LANCASTER, PA - Franklin & Marshall forward Bryan Teschke (So., Pittsburgh, PA/Fox Chapel) scored a career high 26 points with nine rebounds, forward Brandon Smith (Jr., Reading, PA/Governor Mifflin) added 23 points and point guard Brandon Chasen (Fr., Potomac, MD/Bullis) added 10 points to combine for 59 of Franklin & Marshall's points as the Diplomats routed Muhlenberg 103-79 in Centennial Conference men's basketball action.
Leading 39-35 at halftime behind nine point performances from Teschke and Smith, the Diplomats saw their lead cut to 39-37, 41-39, and 43-41 less than three minutes into the second half before Teschke and Smith took over the game with a ten point run in 66 seconds.
Teschke drained a three-pointer at 17:10, Smith hit a trey at 16:43, Teschke tipped in a miss by Smith at 16:21 and Smith laid in a basket at 16:04 to push the F&M lead out to 53-41.
Muhlenberg's Dennis Severino drained a three-pointer at 15:46, but Chasen responded with a trey 16 seconds later to keep the lead at 12 points before Teschke hit a jumper in the paint to put F&M in front 60-47.
The Mules chipped the lead down to nine points at 64-55 following a pair of free throws by Jimmy O'Brien, but guard Jackiem Wright (Sr., Sicklerville, NJ/Moorestown Friends) hit a three-pointer to push the lead back to double-digits with 12:04 left on the game clock.
Muhlenberg then closed to within five points at 73-68, but guard Adam Leonard (Fr., Muncy, PA/Muncy) made a lay-up and a foul shot before center Danny Lynch (Sr., Richboro, PA/Council Rock) converted a lay-up for a 78-68 lead with 8:30 to play.
The teams traded baskets Ryan Bonda hit a jumper to bring Muhlenberg to within 85-76 with 5:40 to play.
F&M began to put the game away as Chasen made a jumper and then tallied a lay-up and foul shot for a 90-76 lead before Franklin & Marshall closed the game with a 13-3 run for the 24 point victory.
For F&M, Lynch netted a game high 14 rebounds and seven assists with 14 points, while Wright added nine points and five assists and guard Logan Outerbridge (So., Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock) chipped in 10 points.
Jeff Stewart led Muhlenberg with 27 points, three assists and three steals, while O'Brien added 19 points and nine rebounds as the Mules fell to 0-5 in their last five meetings against Franklin & Marshall.
The key to the game was F&M's second-half shooting touch as the Diplomats converted 27-of-38 (71.1%) from the field, including six-of-11 (54.5%) from beyond the arc, to finish the game making 40-of-69 (58.0%) field goals, eight-of-19 (42.1%) from long range and 15-of-19 (78.9%) at the charity stripe.
The win gives F&M sole possession of first place in the Centennial Conference due to Johns Hopkins falling to Haverford (82-80 OT L) and Ursinus downing Dickinson (90-68 L) as the Diplomats entered the game in a tie with Muhlenberg, Johns Hopkins and Dickinson with identical 3-1 records in conference play.
Franklin & Marshall (8-3, 4-1 CC) will continue the season on January 13 at home versus Swarthmore in Centennial Conference action. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
