ALLENTOWN, PA - Muhlenberg College center Jeff Stewart scored 21 points, pulled down 13 rebounds, corralled three steals and blocked five shots to lead the Mules to an 80-67 comeback win over Franklin & Marshall College in Centennial Conference men's basketball action.
Leading 36-31 at halftime, the Diplomats saw their lead shaved to two points as Donte Borden hit a three-pointer at the 19:03 mark. The teams traded baskets until Brandon Smith (Jr., Reading, PA/Governor Mifflin) drained a three-pointer to give F&M a 45-38 lead with 16:23 left on the clock.
The Mules cut the lead to three points at 45-42 at 14:57 as Ryan Bonda and Stewart dropped in baskets, but F&M reeled off a 5-1 run courtesy a free throw by forward Bryan Teschke (So., Pittsburgh, PA/Fox Chapel), a pair of free throws by guard Brandon Chasen (Fr., Potomac, MD/Bullis) and a lay-up by forward Josh Fogg (Jr., Merrimacport, MA/Cushing Academy) to put the Diplomats in front 50-43 with 12:50 on the clock.
However, Muhlenberg ran off nine straight points to take a 52-50 lead at 9:10 as Stewart put in two lay-ups and a jumper, while Dennis Severino dropped in a lay-up to give the Mules their first lead of the game since a 28-25 margin with 3:17 left in the first half.
F&M knotted the score, but Chris Pothering swished a three-pointer to put the Mules back in front 55-52 at 8:30. The Diplomats countered as guard Jackiem Wright (Sr., Sicklerville, NJ/Moorestown Friends) arched in a trey to tie the game with 7:37 left on the clock.
However, Muhlenberg dominated the last seven minutes of the game as Jimmy O'Brien drove the lane for a lay-up and knocked down a foul shot for a 58-55 Mules lead at 7:02.
Muhlenberg then used defense to upset the Diplomats as Franklin & Marshall failed to score a field goal until Teschke hit a lay-up with 1:23 left on the clock to slice the Mules lead to 69-59.
Overall, the Mules shot 57.1% (16-of-28) from the field and 68.2% (15-of-22) from the free throw line in the second half, while F&M managed to connect on 37.9% (11-of-29) from the field and 55.6% (five-of-nine) of its free throws.
The key to the game was trips to the charity stripe as the Mules went 23-of-32 (71.9%) from the free throw line, including eight-of-10 in the first half, while Franklin & Marshall converted nine-of-13 free throw attempts in the game.
Chase Licata added 17 points and O'Brien added 13 markers to aid Stewart in the win as the Mules snapped a five game losing streak to Franklin & Marshall dating back to a 76-58 win in the Centennial Conference semifinals in the Mayser Center on February 21, 2001.
For F&M, center Dan Lynch (Sr., Richboro, PA/Council Rock) led the way with 17 points and nine rebounds. Wright added 16 points and Smith chipped in 11 points as the loss drops the Diplomats (16-6, 11-4 CC) into a tie with Johns Hopkins University (14-7, 11-4 CC) for first place in the Centennial Conference as the Blue Jays routed Haverford (11-10, 10-5 CC) 82-56 in Baltimore.
In the only meeting of the season between F&M and Hopkins, the Diplomats shot down the Jays 64-59 in Baltimore, as the two teams will meet for the second time this season in the regular season finale on February 22 in Lancaster.
However, the Diplomats and Blue Jays roads to the finale are significantly different.
Hopkins will host #5 seed Gettysburg (13-9, 10-5 CC) on February 16 before traveling to #4 seed Ursinus (13-9, 10-5 CC) on February 19 and then to Lancaster as the Blue Jays' three opponents have a combined win total of 31-14 in CC play this year. For the Diplomats, Franklin & Marshall will travel to McDaniel (5-17, 3-12 CC) on February 16 before hosting Washington (9-13, 6-9 CC) on February 19 and Hopkins on the 22nd as Franklin & Marshall's opponents have a 20-25 record in Centennial Conference play.
If the two teams come into the last game of the season tied, the Diplomats have a seven game winning streak against Hopkins in Mayser, including a 69-58 victory in the 2004 Centennial Conference title game.
Franklin & Marshall (16-6, 11-4 Centennial Conference) will continue the season on February 16 at McDaniel College. Game time is set for 8:00 p.m.
