Feb. 9, 2008

Box Score

CHESTERTOWN, Md. - For the second straight game, Derek Hines hit the 20-point mark, finishing with a game-high 22 points to lead Franklin & Marshall past Washington 75-57 in Centennial Conference (CC) men's basketball action on Saturday.

The Diplomats (12-9, 7-7 CC) shot 54.7 percent from the floor, getting a 9-for-10 performance from Hines, to complete the season sweep of the Shoremen (4-17, 1-13 CC) for the fourth time in six seasons. James McNally posted 14 points, while Anthony Brooks added nine points and seven boards in the win.

Andrew Chambers tallied a team-high 15 points and Alan Kines contributed 10 for Washington.

In a first half where there were nine lead changes and six times when the game was tied, F&M took control and a double-digit advantage in the second half to collect its seventh conference victory.

Hines scored the first eight out of 16 points by the Diplomats to start the final stanza for a 46-38 lead at the 13:11 mark. A small 6-0 burst put F&M up 52-42 thanks to baskets from Daniel Selig, Chris Sullivan and McNally.

Chambers halted the Diplomats run with a free throw, but two three-pointers by Brooks found F&M with a 66-49 lead with 4:53 remaining.

The Diplomats took their biggest lead at the end of the game off a Sullivan jumper with 1:03 on the clock for an 18-point final margin.

Down 9-4 in the first half, Hines' tip-in and McNally's layup tied the game a 9-all. The sea-saw battle began, with five more lead changes over the next six minutes. Mitch Rhyner hit a three-pointer to break the score at 22-all and spark an 8-2 run to end the half.

F&M held a commanding 46-25 advantage on the boards, while holding Washington to 11.1 percent shooting from behind the arc.

The Diplomats return to action on Wednesday against Ursinus. Game time is 7:30 p.m.