Ravens have made a grand gallop to the NCAA's final eight

By KEVIN GRAY, Union Leader Sports Writer



RINDGE – The Franklin Pierce women's basketball team went bowling on Saturday night, shopping on Easter Sunday, and while other students were returning from spring break, the Ravens took a chartered flight to Nebraska yesterday morning.

They wouldn't have it any other way after winning the Division II Northeast Regional.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I can go to the Bahamas right when I graduate if I want to," senior guard Josie Lidke said.

Next stop: the NCAA Elite Eight, played at the University of Nebraska-Kearney beginning tomorrow. The Ravens advanced by shocking previously unbeaten and No. 1 ranked Holy Family University, improving to 27-5 behind All-America sophomore Johannah Leedham of England.

FPU, ranked 18th nationally, opens the tourney against No. 9 Alaska Anchorage at 1 p.m. It's exactly the position coach Mark Swasey envisioned the first day Leedham, a 5-foot-11 guard/forward, stepped on campus.

"Any time you've got a player of Jo Leedham's caliber, as long as you have quality players around her, you've got a chance," Swasey, who grew up in nearby Charlestown, said. "We really came together down the stretch like we needed to and put together three great games in the regional."

Leedham (22.7 points per game) is Division II's version of the Big Ticket, a player who can score anywhere from the floor, make a great pass or muscle for a rebound. The daughter of a former "netball" playing mother and rugby-playing father, Leedham was named Most Outstanding Player of the Northeast Regional after pouring in 31 points with 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals against Holy Family.

Her overall package comes with an off-the-wall personality that keeps the mood light, if not comical. One of Leedham's biggest concerns for the Nebraska trip was bringing her Hello Kitty pillow. (Equally important was sophomore guard Alexis Auffrey's favorite Dr. Pepper hat.)

"(Leedham) puts up numbers and always plays well, but off the court, she's one of the craziest people. She's a ball of fun," senior forward Angelica Benjamin said.

"She's out there," added Lidke.

Leedham never would've considered Franklin Pierce if her older sister, Jennifer, hadn't visited Rindge on a last-minute trip after plans fell through with the University of Vermont.

Jennifer, a captain with Lidke, is a steady guard and second-leading scorer at 10.9 ppg -- a glue player necessary for advancing this far.

"She holds the whole team together. I think everyone looks up to Jen," Johannah said. "She does a lot of things on the court you don't necessarily see on the scoresheet."

Unsung heroes have been many. Lidke, a feisty 5-foot-10, has been matching up with much bigger forwards and making defensive plays and clutch shots.

Toby Martin, who played only one minute in the regional semifinal against Stonehill, came back and provided 27 minutes and 11 points in the final.

"She accepted her role and had no problems with it. She's put the team ahead of herself, and that kind of leadership has spread throughout our entire program," Swasey, in his sixth season, said. "That's definitely one of the reasons we're going to the Elite Eight."

This is uncharted territory for the FPU, which hasn't appeared in the NCAA tourney since 1999, but don't confuse the Ravens with being a Cinderella and playing with house money.

"We were obviously ecstatic about winning the regional, and we enjoyed that for a couple days, but this is a very competitive group. We're not just satisfied to go there because we made it," Swasey said.

Johannah Leedham, the Northeast-10 Player of the Year, owns 21 school records and scored her 1,000th career point in just her 44th game. She drained eight 3-pointers and had 31 points at Southern New Hampshire this season. Her six steals and four assists were typical.

"She gets a lot of accolades, but she always puts the team first. People know her just for scoring but she's a very unselfish player and does everything else," Jennifer said.

With a win over Alaska Anchorage (29-4), the Ravens will play Thursday night in the national semifinal. The Division II national champion will be crowned Saturday.