CHESTERTOWN, MD -- Point guard Duran Searles (Sr., Camden, NJ/Peddie School) connected on 13-of-21 field goal attempts, including two-of-four from beyond the arc, and eight-of-14 at the free-throw line for a career high 36 points while handing out seven assists as the #14 nationally ranked Franklin & Marshall College men's basketball team handled Washington College 96-78 in Centennial Conference action.

For Searles, the performance marks his second straight 30-point performance as he connected on 12-of-14 field goal attempts and four-of-four at the free throw line for a game high 30 points while handing out seven assists in an 86-49 victory over McDaniel on February 18.

The back-to-back 30 point games marks the third time an F&M player has achieved the feat. Most recently, Jerome Maiatico '00 dropped 42 in an 89-87 loss to RPI on January 9, 1998 at the Greyhound Classic hosted by Moravian College. In the consolation game, Maiatico returned to the court to register 34 points versus Dickinson in a 93-89 loss.

The first Diplomat to achieve the feat was F&M Hall of Fame member Gus Lovett '54 who scored 34 on December 12, 1953 at the University of Virginia in a 94-70 loss. In the Diplomats' next game he tallied another 34 points in a 97-68 rout of Ursinus College in Lancaster on December 15, 1953.

Prior to Searles' 30 point performance against McDaniel, the last Diplomat to hit for 30-points was guard Jackiem Wright (Sr., Sicklerville, NJ/Moorestown Friends) who dropped 34 versus Lincoln on January 4, 2002 in the Rotary Tournament title game at Mayser and tallied 30 on December 7, 2002 in a 93-70 rout of Muhlenberg College at Mayser.

Historically, Searles also becomes the first Diplomat to score 30 or more points on the road since Alex Kraft dropped in 33 in an 81-73 win at Dickinson while leading Franklin & Marshall to the 2000 Final Four.

Overall, the tally marked the third 30-point game of Searles career as the senior guard netted 33 points on November 18, 2000 to lead his team to a 95-87 victory over Elizabethtown at the Mayser Center in the Sponaugle Tournament Championship game.

Against Washington, the 6-1 guard was unstoppable in the second half stroking nine-of-12 attempts, including two-of-two from beyond the arc, and six-of-11 at the free-throw line as F&M outscored the Shoremen 50-42 down the stretch to expand a 46-36 halftime lead and roll to the 16-point victory.

The second half was a roller-coaster ride for both teams as Dustin Abbate drilled a three-pointer 16 seconds into the frame to trim F&M's lead back to seven points. Searles responded for the blue and white arching in a "three" 26 seconds later to push the lead back to 10 points before hitting back-to-back jumpers off assists from forward Bobby Lynch (Jr., Richboro, PA/Council Rock) and center Steve Juskin (Sr., East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park) to put F&M ahead 53-39 with 17:55 left to play.

The teams exchanged baskets as Lynch converted on a lay-up to keep the lead at 14 as F&M led 67-53 with 12:55 to play.

WC's David Horvath sliced the lead to 12 with a lay-up at 12:39 to ignite an 11-0 fueled by a double-technical assessed to the F&M bench.

Following Horvath's jumper and a 30-second timeout by the Shoremen, WC's Joe Breslin moved his team to within 10 by stealing a pass and hitting John Alexander who put home a lay-up for a 67-57 F&M lead.

On the Diplomats' next possession, guard Logan Outerbridge (Fr., Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock) fired a three-pointer which was rebounded by Lynch. However, Breslin stole the ball from Searles on a bang-bang play leading to the bench questioning the officials and a double-technical foul at the 11:18 mark.

The Shoremen used the free throws to good measure as Drew Hill knocked down three-of-four and Buck Howanski added a lay-up to trim the F&M lead back to 67-62 with 10:55 to play. Horvath chipped in a lay-up at the 9:58 mark to pull Washington to within 67-64.

However, the Diplomats' defense stiffened and offense exploded as Searles fired a three-pointer through the twine at the 8:53 mark to put the Diplomats' ahead by six.

The teams exchanged baskets as Franklin & Marshall led 74-68 with 7:30 to play before Searles took over the game.

At the 6:24 mark, he hit a streaking Wright for a jumper and an eight point lead. Twenty-seven seconds later he broke the Shoremen's spirits as Lynch blocked a lay-up by Stem, collected the rebound and hit a streaking Searles with a full-court assist for a lay-up and a 78-68 lead.

Washington saw their deficit increase to 12 points on their next possession as Juskin swatted a pass away from Abbate and hit Searles for another lay-up and an 80-68 lead with 5:14 left on the game clock.

Webb cut the lead back to nine with a lay-up and free-throw at 4:57, but neither team could score for the next minute before Searles drained a pair of shots at the charity stripe for an 82-71 lead with 3:51 left in the game.

John Alexander made a lay-up 56 seconds later to again trim the lead to nine points at 82-73, but Searles and Outerbridge hit back-to-back lay-ups for an 86-73 lead with 1:36 to play before Horvath and Searles tacked on lay-ups for an 88-76 Franklin & Marshall lead.

The remainder of the game was decided at the free-throw line as Searles made four-of-five and Wright sank four-of-four in the closing minute for the 96-78 win.

With three seconds left on the clock, Searles closed out the game for F&M at the line as Abbate fouled him and Andrew Gentile was called for a technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct. Wright connected on both free throws off the technical foul and Searles sank the front end of a pair of charity shots for the final markers in the 18 point win.

For F&M, Lynch finished with 22 points and a game high 11 rebounds, while Wright and guard Brandon Smith (So., Reading, PA/Governor Mifflin) dropped in 19 and 10 points, respectively, in the victory.

Horvath led the way for the Shoremen with 24 points and Webb added 20 points for Washington (9-15, 6-11 Centennial Conference).

Historically, the win raises Franklin & Marshall's record to 27-10 all-time against Washington and marks the first time F&M has won in Chestertown since a 77-76 victory on January 27, 1999.

The Diplomats (21-3, 16-1 Centennial Conference) will continue the season on February 24 at Johns Hopkins University in the regular season finale. Game time is set for 8:00 p.m.