NEWPORT NEWS, Va.- The Franklin & Marshall men's basketball team (5-2) opened the Christopher Newport Holiday INNvitational Tournament with a first-round win over (RV) Saint Joseph (Conn.) (3-2) 59-39 on Saturday afternoon.

Kevin Nowoswiat and Vakaris Grauslys each had a team-best 19 points. Nowoswiat made it a 13-rebound double-double for his second of the season alongside a team-high four steals. Grauslys also totaled eight rebounds. Sebastien Charles delivered three three-pointers from the bench with five rebounds. Franklin Jones totaled three steals and six rebounds, while Josh Parra led the team with two blocked shots.

Defenses were effective for both teams in the contest, with F&M shooting 30.5% in the field and the Diplomats holding Saint Joseph to 29.2%. The Diplomats drew a heavy advantage in turnovers, conceding nine while forcing 20 Blue Jays turnovers with 12 from steals. 

Saint Joseph drew a 7-2 lead through the opening two minutes, but a pair of Parra free throws and a Charles three over the next two minutes leveled the contest at seven each. A Blue Jays layup followed on the next possession, followed by five minutes where neither time were able to convert a basket, giving Saint Joseph a 9-7 lead through nine minutes. Two layups and a free throw in a 45 second spell put their lead at 14-7 with 9:43 to play. The Diplomats found momentum with an 8-0 run featuring four points from Grauslys to give F&M their first lead of the game with 5:07 remaining in the first half. They countered a game-tying free throw with another Charles three and a Grauslys layup to now hold a 20-15 advantage. Four points from Nowoswiat in the final three minutes of the first half put the halftime lead at 24-16. The Diplomats' defense allowed just three points over the final ten minutes of the half, including a 8:54 run of no Blue Jays scoring. 

After shooting 21.6% on field goals in the first half, F&M returned to form in the second half with a 45.5% field goal percentage, as they broke away by double-digits early and never looked back. A Parra free throw and Nowoswiat layup brought the lead to 27-16 in the first two minutes. A Blue Jays layup broke the run for a moment, as F&M scored eight straight, including two Nowoswiat layups with an and-one and a Grauslys three to lead by 17 points with 16:19 to go. The deficit got as close as 44-33 with 8:00 remaining, but the Diplomats went on to outscore their opponents 15-6 the rest of the way. 

The Diplomats will play the winner of today's No. 10 Christopher Newport vs. Transylvania game tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. in the tournament championship.