Dartmouth Beats Franklin Pierce for Best Start in 36 Years

Tuesday, December 16

Hanover, N.H.

11:00 AM

Dartmouth College

8-2,0-0Ivy League

Franklin Pierce

0-9,0-3NE10

Franklin Pierce

Dartmouth

Dartmouth Beats Franklin Pierce for Best Start in 36 Years

12/16/2025 3:21:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

At 8-2, the Big Green own their best record after 10 games since the 1989-90 season

By: Justin Lafleur

HANOVER, N.H. — Highlighted by a 28-point third quarter, the Dartmouth women's basketball team is off to its best start in 36 years following a 68-50 win over Franklin Pierce on Tuesday in front of 1,528 fans inside Leede Arena on Education Day. Led by career highs in points for Alexandra Eldredge (16) and Debra Hill (14), and the first-career double-double from Nina Minicozzi (16 points, 10 rebounds), the Big Green improved to 8-2 on the season.

The record marks Dartmouth's best after 10 games since the 1989-90 season. The Big Green won or tied each quarter, but fought off several Franklin Pierce charges to already match their win total from a season ago.

Eldredge finished 5-of-10 from the floor, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range, marking a career high in made threes. Minicozzi had a career-high 10 rebounds, while adding four assists. Hill was 5-of-8 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line, and tallied a career-high seven rebounds, two assists, a steal and block.

Emily Mennillo led Franklin Pierce with a game-high 18 points.

Dartmouth has now won five straight games, its longest winning streak since February of 2016.

Score: Dartmouth 68, Franklin Pierce 50
Records: Dartmouth 68 (8-2, 0-0 Ivy League), Franklin Pierce 50 (0-8, 0-3 Northeast 10)
Location: Hanover, N.H. (Leede Arena)
Date: Sunday, December 16, 2025
Attendance: 1,528

UP NEXT:

Dartmouth finishes its pre-holiday schedule for an intrastate showdown at New Hampshire on Saturday.

FIRST QUARTER:

A low scoring first quarter saw the teams tied at two before the Ravens took leads of 4-2 and 6-5.
A Minicozzi 3-pointer gave the Big Green an 8-6 lead with 2:10 on the clock.
A Clare Meyer layup gave Dartmouth a 10-6 lead after one quarter of play.

SECOND QUARTER:

Hill converted a fast break layup to extend the Big Green's to 11-0 run, good for a 16-8 Dartmouth advantage with 6:44 on the second-quarter clock.
Franklin Pierce responded with an 11-2 run as an Angelisse Melendez 3-pointer pulled the Ravens within two at 18-16.
Hill finished with eight of the Big Green's 13 second-quarter points to help Dartmouth take a 23-19 lead into the halftime break.

THIRD QUARTER:

The Big Green exploded for 28 third-quarter points, with 23 of them coming over the final 6:45 of the stanza
One stretch included three Dartmouth 3-pointers — two from Minicozzi and one from Zeynep Ozel — all in the span of 1:24. That gave the Big Green a 49-30 lead with 2:09 on the clock.
The Big Green led 51-34 after three quarters of play.

Nina Minicozzi hits back-to-back threes and the Big Green lead is up to 19 at the media timeout!#GoBigGreen | #TheWoods pic.twitter.com/9paPHwJDuT
— Dartmouth Women's Basketball (@DartmouthWBB) December 16, 2025

FOURTH QUARTER:

The Big Green continued to hold a comfortable double-figure lead through the fourth.
Franklin Pierce pulled within 13 at 60-47 with 2:32 on the clock, but Dartmouth responded with a 7-0 run, beginning with five straight Eldredge points and an Olivia Lawlor offensive rebound and putback, for a 67-47 lead on the way to the 68-50 final.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

For the game, Dartmouth shot 37.1% from the floor (23-of-62), including 23.7% from 3-point range (9-of-38).
Franklin Pierce finished at 39.6% (21-of-53) and 22.7% from 3-point range (5-of-22).
The Big Green held a 42-31 edge in rebounds.
Ozel finished with eight assists, along with nine points, marking the third time in her last four games with 7+ assists.
Minicozzi finished with a game-high +28 in plus/minus for the game.
Dartmouth improved to 11-3 over its last 14 nonleague games dating back to last season.

QUOTABLE:
Hear from Minicozzi, Coach Cimino and Hill following the victory.