SWARTHMORE, PA -- Forward Bobby Lynch (Jr., Richboro, PA/Council Rock) hit eight-of-13 shots from the field and three of six at the line for a game high 19 points in 23 minutes of play as all five Franklin & Marshall College men's basketball starters registered double-digits in steamrollering Swarthmore College 97-54 in Centennial Conference play.
Lynch joined point guard Duran Searles (Sr., Camden, NJ/Peddie School), 11 points, center Steve Juskin (Sr., East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park), 16 points, guard Jackiem Wright (Sr., Sicklerville, NJ/Moorestown Friends), 10 points, and forward Brandon Smith (So., Reading, PA/Governor Mifflin), 11 points, in double-digits as the #15 nationally ranked Diplomats built a 50-18 halftime lead and coasted to their 16th victory of the season.
For F&M (16-2, 11-0 Centennial Conference), which never trailed in the game, the opening 10 minutes of play was an exhibition in basketball as Lynch hit back-to-back lay-ups for a quick 4-0 lead before Swarthmore's Dillon McGrew drained a three-pointer to pull within one point at the 17:26 mark. However, the Garnet would fail to score for the next seven minutes as Franklin & Marshall behind seven points from Lynch exploded for a 21-0 run to take a 25-3 lead with 10:44 left in the first half and ice the victory.
Lynch was unstoppable in the first half knocking down six-of-eight field goal attempts in 13 minutes to key an F&M offense which made 21-of-32 shots (65.6%) while holding the Garnet (8-10, 5-6 CC) to seven-of-27 shooting (25.9%) for 18 points.
Defensively, Smith led the team in the half corralling three of his team's 10 steals in the opening period as Franklin & Marshall shut down the Swarthmore offense leading 40-16 for a 10 run to close out the half before the Garnet's Jeff Maxim hit a pair of free-throws to cut the F&M lead to 32 at intermission.
In the second half, the Diplomats turned up the pressure to lead by as many as 47 points with 8:36 left on the game clock to take the 43-point victory.
Overall, F&M established a season high in field goal percentage hitting 38-of-61 field goal attempts (62.3%), erasing the previous high of 33-of-56 (58.9%) established in a 87-57 victory over the Garnet in the Mayser Center on January 16.
In addition, Franklin & Marshall held the Garnet to 19-of-51 shooting from the field (25.9%) for the game as the Diplomats improve to 53-21 all-time against Swarthmore. Historically, the victory marks F&M's 27th straight over the Garnet since 1975.
For Swarthmore, Matt Gustafson and Jim Dalton led the team with 13 points, while McGrew chipped in 10 markers.
The victory raises F&M head coach Glenn Robinson's career record to 664-233 as he is now three victories shy of surpassing former Illinois Wesleyan coach Dennie Bridges (666 wins) for the all-time Division III wins record. Further, the win ties Robinson with legendary UCLA coach John Wooden (664-162) for 25th on the all-time NCAA wins list.
Franklin & Marshall will continue the season on February 4 at Gettysburg College. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
