NE-10 Champions Franklin Pierce Sweep Weekly Awards

Tournament MVP Jo. Leedham named Player of the Week for third time this season (15th career)
Giroud earns Freshman of the Week honors for first time
Gaudet and Je. Leedham selected to weekly honor roll

RINDGE, N.H. (March 10, 2009) - Northeast-10 Conference regular season and tournament champions Franklin Pierce University, ranked 19^th in the most recent USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II poll and the top seed in this week's NCAA Division II East Regional, has swept the women's basketball weekly honors as announced by the Conference office.

Junior All-American and Great Britain international Johannah Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)), the two-time Northeast-10 Player of the Year, earned Player of the Week honors for the third time this season (program record 15^th career), while freshman forward Marielle Giroud (Martigny, Switzerland) was named the Conference's Freshman of the Week for the first time. Senior Jennifer Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Academy (Conn.)) and sophomore Cynthia Gaudet (Coventry, R.I./LaSalle Academy) were both selected to the weekly honor roll.

Leedham, the reigning State Farm/WBCA Division II Player of the Year, earned Most Outstanding Player honors in leading Franklin Pierce to its first Northeast-10 Tournament Championship last week. She averaged 25.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.7 steals over the Ravens three tournament victories, shooting 53.2-percent (25-47) from the field, including 40.7% (11-27) from three-point range, and converted 16-of-19 (84.2%) of her free-throw attempts.

Leedham scored 22 of her game-high 31 points in the second half of Sunday's NE-10 championship victory over third-seeded Bentley University, adding eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. She posted 22 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals in Friday's semifinal round victory over fourth-seeded American International College after opening the tournament with 24 points, five assists, four steals and three rebounds in Tuesday's quarterfinal round win over ninth-seeded Southern New Hampshire University.

Leedham leads the NE-10 with 23.2 points and 3.0 steals per game this season, while also averaging 6.1 rebounds (19^th NE-10), 3.1 assists (14^th) and 1.4 blocked shots (7^th) per contest. She is shooting 49-percent from the field (10^th), including 37.2% from beyond the arc (9^th), and converting 85.8% of her free-throw attempts (6^th).

Giroud starred defensively for the Ravens, averaging a team-best seven rebounds to go with 5.3 points and 1.7 steals over their three tournament wins. She shared the team lead with eight rebounds (three offensive) in Sunday's title game victory over Bentley, adding seven points and three steals. Giroud nearly notched her second double-double of the season with nine points and a team-best nine rebounds to go with two steals in Friday's semifinal win over American International.

Giroud, a member of the Swiss women's national team, shares the team lead with 6.1 rebounds per game (19^th NE-10) in her first collegiate season to go with 4.8 points and an assist and steal in 22.4 minutes per game. She ranks 13^th among NE-10 leaders with 2.3 offensive rebounds per contest. 

Jennifer Leedham and Gaudet were named to the NE-10's weekly honor roll after both collected All-Tournament team honors in helping lead Franklin Pierce to its first championship. Gaudet averaged 13 points, two assists, 1.7 rebounds and a steal over the Ravens three tournament wins, shooting 68.8% (11-16) from the field, including 4-7 (57.1%) from three-point range, and converting 13-15 (86.7%) free-throws. She posted a career-best 19 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting from the field (3-3 three's), converting 6-of-8 free-throws in Sunday's championship against Bentley, adding five assists and two steals.

Leedham averaged 9.7 points, 5.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals in the three wins. She scored 11 second half points to go with four assists, three steals and three rebounds in Sunday's championship win.

Franklin Pierce (24-5, 18-4 NE-10) opens defense of its 2008 regional championship on Friday when it battles eighth-seeded Philadelphia University in opening round action of the 2009 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championships Tournament at 1 p.m. The East Regional is hosted by Holy Family University in the Philadelphia suburbs and runs through next Monday.