Jan. 9, 2007

Box Score

LANCASTER, Pa. - A stifling defense held Muhlenberg scoreless for the first 6:02 of the second period as Franklin & Marshall took a 69-49 Centennial Conference win from the Mules Tuesday at the Mayser Center. The win ended a four-game skid for the Diplomats.

While the defense was busy clamping down, the offense went into high-gear outscoring their guest by a 25-3 margin in the first ten minutes of the second-half. It turned was a two-point game at the half into a decidedly one-sided affair. The Diplomats built the lead as large as 28 points, 65-37, with just under seven minutes to play.

Evan Hamme scored a game-high 18-points knocking down eight-of-nine shots from the field. He added seven rebounds and three blocks, as well as an assist and a steal, to the Diplomat cause. Adam Leonard was just behind Hamme in the scoring department with 16 points. He grabbed five rebounds. Derek Hines had 13 points for F&M.

The Diplomats shooting woes continued through the first half, clicking on just nine-of-28 (32.1) shots from the field. Only one of F&M's eight treys went through, but solid work at the line (nine-of-11) carried the Diplomats through the period.

Following Glenn Robinson's halftime speech, Franklin & Marshall dropped 14-of-22 (63.6) shots from the field, including five of the six launched from outside the arc. The Mules struggled to get on track in the second half making good on six-of-24 (25.0) field goals.

Muhlenberg's leading scorer was Justin Fields with ten points. Chirs Huber had nine points for the Mules.

The loss ends F&M's four-game win drought making the Diplomats 5-8 on the year. It also moves the Diplomats well into the upper half of the Centennial standings with a 4-2 mark in conference play. Muhlenberg falls to 5-7, also 4-2 in the Centennial. Franklin & Marshall will seek its second consecutive win on Thursday at Washington College (Md.)