CARLISLE, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall men's basketball team is back in control of its playoff fate after a 73-45 victory at Dickinson on Wednesday night. Tonight's win, coupled with a Haverford loss versus Swarthmore, puts the Diplomats in a win-and-in situation for the Centennial Conference Tournament when F&M closes the regular season Saturday at McDaniel.

During the big win on Wednesday, the Diplomats put four starters in double figures, led by Josh Parra's 18 points as he went 9-for-9 from the field. Omar Nichols, Vakaris Grauslys, and John Seidman added 14, 13, and 12 points, respectively. Kevin Nowoswiat was F&M's fifth-leading scorer on the night, but still matched the output of the Red Devils' top offensive threat with nine points.

The Diplomats jumped in front early and never looked back as they led 37-21 after 20 minutes of play and only built on the lead during the second half. With the host Red Devils leading 10-8 early in the opening period, Grauslys and Parra converted back-to-back field goals in the paint to give F&M a lead it would not relinquish for the rest of the evening.

Those baskets came as part of a 10-0 run that put Franklin & Marshall up 18-10. The lead reached double figures when Nichols knocked down a triple to set the score at 23-12 and Dickinson would never come back within 10 for the rest of the evening. F&M carried the aforementioned 37-21 lead into the break after shooting over 48 percent from the field during the first half.

Following that strong start, the Diplomats were even better during the second half as they went 16-for-27 (59.3%) from the field during the second period. That shooting helped F&M to a 36-24 advantage in second half points during the eventual 73-45 final. In addition to Parra's perfect night from the field, Seidman was 6-of-8 from the field, while Grauslys was 6-for-9 - missing only from beyond the arc throughout the victory.

Dickinson committed 20 turnovers on the evening, with 11 of those coming via Franklin & Marshall steals. Nichols came up with a game-high four steals in the winning effort. Grauslys added three steals while tying with Seidman for the team lead in assists (5).

After Wednesday's victory, Franklin & Marshall is once again tied for the sixth and final playoff spot heading into the final game of the regular season. The Diplomats won both regular season contests against the Fords, meaning a win on Saturday would officially punch their ticket for a return to postseason play. The regular season finale will be played this Saturday at McDaniel. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. in Westminster.