Juskin, Lynch & Diplomats Rank Among Nation's Best in March 7 NCAA Men's Basketball Statistics

by Sports Information
3/11/04

LANCASTER, PA - Franklin & Marshall College is ranked among the nation's best Division III teams in the NCAA men's basketball statistics for games through March 7.

The Diplomats are ranked in scoring offense (81.1 ppg, 31st), scoring defense (63.4 ppg, 25th), scoring margin (17.8 ppg, fourth), field goal percentage (50.0%, ninth), rebound margin (6.3 rpg, 22nd) and won-lost percentage (89.3%, sixth).

Individually, center Steve Juskin (Sr., East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park) ranks fifth in the NCAA with 3.8 blocked shots per game, while forward Bob Lynch (Jr., Richboro, PA/Council Rock) is 16th in field goal percentage (59.8).

A 2004 Street & Smith's Division III Preseason All-America Honorable Mention selection, and a D3hoops.com All-Mid Atlantic third team selection last year, Juskin tallied 395 points, 170 rebounds, 95 assists and 102 blocked shots during the regular season and 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and four blocked shots to raise his career numbers to raise his career numbers to 1,426 points, 715 rebounds, 242 assists and a school and CC record 322 blocked shots.

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.

Starting for the first time in his high school or collegiate career, Lynch has been electric on the court for F&M leading the team in scoring (437 points), rebounds (193) and offensive rebounds (90), while ranking second in blocked shots (22).

The January 5 and 26 Centennial Conference Player of the Week, he now has 745 points and 341 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.

Ranked #9 in the latest D3hoops.com men's basketball poll, F&M, which knocked off Hampden-Sydney 78-76 on March 6 to advance to the tournament's "Sweet 16", will host the NCAA Sectionals on March 12-13 for the first time since 1996 when the Diplomats dropped RPI (74-58 W) and Wilkes (107-70 W) on their way to the NCAA Final Four.

The Diplomats will begin the sectionals on Friday at 8:00 p.m. versus Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Champion and #18 nationally ranked Gwynedd-Mercy College (26-2).

Against Hampden-Sydney in the second round, the Diplomats withstood a late run to hold on for the 78-76 win. Overall, guard Jackiem Wright (Sr., Sicklerville, NJ/Moorestown Friends) led the way for F&M with 18 points to lead all five F&M starters in double figures. Point guard Duran Searles (Sr., Camden, NJ/Peddie School) chipped in 17 points, Juskin added 13, forward Brandon Smith (So., Reading, PA/Governor Mifflin) dropped in 12 and Lynch notched 11 in the winning effort.

The Griffins come to Lancaster following a 74-72 overtime victory at home over Catholic University in the NCAA second round as the Griffins survived a late CUA bucket to advance to the Sweet 16 showdown with the Diplomats.

Historically, the game will mark the first-ever meeting between F&M and Gwynedd Mercy in men's basketball. Further, it will mark the first of two possible meetings between the two squads as the Griffins agreed last month to attend the 2005 Lancaster Rotary Tip-Off the New Year Tournament in the Mayser Center on January 3-4, 2005.

In the other sectional game, the #5 Amherst Lord Jeffs (25-3) will clash with the #31 New Jersey City Gothic Knights (22-6) at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.

On Saturday, the "Elite Eight" game is set for 7:00 p.m. with the winner advancing to Salem, Virginia and the NCAA "Final Four" for a shot at the 2004 National Championship on March 19-20.