Leedham Named NE-10 Player of the Week
Raven All-American earns award for first time this season (13th
career)
RINDGE, N.H. (January 5, 2009) - Franklin Pierce University All-American and Great Britain international Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)), the 2007-2008 State Farm/WBCA Division II Player of the Year, was named the Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Week for women's basketball this afternoon.
Leedham, who earns the weekly honor for the first time this season (program record 13th career), returned from an injury to average 23.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.3 blocked shots in 24.7 minutes per game over three games as Franklin Pierce posted a 3-1 mark over the last two weeks. She made 60.5-percent (26-for-43) of her shots from the field, including 7-of-18 (38.9%) from three-point range, and converted 12-of-14 (85.7%) free-throw attempts over the three games.
Leedham led Franklin Pierce to an 85-59 victory over No. 15 Shippensburg University in her first game back from injury at the Trip Sports Grand Canyon Classic on December 28 with a game-high 27 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field, including 3-6 three-pointers, while converting all six free-throw attempts to go with six rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots in just 23 minutes.
Leedham netted a game-high 26 points to go with four rebounds, two
assists, two steals and a blocked shot in just 22 minutes of
Sunday's 89-60 victory over Wilmington University at the
Fieldhouse. She made her final six shots from the field, going
5-for-5 (including a three) and converting all four free-throws in
the second half, to finish shooting a season-best 10-for-13 from
the field, including 2-4 from three-point range, for the contest.
Leedham chipped in 18 points, nine rebounds, five steals and three
assists in 29 minutes before fouling out early in overtime of the
Ravens 94-85 double-overtime setback to Grand Canyon University on
December 30.
Leedham leads the Northeast-10 in scoring (20.8 ppg) and steals (3.0/gm), while ranking fourth in blocked shots (1.3/gm) and sixth in three-pointers per game (1.9). She is also averaging 6.4 rebounds (2nd on the team) and 2.5 assists (2nd) per game. Leedham is shooting a team-best 82.5-percent (47-for-57) from the free-throw line (10th NE-10) this season and 44.4% (71-160) from the field. She has led the Ravens in scoring in seven of the nine games she has played this season and has been their top rebounder five times.
Leedham, who owns no less than 24 program records for Franklin Pierce, has reached double-figures in scoring in 67 of the 68 games she has played over her career so far. Of those 67 games, she has scored 20-plus points 46 times and netted 30-plus on 17 occasions. Leedham, who moved into third place on the program's career scoring list last week with 1,544 points, holds every steal record at the University, having set the career mark (241) earlier this season.
Leedham, the first Northeast-10 women's basketball player ever
named State Farm/WBCA Division II Player of the Year, also earned
State Farm/WBCA All-America and Daktronics All-America honors last
season, while also collecting All- Region, NE-10 and ECAC Player of
the Year and All-NE-10 first team accolades last winter. Leedham is
an ESPN The Magazine District I Academic All-America and NE-10
All-Academic first team selection, having earned a 3.35 cumulative
grade point average at Franklin Pierce.
Leedham earned a spot on Great Britain's Women's Senior National Team this summer after starring at the youth international level. She averaged 11.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.9 assists in 24.3 minutes per game over Great Britain's eight European Championship qualifiers this summer. She shot 35.1-percent (26-for-74) from the field and converted 84.2% (32-38) of her free-throw attempts in her tournament for the full national team.
Franklin Pierce (7-4, 4-3 NE-10), ranked 23rd in the most recent USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II poll, is back in action tomorrow night at Saint Michael's College at 5:30 p.m. The Ravens return home on Thursday to host Pace University at 5:30 p.m.
