Feb. 7, 2008

Box Score

BALTIMORE, Md. - Sarah Meisenberg drove in for the game-winning layup with 3.1 seconds left to play, capping a night in which she also became the 14th player in program history to reach 1,000 points and leading Franklin & Marshall over Johns Hopkins 64-63 in Centennial Conference (CC) women's basketball action on Thursday.

The Diplomats (14-6, 9-4 CC) used a 9-1 run in the final 3:23, and finished with a last-second shot to defeat the Blue Jays (9-10, 7-6 CC) for the second straight game and stay in a tie for third place in the CC standings.

F&M erased a seven-point deficit and held Hopkins to just one point down the stretch to collect its ninth conference victory. Meisenberg recorded a game-high 22 points and six assists, while Cara Landolfi tallied a career-high 19 points.

Down 62-55 with 3:23 remaining, Meisenberg made a free throw and by an Alison Menna jumper to make it 62-58. The Diplomats then forced two turnovers to result in fast-break layups by Beth Holt and Meisenberg.

Blue Jays' Anastasia Wynn got one of her two free throws to drop with 1:17 to play and F&M missed two chances on the next possession to put the ball back in Hopkins hands.

Brittany Braxton made a crucial steal with 29 seconds left, and on the final play Holt handed the ball off to Meisenberg and she drove up the middle for the game-winning basket with 3.1 ticks left.

Holt stole the inbounds pass and was fouled with 1.2 seconds showing. She could not convert from the line but Andrea Dodrill's pass off the rebound just made it over half court as the buzzer sounded.

It was with two seconds left in the first half that Meisenberg made a deep jumper from the far right corner to reach 1,000 career points and pull the Diplomats within three at 35-32. Only needing 12 points to reach the milestone, Meisenberg led all scorers with 13 points at halftime.

The Blue Jays took an eight-point lead with 10:34 left off a jumper by Lyndsay Burton, but the Diplomats used a 9-1 run to knot the game at 23-all. Landolfi poured in six out of the nine points, while Holt knocked in a three-pointer.

Dodrill went 2-for-2 from the line and Lonesome drove in for the good layup to take a 27-23 edge with 6:16 to play. Meisenberg finished out the half with seven points, including a trey at the 2:48 mark to get F&M within one at 31-30.

Kristin Phillips and Burton each finished with 12 points apiece for Hopkins, who shot 37.3 percent from the floor to the Diplomats 42.2 percent.

F&M returns to action on Saturday at Washington. Game time is 2 p.m.