Jan. 27, 2007

Box Score

LANCASTER, Pa. - Nick Shattuck and Will Furey combined for 50 points, but it was the six of Remy Cousart's seven points that proved to be Franklin & Marshall's undoing as Ursinus fended off a Diplomat rally at the Mayser Center Saturday afternoon. The Bears hung onto to pick up a 75-69 Centennial Conference win.

Holding an 11-point advantage entering the second half, Ursinus' John Noonan opened the period with a trey to give Ursinus a 14-point lead. The Diplomats responded by outscoring their guests 24-13 over the next nine minutes, cutting it to a one-point game, 51-50, with 10:24 left to play.

F&M finally managed to tie the game at 55 on the back end of a Pat Przybylowski pair at the line. Four minutes later, the Diplomats held a 63-60 lead after Brandon Chasen stripped Cousart and set Hamme up for his final basket of the night.

Cousart made amends two possessions later feeding a Shattuck trip to the basket. Shattuck drew Evan Hamme's fifth foul of the evening. Hamme went to the bench with nine points and five boards. Shattuck converted on the free throw to make it a 63-63 game.

Following a failed Diplomat possession, Matt Fabian chipped in a pair of his eight points, which was quickly answered by Andrew McCaffrey. Then Cousart went to work scoring six points over the last two minutes, beginning with a 12-foot jumper that fell as the shot clock expired.

Cousart's clutch shot was answered by Derek Hines, but the Bears' guard traded right back on the ensuing trip down to make it 69-67 in favor of Ursinus with 1:20 left in the game. Logan Outerbridge pulled up for three late in F&M's following possession, but hit the far side of the rim from the right corner, and saw it gathered by Fabian.

Following a timeout, Shattuck missed at the other end, but his shot was gathered by Cousart who laid it in for a 71-67 Bears lead. McCaffrey cut it back to two with 18 ticks remaining. The Diplomats quickly fouled Keith Page in the inbound pass, but he confidently sank both shots at the stripe for his only points of the night, making 73-69 with 17 seconds to play.

A Chasen turnover at the other end sealed the Ursinus win. Shattuck closed out his night of scoring with his 26th and 27th point coming at the line with eight seconds showing. Despite getting into foul trouble early in the second half, Furey finished with 23 points.

McCaffrey finished the game with a season high of 15 points for Franklin & Marshall. Hines and Chasen each had 13 points. Outerbridge piled up seven assists.

The Diplomats return to action at Gettysburg Wednesday evening.