Shepherd notches first career double-double to lead Ravens in season-opening victory

COLCHESTER, Vt. (November 16, 2007) – The Franklin Pierce University men’s basketball team opened its 2007-08 season with a 72-59 non-conference victory over Dowling College on day one of the Doubletree Hotels Doc Jacobs Classic, hosted by Saint Michael’s College, at Ross Sports Center tonight.

Franklin Pierce (1-0, 0-0 NE-10) is back in action tomorrow when it faces Mercy College (0-0, 0-0 ECC) on day two of the Doc Jacobs Classic at 1 p.m. Mercy (0-1, 0-0 ECC) dropped an 82-70 decision to host Saint Michael’s (1-0, 0-0 NE-10) in tonight’s second game. Dowling (0-1, 0-0 ECC) faces Saint Michael’s tomorrow at 3 p.m.

Junior forward Craig Shepherd (Grantham, N.H./Trinity) led the way for Franklin Pierce with his first career double-double on career-high totals of 12 points and 11 rebounds to go with three steals. Classmate Timothy Munch (Blauvelt, N.Y./Storm King Prep) led all Raven scorers with 15 points, hitting six-of-13 from the field, including 2-3 from three-point range, to go with four rebounds.

Redshirt freshman Mike Barrow (Mattapan, Mass./Hebron Academy) collected 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the floor, in his collegiate debut, while sophomore Marcus Wellman (Monroe, Conn./Hamden Hall) chipped in six points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

Dowling senior James St. Roberts (Copiague, N.Y./Copiague) led all scorers in the contest with 16 points, on 7-of-11 shooting, to go with seven rebounds. Sophomore David Seagers (Bronx, N.Y./Thurgood Marshall Academy) added 12 points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists, while freshman Michael Hill (Brooklyn, N.Y./Nazareth) chipped in 11 points and five boards in his collegiate debut.

Franklin Pierce shot 43.1-percent (25-for-58) from the field and forced 18 Dowling turnovers, resulting in 18 points at the other end, and held the Golden Lions to 37.1% (23-62) shooting on the night. Dowling also connected on just 4-of-20 (20%) of its three-point attempts and 9-24 (37.5%) free throws.

Franklin Pierce enjoyed a 27-8 advantage in bench points and led by as much as 18 early in the second half.