LANCASTER, Pa. – Five players scored in double figures to lead Franklin & Marshall to a 59-39 victory over Swarthmore in Centennial Conference (CC) men's basketball action Wednesday afternoon. The win is the sixth-straight for F&M as the Diplomats improved to 8-4, 4-1 CC while the Garnet dropped to 5-7, 2-3 CC.  

The Diplomats led wire-to-wire and jumped out to an early 11-6 five minutes into the game before going on a 13-5 run to go up 24-11 at 6:57.  Swarthmore countered with a 6-2 spurt to come within nine, 26-17, before F&M closed out the half with a 31-20 lead.  

Kaleb Faison led the way in the opening stanza with eight points with Jon Salandra and Cedric Moune adding seven apiece.  

The Garnet went on a 6-2 run to open the second to come within seven, 33-26, but the Diplomats answered by outscoring Swarthmore 13-4 over the next nine minutes and took a 46-29 lead with 8:41 left. Swarthmore battled back to come within 12, 49-37, before F&M closed out the game with a 7-2 run.  

Matt Porter and Salandra both finished with 11 points and Salandra added five steals and two blocks. Moune picked up his fifth double-double of the year with 10 points and a game-high 15 boards and finished with three steals and two blocks. Terrel Phelps chipped in 10 and Faison also hit double-figures with 10 points.  

Joe Keedy led the Garnet with 11 points and Karl Barkley added nine for the Garnet.  

F&M held a slight 37-31 edge on the glass and converted 24 turnovers into 25 points and outshot Swarthmore from the charity stripe 65-25 percent. 

The Diplomats returned to action on Saturday when F&M travels to Washington for a 2:00 p.m. game.