READING, Pa.- The Franklin & Marshall men's basketball team (3-2) held off a late charge from hosts Albright (2-3), earning a 71-68 win on Friday night.

Four Diplomats achieved double-digit points totals led by Kevin Nowoswiat with 15 points. He shot 6-of-14 from the field and 3-of-5 on field goals while leading F&M in rebounds (eight) and assists (five). Vakaris Grauslys (13 points, three steals, 2-of-2 3PT), John Seidman (13 points, five rebounds, 5-of-7 FG, 2-of-2 3PT), and Josh Parra (11 points, six rebounds) also hit double-digits. Sebastien Charles (nine points, 3-of-5 3PT, five rebounds) and Alex Berry (eight points, 2-of-3 3PT) had strong performances from the bench. 

F&M got on the board first with a Seidman three via a Josh Parra steal and Franklin Jones pass, although Albright tied things up a minute later at 5-5 on a three-pointer. The Diplomats countered an Albright jumper with a Berry three and Parra layup to retake the lead at 10-7 through seven minutes. The teams traded buckets through the middle of the first half with ties at 12-12, 17-17, and 19-19. F&M took the lead for good in the first half via another Berry three to lead 27-25 with three minutes left. Two free throws from Grauslys, a Charles three, and a Nowoswiat layup gave F&M a half-high lead of 34-27, eventually taking a 34-29 lead into the break. The Diplomats shot an efficient 59.1% from the field and 62.5% on three-pointers in the first half, while the Lions shot 44.4% on field goals and 11.1% on threes. 

The Diplomats outscored Albright 7-2 in the opening four minutes with five points from Grauslys, pushing the advantage to 41-34. The Diplomats countered Albright time and time again over the next five minutes with the lead continuing to hover around ten points. Back-to-back threes from Albright more than halved the deficit to put the lead at 52-48 with 9:48 to work with. Albright outscored F&M 7-4 over the next three minutes, leaving the lead at 57-55 before taking the lead for the first time since the first half on a three-pointer. Two free throws and a Parra layup gave F&M a three point lead. An Albright free throw interrupted the run for a moment, as a three from Grauslys and Seidman gave the Diplomats a 66-59 advantage with 2:34 to go.

Seidman countered three Albright points with a shot beyond the arc to hold the gap, while Grauslys later erased two Albright free throws with a pair of free throws to keep the lead at seven points. Back-to-back Albright layups cut the lead to 71-68 with 21 seconds to play. Grauslys was fouled on the next possession but unable to convert on two free throws. A possession later, Charles also was unable to sink either free throw, leaving the lead at three-points. Albright earned the defensive rebound on the last free throw and called timeout with two seconds to go. Their buzzer-beating three attempt missed the mark to give F&M back-to-back wins. 

F&M continued to be a threat on three-pointers, converting 7-of-11 in the second half, while F&M struggled from the charity stripe, hitting 4-of-12. 

F&M continues non-conference action as they host Goucher on Tuesday, November 26, at 8:00 p.m.