LANCASTER, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall men's basketball team matched No. 9 Johns Hopkins in points from the field, but the nationally-ranked Blue Jays made 27 trips to the free throw line and converted 21 of those attempts during their 71-59 win inside the Mayser Center on Tuesday night.

The Diplomats shot a basically equal percentage at the free throw line, but took just 13 trips to the charity stripe. Kevin Nowoswiat and Omar Nichols led F&M with 15 points each, while Vakaris Grauslys added 10 on the evening. The Blue Jays also put three players in double figures, led by Brian Johansson's 14 points.

F&M started fast with a quick 5-0 spurt out of the gates following a triple from Nichols and quick basket in transition from John Seidman. Nevertheless, the Blue Jays overtook that early edge with a 22-4 extended run that gave them a 13-point advantage around the midway point of the opening half. The hosts had that lead down to eight points late in the period before JHU eventually took a 36-25 lead into the locker room following a Sebastien Charles free throw.

The Diplomats outshot the visitors from the field during the final 20 minutes, but the Blue Jays took 19 of their trips to the free throw line during that time to overcome that F&M advantage. Another triple from Nichols got Franklin & Marshall back to within single digits, 52-43, with just over six minutes to play in regulation. However, the Diplomats could come no closer in the eventual 71-59 final.

In addition to a basically even scoring night from the field, F&M held a slim 38-37 advantage in rebounding. Those efforts were highlighted by six boards from Josh Parra who helped the Diplomats hold a 9-5 advantage in second chance points. Seidman also grabbed six defensive rebounds as nine different players secured multiple boards for the hosts. F&M had 18 turnovers compared to 15 from Johns Hopkins, but the Blue Jays certainly made the most of those chances with an 18-7 edge in points off of turnovers.

Sitting a tie for the final playoff spot with Haverford heading into the final three games of the regular season, the Diplomats will be back at home this Saturday for Senior Day against Muhlenberg. Prior to the 3 p.m. tip-off, which will be part of a doubleheader with the women's team, the Diplomats will honor their Class of 2023 that features Travis Cumber, Jake Seeherman, Mark Suchy, and Ryan Noyes.