LANCASTER, Pa.- The No. 19 Franklin & Marshall men's basketball team (17-3, 6-2 Centennial Conference) saw their five-game winning streak come to a close in Wednesday's 72-69 loss at Ursinus (13-6, 6-2 Centennial Conference).

Steve Donahue recorded a new career high with 22 points including three three-pointers and 5-of-5 free throws plus a team-best six assists and four steals. Kevin Nowoswiat totaled 14 points with eight rebounds, while Vakaris Grauslys had 13 points including an 8-of-8 record from the charity stripe. Bryson Amos-Whitfield had seven points and six rebounds from the bench.

F&M kicked off the first half with a nine-point run led by four points from Bohdan Biekietov, giving the visitors a 9-0 advantage through the first four minutes. Ursinus broke their scoreless start with a 5-0 run via a three and pair of free throws, putting F&M ahead 9-5 through the first six minutes. The sides traded baskets over the next few minutes until the Diplomats used a seven-point run capped by a three from Donahue, giving F&M a 21-13 lead through the opening 10:30. 

The Diplomats leveled their half-best lead of nine two minutes later when Grauslys converted three free throws following a foul outside of the arc for a 26-17 advantage. The Diplomats would continue to hold a lead around that mark until the Bears scored six points in a row for a 34-31 lead with ninety seconds left in the first half. The Diplomats eventually entered the intermission with a three-point cushion of 36-33. The Diplomats were a perfect 7-of-7 at the charity stripe in the first half, while Ursinus converted 10-of-11 chances. The Diplomats held a close 22-19 rebounding margin. 

The Bears began the second half with a run of seven points, giving them their first lead of the night at 40-36. A three from Nowoswiat followed by two free throws from Donahue put F&M ahead by a point. After trading points to a 44-42 Diplomats lead through five minutes, Ursinus reclaimed a modest lead with a five-point run to again control the pace at 47-44 with 12 minutes left. Over the next four minutes, the Diplomats reached a tie four separate times but were unable to take back the lead. 

At a 54-54 deadlock, the Bears again used a 5-0 run to gain their biggest lead of the game so far at 59-54 with five minutes to go. F&M got back within two on a 5-2 run that included another 3-of-3 trip to the free-throw line for Grauslys, but Ursinus again stretched out their lead with four points of their own, maintaining a 65-59 advantage with two minutes left. A Nowoswiat three a minute later reduced the deficit to 69-66, and a missed triple from the Bears at the other end gave F&M 34 seconds to find a leveler. The Diplomats missed two chances on the next possession, and they were forced to foul when Ursinus rebounded the second chance. Ursinus sank one of two to make it a four-point game with 12 seconds left, and Ursinus drew another foul after rebounding an F&M triple to put the game away with a pair of free throws. Donahue's long-range three at the buzzer cut made the final scoreline 72-69.

The Diplomats' offense shot 30.0% (9-of-30) on field goals and 20.0% (4-of-20) on triples in the second half, while Ursinus shot 54.5% (12-of-22) on field goals, 33.3% (2-of-6) on threes, and 86.7% (13-of-15) on free throws. Across all 40 minutes, they shot 88.5% (23-of-26) from the charity stripe. Ursinus won more chances off the glass, 37-35, going 18-13 in the second half. 

The Diplomats return to the Mayser Center to host Swarthmore on Saturday, February 7, at 3:00 p.m.