LANCASTER, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall men's basketball team looked to have No. 17 Swarthmore in serious trouble on multiple occasions Saturday afternoon, but the Garnet showed their national prowess in overcoming the odds every single time for a 94-93 double overtime victory. The Diplomats put five players in double figures, led by John Seidman's 24 points throughout his game-high 45 minutes on the court.

The Diplomats certainly showed they were ready to play from the opening whistle as they ran off 14 straight points to claim a 24-14 advantage midway through the opening period. That lead extended to a game-high 11 points after a layup from Seidman set the score at 26-15. The nationally-ranked Garnet answered with a 9-0 run of their own and the teams eventually went into halftime with the visitors up by two points at 37-35.

Second half action featured six lead changes and three ties before the game ultimately went to overtime tied at 69-all. The Diplomats faced a deficit as large as eight, 54-46 during those second 20 minutes, but would score 18 of the next 20 points to claim their own eight-point advantage, 64-56, with just under seven minutes remaining in regulation. After a three-pointer from the Garnet's Vinny DeAngelo – who finished with 33 points – neither team led by more than a single possession the rest of regulation. Josh Parra's layup with 40 seconds left in the second tied the game at 69-all and eventually sent the contest to overtime. Parra finished the Centennial Conference contest with another double-double, scoring 15 points and pulling down 11 rebounds.

During the first overtime, neither team led by more than a single field goal as the advantage on the scoreboard changed hands four times and was tied on three other instances. The last of those ties came when Seidman hit a layup in the paint with just 11 seconds to play in the first overtime period.

Franklin & Marshall scored seven of the first 10 points during the second overtime and was holding an 85-81 advantage after Vakaris Grauslys got loose in the paint for two of his 11 points. The tide seemed to be shifting against the Diplomats as Swarthmore got hot from the field and was up 93-88 with just 12 seconds to go in the second overtime. As was the case all afternoon, neither team went down without a fight and Seidman knocked down a three-pointer with 6.5 seconds to go before the Garnet made 1-of-2 at the free throw line and held a 94-91 lead as F&M took possession.

Swarthmore fouled Seidman as he crossed midcourt to limit the F&M offense to just two shots at the line and Seidman made the first before missing the second on purpose to give his shot a chance at a tip-in. Although the tip did not go, Franklin & Marshall did draw a foul and earned two more shots for a chance to force triple overtime. Down by two with just over a second to play, the Diplomats made just one of two and the Garnet escaped with a 94-93 conference win.

Jaylen Green (12 points) and Omar Nichols (10 points) joined their teammates in double figures as the Diplomats shot nearly 50 percent from the field and were over 50 percent (11-of-20) from beyond the arc. Each team took exactly 67 shots from the field, with Diplomats holding an 11 point edge in scoring during the flow of play. However, that deficit was made up for by the Garnet at the free throw line where the Swarthmore went 28-of-37 (75.7%) while the Diplomats scored just 16 points in 35 attempts.

Continually proving it can compete with the conference's best, the Diplomats return to action inside the Mayser Center this Tuesday, January 10 with a 7 p.m. tip against Washington College.