TOWSON, MD - Bobby Lynch (Jr., Richboro, PA/Council Rock) recorded a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds, but Franklin & Marshall College made only 20-of-37 foul shots, including a five-of-14 performance in the second half, as Goucher College overcame a 33-29 halftime deficit to stun the #18 ranked Diplomats 65-64.

The loss marks the second straight upset of the Diplomats by Goucher (5-4, 1-1 Capital Athletic Conference) in Baltimore as the Gophers downed then #2 nationally ranked Franklin & Marshall (5-2, 2-0 Centennial Conference) 61-52 on January 6, 2002. Last year, the Diplomats handled Goucher 82-49 in Lancaster.

In a game marked by a combined 39 turnovers and 47 field goals by the two teams, F&M made 20-of-56 from the field for a 35.7 shooting percentage, the lowest mark of the year for the Diplomats erasing the previous low of 39.7 (23-of-58) set in a 63-43 season-opening victory over Washington & Lee in the Mayser Center.

The keys to the game were missed foul shots and three-pointers as Franklin & Marshall made only 15-of-23 from the charity stripe in the first half and connected on four-of-22 from beyond the arc in the game for a season low 18.2 three-point shooting percentage. The mark bests the previous team low of 25.0 percent (six-of-24) established in a 77-56 victory at Lebanon Valley College on December 13.

Statistically, the Diplomats dominated the game in three pointers (four-to-one), free throws (20-to-10), free throw attempts (37-to-12), offensive rebounds (15-to-six), but trailed in field goals (20-to-27), field goals attempted (56-to-59), personal fouls (18-to-28) and defensive rebounds (27-to-30) as the Gophers outscored Franklin & Marshall 36-31 down the stretch to take the one point victory.

For the Gophers, Pierre Jones who dropped in 20 points, while Garrett Smith and Jonathan Garritt added 19 and 15, respectively, to lead Goucher to the win.

The game was a see-saw battle in the first half as the teams tied each other nine times before the Diplomats closed out the half on a 6-2 run over the last 2:18 to carry a four point margin into intermission.

The second half belonged to the Gophers as Jones drained three field goals to open the half Garritt floated in a lay-up 2:28 in to tie the score at 37 all. The score marked the last time the Diplomats were tied or led the Gophers as Goucher exploded out to a 60-53 lead with 5:13 to play.

Franklin & Marshall chipped away at the margin in the closing minutes as Lynch dropped in a lay-up with 5:06 on the clock before Logan Outerbridge (Fr., Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock) arched in a three-pointer to move F&M within 60-58 with 3:54 to go.

However, Garritt swooped through the Diplomats' defense for a lay-up and a foul shot that he converted to move the lead to 63-58 at the 3:36 mark. Following a missed three-pointer by the Gophers' Kevin Green, Duran Searles (Sr., Camden, NJ/Peddie School) made the back-end of a pair of free throws to move to within four at 63-59 with 2:22 to go.

Goucher's Isaac Brooks III attempted a trey which rimmed out and sailed out of bounds to give the Diplomats' the ball with 2:01 to play but Franklin & Marshall could not get a shot to fall until Brandon Smith (So., Reading, PA/Governor Mifflin) chipped in a lay-up to slice the Gophers' lead to 63-61 with 1:34 left on the game clock.

But Goucher responded as Jones took a Brooks feed and dunked home the winning points for a 65-61 lead with 1:29 left. Searles attempted a three-pointer eight seconds later that Garrett Smith rebounded.

Following a turnover by Jones on the heels of a thirty-second timeout by the Gophers and trailing by four, Outerbridge attempted a three-pointer which Lynch rebounded with 23 seconds left before Smith launched a three which rimmed out and went off a Goucher defender to give F&M the ball with 17 seconds remaining. Eight seconds following the inbounds play, Jackiem Wright (Sr., Sicklerville, NJ/Moorestown Friends) fired a three-pointer which Searles rebounded with nine seconds to go before draining a three-pointer of his own as the clock expired for the 65-64 final.

Overall, Searles finished the game with a team high 17 points, while Wright and Smith both added six points.

Franklin & Marshall will continue the season at home on January 3-4 in the Lancaster Rotary Tip-Off the New Year Tournament versus Alvernia, Hobart and SUNY-Old Westbury. On January 3, the Diplomats will take to the court at 8:00 p.m. versus Hobart following a 6:00 p.m. showdown between Alvernia and SUNY-Old Westbury.