Lancaster, Pa. - Franklin & Marshall took an early first quarter advantage and never looked back, as the women's basketball team coasted to a 67-55 victory over Ursinus on Saturday afternoon in Centennial Conference (CC) play. 

The Diplomats improved to 12-13, 10-10 CC, while the Bears dropped to 7-18, 6-14 CC. 

Before the game, senior captains Kristin Hamill and Sarosha Parsons were honored, as part of a two-member senior class. Team manager Delano Brown was also recognized. 

The teams were evenly matched through the first six minutes of the quarter, before the Diplomats wrestled away control. A 12-4 F&M run to end the opening stanza, punctuated by a Sarosha Parsons lay-up as time expired gave the Diplomats an eight point advantage. All other Diplomats scoring in the first quarter came from Kristin Hamill and Kenna Williams, who combined for the remaining 19 points on 7-10 shooting from the field and 5-8 from the line. 

The Diplomats extended their lead to double digits early in the second off a Kristin Hamill layup with 8:30 remaining. Ursinus would chip away at the gap, using an 8-2 run to pull within four with 2:20 left. Emily Moran drained a three on the next possession to end the Bears' push. Another Moran jumper with 40 seconds remaining pushed the Diplomats to a ten-point edge entering halftime, 33-23. 

A pair of Kristin Hamill free throws after the break ballooned the F&M lead to 15 with 5:34 left in the third. Hamill punched in seven of the Diplomats' 17 points in the quarter, helping to keep the lead steady, 50-35. 

F&M's lead would touch 18 in the fourth quarter after Hamill went end to end, collecting a defensive rebound at one end, and converting a jumper at the other for a 61-43 lead with 5:36 remaining. The Diplomat lead never dipped further than 10 the rest of the way, finishing with the 67-55 final. 

Kristin Hamill led the way for the Diplomats with 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting, chipping in 12 rebounds and four assists. Kenna Williams ended with 21 points, 17 rebounds, and two blocks. 

The Diplomats dominated on the glass, outrebounding the Bears 61-34. F&M also held the edge in assists (15-6), field goal percentage (36.8-32.8), and second-chance points (22-6). 

Lydia Konstanzer paced Ursinus with 18 points, while Aliyah Stephens chipped in 14. 

The Diplomats ended the season on a high note, winning six of their final seven games in the month of February to finish a tiebreaker short of the CC Playoffs.