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LANCASTER, PA - The Franklin & Marshall College front-line of Cas Thomas (Sr., Langhorne, PA/Neshaminy), Steve Juskin (So., East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park) and Alex Kraft (Sr., Lansdale, PA/Lansdale Catholic) came up big on Saturday as the #17 nationally ranked Diplomats trio combined for 38 points and 24 rebounds to lead the squad to an 80-71 win over Washington College in the Mayser Center. Juskin, who fell just short of his season high of 22 points from an 83-80 win over Elizabethtown College on November 20, finished with 19 points and six rebounds as the Diplomats dominated in the paint and at the low-post throughout the game. Washington, which had no player taller than 6-5, didn't match up with the Diplomats as the 6-5 Kraft, 6-4 Thomas and 6-6 Juskin shot over the Shoremen. In the first half, Kraft would be a nearly unstoppable force converting five-of-nine from the floor and pulling down eight rebounds as the Diplomats built a 41-34 lead at intermission to hold on for the win. Overall, Kraft would finish with 14 points and a game high 12 boards, while Thomas added five points and six rebounds in the cause. Besides F&M's dominance down low, the F&M guards would pick Washington's defense apart as Larry Fain (Sr., Crum Lynne, PA/Chester) and Maurice Dozier (Sr., Somerdale, NJ/Sterling) rained back-to-back-to-back three-point field goals on three consecutive possessions to push the Diplomats out in front to stay as Washington never closed within 61-56 with less then five minutes remaining in the game. For the game, the Diplomats would shoot 40 percent from the field and 64.5 from the charity stripe behind a 9-of-10 performance by Juskin at the free throw line. A major key to the game would be turnovers as the Shoremen turned the ball over sixteen times while the Diplomats thieved nine steals. For Washington, guard Aaron Goode led his team with eighteen points off a six-of-seventeen performance from the field. Teammate Bryan Mason grabbed eight boards while chipping in fifteen points during only seventeen minutes of play due to foul trouble. The Shoremen were a perfect 4 for 4 from the charity stripe in the first half, and shot 85% in the game from the free throw line, but it wouldn't be enough to outscore the Diplomats. The Diplomats improve to 15-4 overall, 5-2 in the Centennial Conference to remain in second place in the Conference Western Division title hunt. The Shoremen fall to 6-1, 2-5 in CC action. The win avenges an 85-73 loss by the Diplomats last season in Chestertown as F&M is now 24-9 in the all-time series. Franklin & Marshall will look to improve upon their record on Wednesday as the Diplomats travel to Western Maryland College for a Centennial Conference Western Division showdown. Earlier this year, F&M romped 75-47 in the Mayser Center over the Green Terror. Opening tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. in Westminster, Maryland.
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