Wright Scores 25 as Diplomats Clinch Playoff Berth with 76-66 Win Over Haverford

by Sports Information
2/15/03

LANCASTER, PA - Guard Jackiem Wright (Jr., Sicklerville, NJ/Moorestown Friends) led four players in double figures with 25 points off seven-of-12 shooting from the floor and five-of-eight from beyond the arc to lead #19 Franklin & Marshall College to a 76-66 win over Haverford College in Centennial Conference (CC) basketball action at the Mayser Center.

Center Steve Juskin (Jr, East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park) added 18 points as the Diplomats (20-3, 9-2 CC) clinched a playoff spot for the upcoming Centennial Conference playoffs with two games remaining. If F&M defeats Dickinson College in their next game on Wednesday, February 19, the Diplomats will clinch the CC Western Division and face the #2 seed from the East in Lancaster on February 26 in the Centennial Conference semifinals.

Forwards Bob Lynch (So., Richboro, PA/Council Rock) and Frank Hughes (Sr., Annapolis, MD/US Naval Academy) added 13 and 10 points, respectively, as the Diplomats claimed the 18th 20 win season in the 100 season history of the program.

Sam Adams scored a team high 21 points for Haverford, which shot 10-of-25 from 3-point range and out-rebounded the Diplomats 31-30.

Haverford controlled the early tempo of the game running the floor to build a 17-9 lead eight minutes into the game following Adams second of six three-point field goals.

F&M cut the lead to 17-14 behind two baskets and a free throw by Lynch, but Haverford's Jeremy Bass dropped in a bucket to push the lead back to five.

The Diplomats again rallied scoring the next seven points to take their first lead at 21-19 with 6:44 left in the first half. The lead see-sawed back and forth before Lynch drained a jumper with 1:12 left in the half for a 31-29 halftime lead.

In the second half, the Diplomats pushed the lead to seven in the opening minute as Hughes hit a jumper and Wright drained the first of four second half three-pointers for a 36-29 lead with 19:07 left in the game.

Haverford failed to cut the lead to less than five the rest of the way as the Diplomats improved to 54-10 all-time versus Haverford (9-13, 4-7 CC), including victories in the last 24 meetings between the two teams dating back to the Fords' last series victory in 1977.

The key to the game was foul shooting as the Diplomats converted 19-of-22 from the line, while Haverford made eight-of-13.

At halftime of the game, the F&M Department of Athletics announced the All-Era teams for men's basketball. Following the game, the All-Time team of Carson "Gus" Lovett '54, John Boyer '77, Bob Manaskie '79, Donnie Marsh '79, Dennis Westley '81, Allen Taylor '83, Peter Deutsch '84, Terry Scott '88, Phil Hoeker '89, Brad Markey '89, Chris Finch '92, Will Lasky '93, Ed Plakans '94, Charlie Detz '95, Dave Jannetta '95, Jeremiah Henry, Matt Leddy '99, Jerome Maiatico '00, Cas Thomas '02 and Alex Kraft '02 was introduced in commemoration of the 2002-03 season, the 100th in F&M basketball history.

One of the most successful men's intercollegiate basketball programs in history, with a 1,093-778 record, Franklin & Marshall College first played a basketball game on January 20, 1900 falling to Millersville (University) Normal School 23-8. The program won its first game on February 19, 1903 at home in a 47-9 rout of Gettysburg College.

Last season, F&M completed the season with a 24-5 record as it marked the 12th time in the last 24 years that F&M has won 24 or more games in a season, as the blue and white tallied 24 or more wins in 1979, '88, '89, '90, '91, '92, '93, '94, '95, '96 and 2000 prior to the 2002 team.

Historically, the men's basketball has recorded 19 All-Americans, including three first team (Will Lasky - 1992, Jeremiah Henry - 1996, Alex Kraft - 2000), five second team (Don Marsh - 1977 & 1979, Dennis Westley - 1981, Brad Markey - 1989, Dave Jannetta - 1995), two third team (Terry Scott - 1988, Dave Jannetta - 1995) and nine honorable mention (Phil Hoeker - 1989, Will Lasky - 1991, Chris Finch - 1991 & 1992, Charlie Detz - 1994 & 1995, Dave Jannetta - 1994, Mike Mehaffey - 1996, Alex Kraft - 2001). Further, F&M players have garnered Conference Player of the Year honors 12 times (Don Marsh - 1976, 1977 & 1979, Terry Scott - 1987, Brad Markey - 1989, Will Lasky - 1991, Chris Finch - 1992, Dave Jannetta - 1994 & 1995, Jeremiah Henry - 1996, Alex Kraft - 2000 & 2001), while the team has earned three Verizon/GTE Academic All-America awards (Jerome Maiatico - 1998, 1999 & 2000).

Franklin & Marshall will continue its centennial season on February 19 at home versus Dickinson College in an 8:00 p.m. game.