CENTER VALLEY, PA - Forward/guard Brandon Smith (Jr., Reading, PA/Governor Mifflin) recorded the 28th 30-point game in school history with 36 points and 17 rebounds to lead Franklin & Marshall College to an 85-76 win at DeSales University in non-conference men's basketball action.
Overall, Smith finished 15-of-20 from the field, including four-of-seven from beyond the arc, and two-of-four from the free throw line while dishing out three assists, blocking three shots and corralling two steals in 37 minutes.
Prior to Smith's performance against the Bulldogs (11-4, 3-1 Freedom Conference), the last F&M player to reach the 30-point mark was former point guard Duran Searles '04 who hit for 36 points on February 21, 2004 in a 96-78 win at Washington College.
Further, the point total sets a new F&M school record as the Diplomats have posted 389 points in their last four games with wins over Muhlenberg (103-79 W on January 11), Swarthmore (93-51 W on January 13), Washington (108-83 W on January 15) and DeSales. The new mark erases the previous record of 386 established by the 2005 Diplomats with their wins over Muhlenberg, Swarthmore and Washington and a 91-82 loss at Ursinus on January 8. Further, the Diplomats fell one point shy of tying the school record for most points in five games as the 1991 Diplomats downed Elizabethtown (93-79 W on November 16, 1990), Geneseo State (74-64 W on November 17, 1990), Swarthmore (104-67 W on November 19, 1990), Gettysburg (92-51 W on November 27, 1990) and McDaniel (109-72 W on December 1, 1990) for 472 points on their way to the NCAA Final Four and National Championship game.
The Diplomats appeared poised to coast to a win in the first half as the team opened a 21-7 lead with 11:44 left until halftime following a three-pointer by Smith. However, DeSales stormed back with an 18-2 run over the next four and a half minutes to take a 25-23 lead with 7:01 on the clock. The teams exchanged baskets before Smith hit a driving lay-up to put the Diplomats back in front 29-27. The Bulldogs answered as Mike Venafra drilled a trey to put DSU back into the lead, but Smith converted on a lay-up with 4:16 until the break for a 31-30 lead.
Leading 34-32 with 2:45 to go in the first half, the Diplomats began to pull away as Smith hit Jackiem Wright (Sr., Sicklerville, NJ/Moorestown Friends) in stride for a lay-p at 1:55 before Logan Outerbridge (So., Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock) chipped in a pair of free throws with 1:16 left on the clock for a 38-32 lead at the break.
Overall, Smith dominated the first half making eight-of-12 from the field, including three-of-six from long range, with two assists, two blocks and two steals while pulling down four offensive and six defensive boards for a first half double-double.
The Bulldogs attempted to rally in the opening minutes of the second half as Koch made a lay-up and Venafra drained a three-pointer to pull DeSales to within 38-37. However, Smith hit a lay-up to push the lead back to three before Koch converted on a lay-up to inch the margin back to a point. Again Smith countered as he dropped in a lay-up for a 42-39 lead with 17:43 to go in the game.
Outerbridge then added a pair of free throws to push the lead back to six points at the 17:35 mark. David Spadt converted a free throw for the Bulldogs to move the lead back to five points, but Smith swished a lay-up off an assist by Wright to increase F&M's margin to seven points.
The Bulldogs failed to cut the lead to less than four points the rest of the way as Smith hit a lay-up and assisted on a lay-up by Brandon Chasen (Fr., Potomac, MD/Bullis) for a 79-69 lead with 2:38 left on the clock as F&M cruised to the nine point win.
For F&M, Wright finished with 13 points and four assists, while Bryan Teschke (So., Pittsburgh, PA/Fox Chapel) added 16 points, six rebounds and two assists and Outerbridge dropped in seven points and a game high five assists.
Koch led DeSales with 24 points, while Venafra and Kevin Welsh chipped in 11 and 13 points, respectively.
The game marked the fifth straight win in five meetings for Franklin & Marshall against DeSales as the Diplomats downed the Bulldogs in the 2003 Eastern College Athletic Conference championship game (70-60 W) and the 2004-05 season opener (81-67 W) at the Mayser Center most recently.
Franklin & Marshall (11-3, 6-1 Centennial Conference) will continue the season on January 19 at home versus Dickinson College. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
