LANCASTER, PA - Guard Patrice Johnson scored 19 points and pulled down eight rebounds as the Dickinson College Red Devils defeated host Franklin & Marshall College 64-49 in Centennial Conference action at the Mayser Center.
Overall, Dickinson held advantages in field goals (24-to-16), field goals attempted (67-to-55), three point field goals attempted (11-to-10), offensive rebounds (17-to-10), defensive rebounds (33-to-26), total rebounds (50-to-36), blocks (three-to-one) and steals (12-to-six) as the Red Devils pulled away down the stretch for the 15 point victory.
Dickinson (6-1, 4-0 Centennial Conference) never trailed in the game as Johnson hit a jumper 18 seconds into the contest for a 2-0 lead before Piper Etess added a lay-up at 17:53 for a 4-0 margin. The Diplomats pulled to within a point at 4-3, 6-5 and 8-7, but the Red Devils used a hook by Kay Binetti, a three-pointer by Carly Onkotz and a lay-up by Laura Houseal to run out to a 15-7 lead on their way to a 28-16 lead with 3:00 left in the first half.
Franklin & Marshall chipped away at the margin as forward Emily Weaver (Sr., Prince Frederick, MD/Calverton) made a free throw, point guard Dana Johns (Sr., York, PA/Eastern York) knocked down a jumper and forward Joanna DiPallo (Fr., Dublin, PA/Pennridge) added a lay-up to account for the F&M scoring in a 5-2 run to close out the half as the Diplomats pulled to within 30-21 prior to the break.
The teams traded baskets to open the second half as the Devils held a 34-26 lead with 17:39 to play, but Johns and forward Miriam Marcis (Fr., Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) hit jumpers to slice the Dickinson lead to 34-30. Binetti stopped the spurt with a pair of free throws at 13:25 to put Dickinson back in front by six point at 36-30, but guard Sarah Meisenberg (Fr., Severna Park, MD/Severn School) drove to the basket and added a free throw following a foul by Houseal to pull F&M to within 36-33 with 13:08 left on the game clock.
However, Onkotz drained a three-pointer to start a 15-5 run over the next four minutes as Dickinson jumped out to a 51-38 margin with 8:27 left to play.
Franklin & Marshall was unable to overcome the margin as the Diplomats trimmed the lead to 53-42 but could not move back to within single digits as the Red Devils improved to 21-36 all-time against F&M.
For the Diplomats, Meisenberg led the way with 11 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals, while guard Christy Strunk (Sr., Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) chipped in 15 points and Johns added five points.
Binetti tacked on 10 points for Dickinson, while Allyson Teatom added nine points, Julie Younes chipped in six points and 10 rebounds, and Houseal netted eight points and five rebounds in the win.
Franklin & Marshall College (2-4, 1-2 CC) will continue the season on December 8 versus #11 Messiah College at home in the Mayser Center. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.
