Box
Score
Lancaster, Pa. - Three
Diplomats forged into double-digit scoring in leading No. 6
Franklin & Marshall College to a 72-61 non-conference victory
over No. 20 St. Mary's College of Maryland as the Seahawks suffered
their first setback of the 2009-10 season.
Improved shooting in the final 20 minutes, including going
10-of-12 from the free throw line, allowed St. Mary's (3-1) to
erase a 19-point deficit and pull within 51-49 at 5:47 as senior
guard Camontae Griffin (Baltimore, Md./Dunbar)
capped the 26-9 stretch with a three-pointer. However,
F&M avoided the comeback bid as the Seahawks missed all but one
of their eight field goal attempts in the final four minutes of the
game while sophomore guard Georgio Milligan
(Spring Valley, N.Y./Don Bosco Prep) hit a three-point shot and
junior forward James McNally (Bridgewater,
N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) connected on back-to-back layups to seal
the win.
McNally registered a double-double on 30 points
and a game-high 13 rebounds as the Diplomats (4-1) posted a 50-39
rebounding advantage. Helping McNally
control the glass was junior forward Mike Baker
(Maryland Heights, Mo./Whitfield School) as Baker
hauled in a dozen boards and added six points, three assists, and
two blocks. Senior guard Anthony Brooks
(Orlando, Fla./Lake Mary) contributed 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting
and eight assists while Milligan chipped in 10 and
dished out eight assists as well.
A national semifinalist a year ago, F&M never trailed in the
game as the Diplomats broke the game's only tie, a 2-2 draw at
17:51, and raced out to a 23-6 advantage with 9:51 remaining in the
first half as Brooks sparked and capped the 21-4
run. The home team rolled to a 40-23 halftime lead as the
Diplomat defense was all over St. Mary's, forcing the Seahawks to
shoot just 26.5% from the floor, including connecting on only one
of eight long-range shots.
Brooks and McNally were the
halftime leaders with 14 and 12 points, respectively, while
Milligan had six assists at the half.
Brooks was 5-of-5 in leading F&M to drain
16-of-32 field goals in the first 20 minutes.
Griffin paced the Seahawks with a game-high 31
points after pouring in 26 in the second half to help the visitors
outscore F&M, 38-32. Junior center Sam
Burum (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) pulled down a team-best
10 caroms and chipped in seven points while junior guard
Alex Franz (Catonsville, Md./Cardinal Gibbons)
added nine points, nine rebounds, four steals and two assists.
The Seahawks will open up Capital Athletic Conference play
Wednesday, December 2 as St. Mary's travels to Arlington, Virginia
to take on league rival, Marymount University. Tip-off is set
for 8:00 pm. Last season, Marymount spoiled the Seahawks'
chance of repeating as CAC champions when the Saints knocked them
out in the semifinals.
