LANCASTER, Pa.- The (RV) Franklin & Marshall men's basketball team (21-4, 10-3 Centennial Conference) wrapped up the regular season with a 76-58 victory over top-of-conference Gettysburg (16-9, 11-2 Centennial Conference) on Saturday afternoon to complete a perfect 12-0 regular season at the Mayser Center.

Prior to to start of today's game, the Franklin & Marshall men's basketball team' seniors players and managers were recognized including team managers Amanda Hastings, Toby Kauffman, and Jake Weiner plus players Logan Satlow, Vakaris Grauslys, Dylan Cormac, Will Moreau, Kevin Nowoswiat, and Kola Lysynecky. 

Nowoswiat recorded a season-high 29 points with seven rebounds, while Grauslys posted 13 points and a team-high four assists. Franklin Jones led the team with three steals while totaling six rebounds and five points. Steve Donahue recorded nine points. 
 
Following Grauslys' game-opening layup, the Bullets fired back with a layup and dunk on a fastbreak to claim a 4-2 lead through the first three minutes. Donahue broke a four-minute scoreless drought for the Diplomats with a layup, while the lead returned to the Diplomats off a Grauslys steal into a Nowoswiat triple for a 7-4 advantage. F&M maintained a modest lead over the next few minutes before a 4-0 Nowoswiat run pushed the lead to 17-10 through the opening ten minutes.

The Bullets nearly drew level over the next three minutes, converting four free throws and a three during a 7-1 run that brought them back within a point. The sides traded buckets up to a 22-21 F&M. At this point, the Diplomats again built a cushion with a 5-0 run that featured four more points from Nowoswiat for a 27-21 advantage with four minutes left. The lead stayed near a half-dozen points in the remaining time, as the Diplomats led by five at the intermission.

The Diplomats' offense shot 56.5% (13-of-23) from the field in the first half, although they converted just 53.8% (7-of-13) of their free-throw chances. F&M conceded just three turnovers while forcing six Gettysburg giveaways, while the Bullets won the battle off the glass, 18-13. 

The Bullets controlled the pace early in the second half, opening the period on an eight-point run with two triples over the first three minutes to once again hold the lead at 38-35. The sides traded buckets over the next two minutes before a quick 3-0 run pushed Gettysburg's lead to a game-best 44-38 with 13 minutes left. A swift six-point run for F&M tied the game at 44-44 apiece. 

Gettysburg stopped the run with a pair of free throws, but this was followed by a game-altering 11-0 run from the hosts that included seven-consecutive points from Nowoswiat, putting F&M's advantage at 55-46 with eight minutes left. Gettysburg could get no closer than seven in the remaining time, as F&M outscored the Bullets 21-12 in the last eight minutes, capping scoring on a pair of threes from Lysynecky and Carter Lawrence.

Across the 40 minutes, F&M shot 53.8% (28-of-52) on field goals, 5-of-14 (35.7%) on triples, and 65.2% (15-of-23) on free throws. Gettysburg was kept to 32.7% (16-of-49) from the field and 4-of-23 (17.4%) on three-point field goals. F&M limited their team turnovers to just five to mark a new season low.

The Diplomats concluded the regular season with the fourth seed in the Centennial Conference Tournament, as (RV) Johns Hopkins earned the second seed and Ursinus cliamed the third seed in the tiebreaker. F&M will have home date in the first round against fifth-seeded Swarthmore on Tuesday, February 24th, at 7:00 p.m. F&M earned an 86-71 victory over the Garnet at home earlier this month, the lone matchup between the sides during the regular season. F&M has won three of the last four games in the series after snapping a seven-game losing run in January, 2024. The Diplomats are 2-0 against Swarthmore in the postseason including 2016's 75-64 Centennial Conference Championship victory.