Dec. 2, 2006

Box Score

SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Swarthmore junior center Ian McCormick scored 10 points in the final nine minutes of the game, leading the streaking Garnet past visiting Franklin & Marshall 73-64.

After a sluggish start for both teams, F&M would hold a narrow edge into the halftime, never leading by more than five. The Diplomats' Derek Hines missed six of his first eight shots but finished the half with a flourish, scoring seven points in the final 2:31 including a three-pointer just before the buzzer extending the Dip lead to 28-23. Hines went into the break with team-high totals of 14 points and seven rebounds.

With McCormick in foul trouble, the Dips took advantage, grabbing 10 offensive boards before the half, leading to eight second-chance points.

Swarthmore wasted no time in evening the score. Matt Turner hit from beyond the arc and Steve Wolf made a hook shot within a minute's time, forcing a Dip timeout. A minute later, a McCormick put-back lay-up gave the hosts their first lead in over 14 minutes. The lead was short-lived, though, as Hines hit on two straight possessions and Mitch Rhyner put the Dips back on top with a three-pointer with 16:09 left. F&M would extend the lead to five at 41-36 with 13:25 left but then went without a field goal for 8:38. Dillon McGrew put the Garnet back in front at 43-41 with a trifecta with 10:53 remaining.

Two free throws each by Hines and Evan Hamme put the Dips back in front, but McCormick's emergence sparked the Garnet's biggest run of the game. Matt Kurman scored six straight points to make the score 49-45 and Swarthmore would wind up scoring 13 straight while holding the Dips scoreless for 4:18.

F&M made things interesting down the stretch by hitting three triples in a 27-second span, cutting the Garnet lead to 67-60 lead with 1:35 to play, but Swarthmore was nearly perfect from the line. Matt Allen went 4-4 and the squad as a whole went 8-10 in the final two minutes.

Hines finished with 29 points and 12 rebounds, using a right-handed hook shot to great effect all afternoon long. Logan Outerbridge dished out eight assists for F&M.

The Diplomats (2-4, 1-1 CC) are back in action on Wednesday when they travel to Carlisle to face Dickinson College for a 7:30 p.m. Centennial contest.