Jan. 19, 2008

Box Score

LANCASTER, Pa. - Sarah Meisenberg set a new career high with 33 points, connecting on 13-for-15 from the free-throw line and leading Franklin & Marshall over Muhlenberg 75-60 in Centennial Conference (CC) women's basketball action on Saturday afternoon.

With a four-point lead at halftime, the Diplomats (11-4, 6-2 CC) opened the second half with an 11-2 run to pull away for good to hand the Mules (11-4, 6-2 CC) their second conference loss and avenge a 72-59 defeat to Muhlenberg earlier this season.

Meisenberg hit the 30-point mark for the first time this season, while Cara Landolfi and Brittany Braxton were also in double figures with 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Alexis Bates led the Mules with a team-high 14 points and Erin McSherry registered 12. F&M held Muhlenberg's leading scoring Lauren Boyle to single digits with nine points.

The Diplomats shot 11-for-19 (57.9 percent) from the floor in the second half, while outrebounding the Mules 41-32 for the game to move into a tie for second place in the conference.

F&M went 4-for-5 from the floor to start the second half and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe to take a 48-33 lead at the 15:01 mark. A good three-pointer and layup from Meisenberg got the Diplomats their largest advantage at 53-36.

From there, Meisenberg scored 10 more in the final 6:35 including four consecutive free throws to give a new career high to put her only 80 points away from reaching the 1,000 mark.

The Diplomats took an early 11-8 lead in the first half behind four points from Braxton and Landolfi. McSherry knotted the game at 11-all with a three-point play at the 11:06 mark, before the Mules went on an 11-4 run over a two-minute span to take a 24-15 lead.

F&M responded with a run of its own to battle back from a eight-deficit with 5:09 left to play and taking a four-point lead at halftime thanks to two free throws and a jumper by Landolfi.

Landolfi almost registered a double-double at halftime with eight points and seven rebounds.

The Diplomats return to action on Thursday at Gettysburg. Game time is 7 p.m.