Box Score

LANCASTER, Pa. - Beth Holt scored a career-high 20 points and Sarah Meisenberg registered 19 points with both combining for a 19-for-22 showing from the charity stripe to lead Franklin & Marshall over Gettysburg 74-65 in Centennial Conference (CC) women's basketball action on Thursday.

Holt went 9-for-10 from the line, while Meisenberg hit 10 of her 12 to help the Diplomats (7-8, 5-4 CC) hold off the Bullets (8-8, 5-4 CC) down the stretch for their fifth conference victory. Holt added three assists and three steals, and Meisenberg pulled down a team-high eight rebounds to go along with four assists and three steals.

Cara Landolfi was the third F&M player in double figures with14 points and seven rebounds.

Gettysburg was led by Caitlin Moser with 14 points and nine rebounds. Allie Drechsler posted 12 points in the losing effort.

The Diplomats kept the Bullets below their season field-goal percentage, holding them to 37.5 percent from the floor for the victory and to move into a tie for third place in the conference standings.

After exchanging the lead in the first 15 minutes five times, F&M used a 12-2 run to take a seven-point lead at halftime. Meisenberg scored seven of the last 10 points for the Diplomats, giving them their largest lead of the first half. Courtney Fields made a layup for a 27-24 edge, but Beth Holt made consecutive free throws to start the run that gave F&M the lead for good. The Diplomat defense only allowed the Bullets to score two more points in the remaining 6:18 of the first half.

Meisenberg connected on back-to-back fast-break layups, before Landolfi made a free throw and Holt repeated her performance from the line for a 33-29 lead. With time expiring, Meisenberg drained a long triple for a 36-29 halftime advantage.

F&M managed a steady lead until consecutive three-pointers by Gettysburg cut it to 46-44 with 11:54 left to play. Holt alone put the Diplomats up 57-50 behind three triples in a row, while Landolfi followed with layup and Amanda Miceli drained one from beyond the arc to make it a 12-point game.

The Bullets got within four points at the two-minute mark, but Meisenberg and Holt capitalized on their shots from the line to seal the victory.

F&M shot 44.9 percent from the floor and 77.4 percent from the charity stripe.

The Diplomats return to action on Saturday at Lebanon Valley. Game time is 3 p.m.