CARLISLE, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall women's basketball team (10-8, 3-5 CC) dropped its Centennial Conference (CC) road game at Dickinson (11-7, 5-2 CC), 68-50, Saturday afternoon. A slow start plagued the Diplomats as the Red Devils led wire-to-wire in the contest.

Dickinson jumped out to an early 14-2 advantage in the first four minutes of the game, but F&M began to chip away at the deficit. Lizzie Neville made a layup, followed by a Hailey Cabanas draining a three-pointer to get F&M within seven. After Gia Sioutis made a free throw, the Red Devils responded with a jumper on the other end to push their lead back to eight. Neville ended the opening frame by making a layup off a steal to cut Dickinson's lead to 16-10.

F&M started the second quarter with a layup from Lauren Rusas to reduce the Red Devils' lead to four. The teams traded baskets to give Dickinson an 18-14 lead at the 8:54 mark of the quarter. Neville knocked down a jumper to get F&M within two. However, that was the last time the Diplomats would score in the quarter as Dickinson closed the half scoring 15-unanswered points to take a 33-16 lead into the intermission.

The Red Devils improved its lead to 41-22 at the 6:09 mark of the third quarter. F&M cut the deficit to 15 after Neville went 4-for-4 at the free throw line on back-to-back possessions. Dickinson made a layup, but Mackenzie Ward answered with a layup on the other end to bring the score to 43-28. The Red Devils led 51-36 with 2:33 on the clock when Neville drained another pair of free throws to reduce the margin to 13. However, Dickinson closed the quarter scoring the next four points of the game to take a 55-38 lead into the final quarter.

The home team grew its lead to 62-40 with 6:08 left in regulation. Cabanas splashed a three-pointer and Fiona Reckner made a layup to cut the deficit to 17, but that was as close as F&M would come to catching Dickinson in the contest.

The Diplomats shot 26.2 percent (16-of-61) from the field and 78.9 percent (15-of-19) from the free throw line in the game. Meanwhile, Dickinson shot 44.1 percent (26-of-59) from the field and outrebounded F&M, 52-27, in the game.

Neville led the game with 23 points, three assists, and four steals. Neville also shot 85.7 percent (12-for-14) at the free throw line in the contest. Cabanas followed with eight points, while Ward led the Diplomats with six rebounds in the effort.

Franklin & Marshall looks to bounce back on Wednesday when it travels to play Washington College at 7:00 p.m.