani (Burlington, Vt.) collected a pair of steals and two assists in the period.

Leading 36-31 coming out of halftime, the Ravens continued to find the basket, though now almost exclusively inside, as the team went just 1-for-10 from three-point range in the second half. Senior forward Emma Carter (Bristol, Vt.) paced the crimson and grey with seven points on one end of the court, while junior Mia Kelly picked up nine points on the other for the Skyhawks. The teams traded blows to enter the fourth and final quarter with Franklin Pierce leading, 53-51.

The Franklin Pierce offense had started to stall in the third, but the figurative wheels fell off the bus in the fourth. The Ravens went just 2-for-16 from the field in the fourth -- as part of a 7-for-35 (20.0%) second half -- and scored only six points, as the slim lead disappeared in a hurry. Meanwhile, Stonehill, which had scored 20 points in the third, closed things out with 19 in the final period, including a combined 16 from Kelly and senior Isabella Santoro.

Skinner carried the load for Franklin Pierce, with 22 points on 5-for-12 from the floor and 12-for-13 from the free-throw line, as she attempted all but four of the team's foul shots in the contest. Skinner narrowly missed a double-double, as the led the team in rebounding as well, with nine. Sulejmani added 11 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and five steals in her busy stat line, while Carter contributed 12 points.

For Stonehill, Santoro put together a double-double of 15 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, while senior Emily Bramanti (16 points) and Kelly (15 points) scored in double figures as well. Stonehill cleaned the glass all night and finished with a 53-37 advantage in rebounds.

The Ravens are back in action on the road on New Year's Day at NE10 opponent Saint Michael's College, for a 1:30 p.m. start at Ross Sports Center in Colchester, Vt.