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READING, PA - Guard Jackiem Wright (Jr., Sicklerville, NJ/Moorestown Friends) drained nine-of-14 from the field, including six-of-nine from beyond the three-point arch, for 28-points as the Franklin & Marshall College Diplomats cruised to a 101-61 victory over host Alvernia College. The 101 point total marks the third time in the team's last six games the Diplomats have reached the centennial mark. Previously, F&M tallied 100-points versus Bethany (108-43) and St, Mary's College (112-67) at home in the Mayser Center.
In addition, it marks the first time since January of 1998 that Alvernia (7-3) has surrendered 100 or more points in a game and lost, and the first time since a 106-101 victory over Misericordia College in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Semifinals on February 14, 2001 that the Crusaders have allowed an opponent 100 points. Historically, the win snaps a two-game losing streak for F&M to the Crusaders as Alvernia defeated the Diplomats in the Mayser Center 93-82 on November 23, 1996 in the championship game of the S. Woodrow Sponaugle Tournament and 86-76 on January 4, 1998 in the title tilt of the Rotary Tip-Off the New Year Tournament. Alvernia, a 2002 NCAA Tournament participant courtesy an at-large bid, last fell to Franklin & Marshall on January 29, 1996 by a 67-56 final in a season in which F&M advanced to the third-of-four NCAA Final Four berths in school history. This season, the Diplomats, who never trailed in the contest, dominated the game from the opening tip as Wright scored ten points in the opening 3:10 of the first half to build a 10-2 lead which was never challenged. Following a pair of free-throws off a foul by Alvernia's Tillman Sims and a pair of shots from the charity stripe by the Crusaders' Ray Strickland, Wright took over the game draining back-to-back three-pointers at 18:19 and 17:25 to push the lead to 8-2. Wright added a lay-up 35 seconds later and forward Frank Hughes (Sr., Annapolis, MD/US Naval Academy) put back a shot at 15:59 to put F&M ahead by 10 four minutes into the game. Alvernia attempted to answer as Sims and guard Lamar Brickus hit lay-ups to cut the lead to 12-6, but the Diplomats responded with a 11-2 run capped by an arching three-pointer by reserve guard Brandon Smith (Fr., Reading, PA/Governor Mifflin) to build the lead to 23-8 in nine minutes. The Crusaders attempted another comeback converting on a three-pointer by Strickland and a lay-up by Brad Merriweather to move within 10 points at 23-13, but Smith connected on a drive to ignite a 16-5 run, including six-unanswered points off a pair of jumpers by center Steve Juskin (Jr., East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park) and a drive by point guard Duran Searles (Jr., Camden, NJ/Peddie School) to push the lead out to 39-18 with 3:20 left to intermission. In the final three minutes, guard Asaf Ganot (Sr., Tenafly, NJ/Tenafly) connected on two jump shots and Juskin added a jumper from the top of the paint as the Diplomats carried a 45-26 advantage into the locker room. In the second half, Alvernia scored five straight points to cut the lead to 14 at 45-31, but F&M responded with a 13-3 run capped by a three-pointer by Wright to go ahead 58-36 with 15:50 left on the clock to coast to the forty-point victory. Overall, the Diplomats shot a blistering 61.5 percent from the field (40-of-65) and 57.9 percent from the three-point line (11-of-19) to set a new 2002-03 season high for field goals made and field goal percentage erasing a 38 field goal performance versus St. Mary's and a 56.7 percent (34-of-60) average versus Hobart. In addition, Searles dished out eight assists as the team recorded 29 to eclipse the previous best of 26 set versus Lincoln. Statistically, four Diplomats reached double-digits in scoring as Juskin added 14 and a game high eight rebounds. Off the bench, Smith chipped in 18 points, forward Bob Lynch (So., Richboro, PA/Council Rock) dropped in 17 points and guard Jeff Bright (Jr., Columbia, MD/Wilde Lake) drained three-of-four, including two-of-two from beyond the arch, for nine points as the Diplomats' bench accounted for 44 of the team's 101 points. On defense, Juskin added to his F&M career blocked shots record as he swatted five attempts to increase his season total to 43 and the career mark to 151, 48 more than runner-up Chris Finch '92 (103). In addition, Juskin is on pace to eclipse his own season blocks record of 59 set last year. As a whole, the Diplomats held Alvernia to a 29.5 shooting percentage (18-of-61) and 18 field goals to set new 2002-03 season lows for opponents. Franklin & Marshall (10-1, 1-0 Centennial Conference) will return to action on January 11 at McDaniel College to resume Centennial Conference play. Game time is set for 3:00 p.m. in Westminster, Maryland.
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