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LANCASTER, PA -- The Franklin & Marshall College men's basketball team is ranked 17th in the nation and first in the Mid-Atlantic Region in the February 27 Lazindex.com Power Rankings. Ranked #11 in the February 24 D3hoops.com national poll, Franklin & Marshall (22-3, 17-1 Centennial Conference) is one of the most successful programs in the history of NCAA Division III basketball with a record of 1,120-791 record. Four All-Centennial Conference selections have led the Diplomats this year as point guard Duran Searles (Sr., Camden, NJ/Peddie School) and center Steve Juskin (Sr., East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park) earned first team honors, while guard Jackiem Wright (Sr., Sicklerville, NJ/Moorestown Friends) and forward Bobby Lynch (Jr., Richboro, PA/Council Rock) earned second team honors. The total ties the F&M record for number of All-CC honorees set in 1995 (three first team, one second team) and 2003 (two first team, two second team). Searles and Juskin's recognition on the first team marks the fifth time overall and second straight time F&M has placed two players on the first team. Last season, Juskin and guard/forward Asaf Ganot '03 garnered first team honors as the Diplomats recorded two first-teamers for the first time since 1996 when Mike Mehaffey and Jeremiah Henry earned the honor. The Diplomats also placed two players on the first team in 1995 (Charlie Detz' 95, Dave Jannetta '95 & Mehaffey) and 1994 (Detz & Jannetta). A three time honoree following a second team nod in 2002 and first team honors last year, Juskin tallied 372 points, 156 rebounds, 88 assists and 93 blocked shots during the regular season to raise his career numbers to raise his career numbers to 1,390 points, 696 rebounds, 233 assists and a school and CC record 309 blocked shots. The February 2 Centennial Conference Player of the Week and the ninth player in school history to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds, he ranks sixth in points, fourth in rebounds and first in blocked shots in F&M history. In the Centennial Conference record book, he ranks first in block, 20th in assists and 10th in rebounding and scoring. At point guard, Searles has been dynamic for the Diplomats ranking first in assists (94) and second in steals (45) while scoring an average of 14.0 points per game. The February 23 Centennial Conference Player of the Week, the 6-1 guard averaged 33.0 points on 69.4% from the floor in victories over McDaniel (86-49 W) and Washington (96-78 W) last week. Against Washington, he connected on 13-of-21 field goal attempts, including two-of-four from beyond the arc, and eight-of-14 at the free-throw line for a career high 36 points while handing out seven assists. For Searles, the performance marked his second straight 30-point performance as he connected on 12-of-14 field goal attempts and four-of-four at the free throw line for a game high 30 points while handing out seven assists in an 86-49 victory over McDaniel on February 18. The back-to-back 30 point games marked the third time an F&M player has achieved the feat. Most recently, Jerome Maiatico '00 dropped 42 in an 89-87 loss to RPI on January 9, 1998 at the Greyhound Classic hosted by Moravian College. In the consolation game, Maiatico returned to the court to register 34 points versus Dickinson in a 93-89 loss. The first Diplomat to achieve the feat was F&M Hall of Fame member Gus Lovett '54 who scored 34 on December 12, 1953 at the University of Virginia in a 94-70 loss. In the Diplomats' next game he tallied another 34 points in a 97-68 rout of Ursinus College in Lancaster on December 15, 1953. Prior to Searles' 30 point performance against McDaniel, the last Diplomat to hit for 30-points was Wright who dropped 34 versus Lincoln on January 4, 2002 in the Rotary Tournament title game at Mayser and tallied 30 on December 7, 2002 in a 93-70 rout of Muhlenberg College at Mayser. Historically, Searles became the first Diplomat to score 30 or more points on the road since Alex Kraft dropped in 33 in an 81-73 win at Dickinson while leading Franklin & Marshall to the 2000 Final Four. Overall, the tally marked the third 30-point game of Searles career as the senior guard netted 33 points on November 18, 2000 to lead his team to a 95-87 victory over Elizabethtown at the Mayser Center in the Sponaugle Tournament Championship game. Historically, Searles has been among the Centennial Conference's most prolific scorers as he has combined with Juskin as the duo rank fourth all-time in scoring with a combined 2,640 points. In addition, he ranks among the Conference's all-time best in assists (sixth, 346), three point field goals (fourth, 190) and steals (fourth, 184) as Searles is now 14 steals away from resetting the CC career record of 197 held by Billy Hagan of Dickinson. In F&M history, he surpassed Mark Worley '79 for 14th in scoring (1,246 points) with 13 points in a 67-63 victory at Johns Hopkins on February 24. Further, he ranks among the College's all-time best in scoring (1,246, 14th), assists (346, sixth), steals (eighth, 184), three point field goals (second, 193) and three-point field goal percentage (40.2%, seventh). In the latest Centennial Conference statistics for the 2004 season, he ranks among the CC leaders in scoring (14.1 ppg, 13th), field goal percentage (.532, seventh), assists (3.75 apg, fourth), steals (1.88 spg, third), three point field goal percentage (.407, sixth), three point field goals (2.08 pg, sixth) and assist/turnover ratio (1.70, third). A third year transfer from Division I LaSalle University, Wright ranks fourth in scoring (301 points) and second in free-throw percentage (.787 %). In only 84 career games in an F&M uniform, he ranks third in career three-point baskets (181) and sixth in three-point field goal percentage (40.6 %, seventh) as he has recorded 919 points and 156 rebounds while in a Franklin & Marshall uniform. At forward, Lynch has been electric on the court for F&M leading the team in scoring (398 points), rebounds (173) and offensive rebounds (80), while ranking second in blocked shots (22). The January 5 and 26 Centennial Conference Player of the Week, he now has 706 points and 321 rebounds as he is on pace to join the 1,000 point club and become the tenth player in school history to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds, Lynch has combined with Juskin, Searles, Wright and the rest of the Diplomats to lead the team to a 22-3 record, 17-1 in Centennial Conference play. With a 17-1 Centennial Conference record, F&M clinched its fifth straight (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004) regular season title last week. The Diplomats will continue the season at home on February 28 versus Gettysburg College in the Centennial Conference playoffs. Game time is set for thirty minutes following the conclusion of the 1:30 p.m. semifinal game between Ursinus and Johns Hopkins in the Mayser Center. A computer generated ranking based upon record, winning percentage, strength of schedule and margin of victory in Division III games, the Lazindex is available online at www.lazindex.com.
2004 Lazindex.com National Rankings (Through February 25)
1. Hanover
2. Rochester
3. UW-Whitewater
4. Wheaton (IL)
5. UW-Stevens Point
6. Hampden-Sydney
7. Wooster
8. Wittenberg
9. Randolph-Macon
10. UW-River Falls
11. Lawrence
12. Williams
13. Illinois Wesleyan
14. Ohio Northern
15. Otterbein
16. Gustavus Adolphus
17. Franklin & Marshall
18. Trinity (TX)
19. Maryville (TN)
20. Amherst
21. Washington (MO)
22. Puget Sound
23. Buena Vista
24. John Carroll
25. Augustana 2004 Lazindex.com Regional Rankings (Through February 25)
1. Franklin & Marshall
2. Gwynedd Mercy
3. DeSales
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