LANCASTER, PA - Franklin & Marshall College point guard Dana Johns (Jr., York, PA/Eastern York) connected on seven-of-18 from the field and four-of-four at the free throw line for a game high 19 points with five assists as the Diplomats beached the Washington College Shorewomen 73-53 in Centennial Conference action.
The game was record setting for Johns as she raised her assist total to 224 to surpass Cathy Kopcza '93 for eighth on the career list and fall two short of eclipsing Amy Kreitz '02 (225) for seventh on the list. Further, she made one-of-three from beyond the arc to move into sole possession of second place on the career three-pointer list at the College with 110, 18 shy of bettering school record holder Mika Lugue '97 (127).
Leading 35-25 at halftime, the Diplomats saw their lead sliced to six points as Lauren Duckworth and Irene Pastorino dropped in baskets to shave the margin to 35-29 with 18:07 left on the game clock.
The Diplomats countered, however, as center Lauren Dodrill (Sr., Timonium, MD/Roland Park) made a free throw, guard Kim Rawson (Sr., Woodstock, NH/Plymouth) knocked down a jumper before Dodrill hit a lay-up and Johns swished back-to-back lay-ups to account for a 9-0 run to push the lead out to 44-29 with 16:00 on the clock.
Washington attempted to rally as Pastorino stroked a three-pointer, but Franklin & Marshall engineered a 7-0 run behind a three-pointer by Johns, a jumper by guard Brittany Braxton (Fr., Pearl River, NY/Nanuet) and a lay-up and free throw by forward Emily Weaver (So., Prince Frederick, MD/Calverton) to take a 51-34 lead.
Ahead 54-38 with 10:56 left in the game, the Diplomats iced the win as Johns hit a jumper, a pair of free throws and a lay-up before Rawson connected on a three-pointer and guard Christy Strunk (Jr., Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) for a 65-38 lead with 5:40 on the clock.
For Franklin & Marshall, Dodrill finished with 12 point and nine rebounds to barely miss her 16th double-double of the season, while Weaver added 12 points and eight rebounds and guard Maura Lentz (Sr., Baltimore, MD/Catonsville) dropped in 10 points as F&M shot 40.0% (26-of-65) from the floor, 35.7% (five-of-14) from beyond the arc and 66.7% (16-of-24) from the free throw line.
Duckworth and Pastorino led the Shorewomen (5-19, 3-14 Centennial Conference) with 12 points apiece, while Jeremy Cook chipped in 10 points with a team high three assists.
F&M, which improved to 11-13 on the year, including 9-8 in Centennial Conference play, remains alive in the Centennial Conference playoff hunt as a Gettysburg College (13-11, 10-7 CC) loss to Dickinson College (21-2, 15-1 CC) combined with an F&M victory over Johns Hopkins University (19-4, 14-2 CC) will tie the Bullets and Diplomats for the fifth and final playoff spot. If F&M can defeat Hopkins and Gettysburg loses to the Red Devils, Franklin & Marshall will secure the playoff berth as the Diplomats will have defeated the #2 seeded Blue Jays.
In the only meeting between Gettysburg and Franklin & Marshall this season, the Bullets defeated the Diplomats 71-58 in Gettysburg.
However, per Centennial Conference rules for tiebreakers, the game cannot be considered as the visiting Diplomats lost. If the game had been played in Lancaster, and the Bullets were victorious, Gettysburg would advance to the playoffs as the rule gives an edge to the road team if tied teams play just once.
Franklin & Marshall (11-13, 9-8 Centennial Conference) will return to action on February 22 at home versus Hopkins. Game time is set for 6:00 p.m.
