HAVERFORD, Pa. – Hunter Eggers scored a season-high 16 points to lead Franklin & Marshall to a 70-63 victory over Haverford Saturday afternoon in Centennial Conference (CC) action. The win is the first in the conference for the Diplomats as F&M improved to 4-2, 1-2 CC while the Fords dropped to 1-6, 0-2 CC. 

F&M held an 11-5 lead five minutes into the game before the Fords answered with a 10-3 run and took 15-14 lead at 11:28. Haverford had a slight 17-16 edge and F&M responded with an 18-0 run to take a 34-17 lead with a little more than five minutes left in the half. A Lior Levy layup with less than a minute left to play made 39-24 in favor of F&M and the Diplomats went into the break with a 41-29 advantage.

The Diplomats scored five straight to open the second and went up 15 points, 50-35, off a layup from Jordan Phelps with 12:57 left to play. The Fords slowly clawed back and came within seven, 56-49, with 5:44 on the clock. A triple from Eggers but the Diplomats back up double-digits, but two free throws from the Fords at 1:50 made it a six-point game. Two points from the line by Lionel Owona put F&M up 10, 68-58 and the Diplomats held off the Fords in the final seconds.

Eggers shot 6-for-10 from the floor and grabbed six boards to pace the Diplomats. Brandon Federici and Julius Stoma both finished with 12 and Ignas Slyka netted nine off the bench.  Matthew Tate ended with eight points and along with Federici dished out six assists each.

Haverford was led by Matt Sherman with 20 points with Joe Scibelli coming off the bench with 17 points. Jonathan Lang finished with 14 for the Fords.

F&M outshot Haverford 47-40 percent and held a 37-29 edge on the boards.

The Diplomats return to action on Wednesday when F&M travels to Johns Hopkins for an 8:00 p.m. tip.