LANCASTER, PA – Host Franklin & Marshall shot 63 percent in the second half to grab a 68-54 win over Johns Hopkins in Centennial Conference action Saturday. The Blue Jays fall to 11-4 overall and 2-1 in the conference, while the Diplomats improve to 13-2 and 2-1.
Hopkins pulled within two of the home team 63 seconds into the second half, but a Kevin Nowoswiat jumper sparked a 15-5 Diplomats' run. Nowoswait and Vakaris Grauslys combined for eight points during the run that spanned more than 10 minutes. Bryson Amos-Whitfield punctuated the run with a three-pointer that staked FMC to a 54-40 lead. The Blue Jays answered with a quick six points to cut the deficit to eight in just 69 seconds.
Franklin & Marshall then secured the game with a 14-6 run, including going 10-of-11 from the charity stripe, to go up 68-52 with 1:02 on the clock.
Nick Klaiber had the final say of the game, hitting a jumper with 53 ticks on the clock to account for the 68-64 final.
The Diplomats grabbed an early 9-2 lead, but a
Charlie Jackson layup at 15:04 ignited a 14-2 Blue Jays' run. Five different Jays scored during the run that ate up more than six and a half minutes.
Tanti Felli capped the run and put Hopkins up 16-11 with 8:44 to play in the half. FMC answered with a 9-2 spurt and went up 20-18 on a Steve Donahue layup at the 5:48-mark. The teams traded scores over the final five minutes of the half and Franklin & Marshall took a 32-27 lead into the break.
Jeb Williams sandwiched a pair of triples around a Grauslys three-pointer to open the second and the Dips' lead was just two with 18:57 to play in the second half. FMC answered with that 15-5 run that pushed its lead to double digits and Hopkins would get no closer than eight for the remainder of the game.
Williams led Hopkins with 12 points and three steals, while Jackson added 11 points and six rebounds.
Wyatt Eglinton Manner grabbed six boards and chipped in six points. Grauslys scored a game-high 15 points to lead three Dips in double figures. Donahue finished with 13 points while Franklin Jones added 11 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
Hopkins returns to action on Wednesday, January 21 at McDaniel. The Centennial Conference contest is slated for an 8:00 pm start.
