MIDDLETOWN, Pa.- The Franklin & Marshall men's basketball team (0-1) were undone by a Penn State Harrisburg (1-0) comeback in the second half, as they fell 64-59 in Saturday's season-opening contest after holding a 36-24 halftime lead.
Kevin Nowoswiat and Vakaris Grauslys each eclipsed 20 points. Nowoswiat shot 9-for-16 from the field and 3-for-8 on threes to total 22 points (career-high), while Grauslys scored 21 points, going a perfect 7-for-7 from the charity stripe with four assists. John Seidman led F&M with seven rebounds and two blocks with seven points. The Diplomats' bench struggled in its limited shooting chances, unable to convert on seven three-point shots taken.
Scoring was rare to open the contest, with the Lions leading just 7-1 through the opening six minutes. A three from Grauslys and a Nowoswiat three and layup kept F&M within two points through the opening ten minutes, down 11-9. Grauslys tied the game on a jumper at 13-13, and took the lead a possession later on a three for the Diplomats first lead at 16-15. After a Lions turnover, Grauslys converted a layup plus an and-one for a four-point lead.
The teams traded baskets over the next few minutes, with F&M drawing ahead by eight points on a Nowoswiat three and a Franklin Jones steal and layup on the break. Nowoswiat scored two layups over the next two Diplomats possessions for a 32-22 lead. F&M eventually held a 36-24 lead at the halftime break. F&M shot 53.8% from the field while keeping their opponents to 36.0%, while the Lions suffered from nine turnovers.
Penn State Harrisburg responded promptly, outsourcing F&M 8-2 in the opening two minutes to cut the lead in half. The Diplomats regained composure with six points over the next four possessions unanswered by the Lions to return to their 12-point halftime advantage. Penn State Harrisburg consistently narrowed this lead, though, outshooting the Diplomats 11-3 over the next five minutes, giving F&M a 47-43 lead with ten minutes of regulation.
They tied the game on a three-pointer a few minutes later at 48-48. The Lions built a 57-50 lead over the four minutes. Nowoswiat and Grauslys scored layups on the next two drives for F&M to get back within three points, but this was countered by a Penn State Harrisburg three to go back ahead 60-54 with 1:45 to go. The teams traded baskets to hold the six-point gap.
F&M could not convert on their next two possessions, but a Seidman steal gave F&M a chance to call timeout with 16 seconds left. Nowoswiat missed his first three attempt on the inbound, but he converted on the second time of asking thanks to a Seidman rebound. The Diplomats were forced to foul on the Lions' as they inbounded, and they converted on both free throws to put F&M down five points with eight seconds left.
The Diplomats conclude the Penn State Tip-Off Classic on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. against Albertus Magnus.
