HAVERFORD, Pa. – Ignas Slyka scored 19 points to lead No. 21 Franklin & Marshall to a 79-68 victory over Haverford in Centennial Conference (CC) action Saturday afternoon. F&M improved to 14-3, 8-2 CC while the Fords dropped to 6-11, 2-8 CC. 

F&M jumped out to an early 10-0 lead three minutes into the game and took its largest lead of the game, 27-8, with 7:42 left in the first. Haverford responded and came within 10, 35-25, with a little more than two to play. F&M countered with four straight, but the Fords finished off the half with six unanswered to make it 39-31 at the break.

The Diplomats quickly went up 10 points to start the second and held a double-digit lead the majority of the second. F&M went ahead 60-43 at 10:36 and the Fords answered with a 7-0 spurt to make it 64-54 at 6:25. The Fords came within eight with a little more than a minute to play, but F&M sealed the game with good defense and clutch free throws.

Ignas Slyka led all scorers with 19 points, hitting 6-for-10 from the floor. J.C. McGrath picked up a double-double with 17 points and 10 boards while Matthew Tate and Brandon Federici both chipped in 13 for F&M. Federici is now just 51 points away from resetting the school record of 1,932 career points set by Georgio Milligan '12.

F&M outshot Haverford 47-40-percent, while the Fords held a 36-33 edge on the glass.

The Diplomats return to action on Thursday when the F&M hosts Gettysburg at 8:00 p.m.