Knox Erupts for Career-High 34 Points in Loss

LANCASTER, Pa. --  11th-ranked host Franklin & Marshall remained unbeaten at 13-0 overall and 6-0 in Centennial Conference play after withstanding a strong challenge from visiting Washington College en route to an 88-80 win this afternoon at Mayser Center. 

F&M jumped out to a 10-2 lead early in the game before the Shoremen (1-12, 1-5) used a 13-4 spurt to take a 15-14 lead on a lay-up and free throw by senior guard John Weston (Tampa, Fla./Bolles School) with 12:08 to play in the first half. The Diplomats regained the lead on a Brandon Federici lay-up just 12 seconds later, but the Shoremen scored six of the next eight points to increase the lead to 22-18 on a three-pointer by junior forward Pat Morgan (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) with 10:24 remaining in the half. The Diplomats scored the next four points to tie the game at 22-22 before Washington countered with the next six to open up a 28-22 advantage on a lay-up by senior guard Sean Brooks (North Wales, Pa./North Penn) with 8:20 showing. 

Washington held the lead until a lay-up and free throw by Morgan Lee gave the Diplomats a 37-35 advantage with 2:56 to go in the half. The Shoremen then scored the next four points to take a 39-37 lead on a lay-up by junior forward Dave Knox (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks South) with 2:13 left.  Two Federici free throws with 40 seconds remaining tied the score before Knox made a lay-up and a free throw 12 seconds later, giving the Shoremen a 42-39 lead at the intermission. Knox finished the first half with 16 points.

The Diplomats twice tied the score early in the second half and then moved back in front, 48-46, on a Lee lay-up with 16:10 left. A Weston lay-up 24 seconds later evened the score, but a Federici lay-up on the other end 16 seconds after that put the Diplomats ahead, 50-48, with 15:30 on the clock. Washington pulled even again on a Knox jumper with 13:16 to go, evening the score at 53-53. Federici again answered for F&M, converting a lay-up and free throw to give F&M a 56-53 advantage with 12:50 left. Those three points were the start of a 9-2 spurt for the Diplomats who staked out a 62-55 lead on a Jared Wright lay-up with 9:29 remaining. 

The Shoremen whittled the lead down to a single point on a lay-up and free throw by senior forward Sean Flanigan (Wilmington, Del./St. Mark's), making the score 70-69 in favor of the Diplomats with 5:05 remaining. A Devin Figueroa jumper with 4:05 left pushed the lead back to three, but Morgan made two free throws for the Shoremen with 3:50 left to trim the lead back to one at 72-71. Federici made the first of two free throws for F&M 10 seconds later and then converted a lay-up with 3:21 to go to extend the margin back to two possessions at 75-71. Morgan knocked down a three for the Shoremen to again narrow the lead to one with 2:47 left, but Lee countered with a lay-up on the other end with 2:29 to go to make the score 77-74 in favor of the Diplomats. 

A lay-up by Knox with 2:00 on the clock got the Shoremen back to within a point yet again at 77-76, but Matthew Tate buried a three-pointer with 1:41 to go to produce an 80-76 cushion for F&M. After a missed three by Morgan for the Shoremen, Federici made a pair of free throws with 1:19 to go as the Diplomat lead grew to 82-76. F&M led by at least four points the rest of the way. 

Federici totaled 31 points for the Diplomats to go along with six rebounds, four assists, and a pair of blocks. The Diplomats' other four starters also reached double figures in scoring. Cedric Moune had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Lee had 13 points and six boards. Tate added 12 points, while Figueroa scored 11 points and dished out four assists. 

Knox score a game- and career-high 34 points in the contest and also collected 11 rebounds. Morgan and Weston added 10 points each in the loss for the Shoremen. 

F&M shot 53.4% from the field and 76.7% from the line in the win, while the Shoremen shot 41.8% and 89.5%, respectively. F&M out-rebounded Washington, 39-32. The Shoremen forced 18 F&M turnovers while committing 13 of their own.

The Shoremen return to action Tuesday with a 6:00 p.m. Centennial Conference game at Ursinus.