Game Notes

The Franklin & Marshall men's basketball team (9-6, 1-2 Centennial) prepares for a pair of home Centennial Conference games this week, as they host Haverford on Wednesday and Dickinson on Saturday. The Diplomats look to clear a two-game losing run following losses to Johns Hopkins (77-70, 1/18) and (RV) Gettysburg (74-72, 1/15). Entering the week, Kevin Nowoswiat looks to extend his double-figure scoring streak that dates back to the season opener, and Josh Parra stands 16 points away from becoming the program's 37th 1,000-point club member. 

Last Week

F&M was unable to earn a win last week following defeats to (RV) Gettysburg and Johns Hopkins. The Diplomats built an eight-point lead with ten minutes to go in the second half before falling 74-72 to Gettysburg on Wednesday night. Vakaris Grauslys led the team with 26 points and four assists. He converted 9-of-22 field goals, 3-of-11 threes, and 5-of-6 free throws. Dylan Cormac delivered 16 points from the bench, not missing on his four three-point field goals. Nowoswiat contributed 17 points, going 6-of-12 on field goals, and 4-of-4 on free throws. Gettysburg countered a game-opening layup from F&M with back-to-back threes, but F&M soon tied things at 10-10. The Bullets soon earned a 22-16 lead with 10:15 remaining in the first half, but F&M got back within a point via threes from Cormac and Grauslys. They eventually entered halftime behind 38-36. F&M scored the first four points of the half for their first lead since the first basket of the game. The teams swapped the lead several times following this, until F&M broke free with a 10-2 run to lead 55-47 with 11:30 left. Gettysburg called timeout and returned with a 9-2 run to draw within one point. The teams traded baskets over the next few minutes, and F&M trailed 71-70 lead with 0:51 left. The Diplomats missed a three on their next possession and then conceded a pair of free throws. A Grauslys driving layup put F&M back within a point at 73-72, but the Bullets sank 1 of 2 free throws on their next chance. The Diplomats missed their next shot and were forced to foul, but the Bullets missed both free shots to give the Diplomats a chance with five seconds left. Grauslys' long-range three attempt at the buzzer was inaccurate. 

Nowoswiat recorded a career-high 30 points in the loss to Johns Hopkins on Saturday. He was a perfect 9-of-9 on free throws, 9-of-13 on field goals, and 3-of-4 on threes while leading the team with five assists. John Seidman posted a season-high 17 points, while Cormac contributed nine points via three threes from the bench. Sebastien Charles led F&M with two blocked shots and six rebounds in his first start of the year. The Blue Jays built an 8-2 lead through the first four minutes before stretching the lead to 17-7 with 12:30 left in the first half. F&M followed this with a 16-3 stretch over the next five minutes that saw two threes from Seidman to lead 23-20 for their first lead of the game. The teams traded buckets for the rest of the half, with F&M eventually leading 31-29 at the halftime intermission. Neither team led by more than two points through the first 9:30 of the second half After six ties and seven lead changes, Johns Hopkins broke away via an 11-2 run over a three-minute spell. Nowoswiat brought the lead within five points with five points of his own, but the Blue Jays soon led by double figures again. F&M got no closer than four points before falling 77-70. F&M lost the rebound battle 37-28 and struggled with 17 turnovers.

Last Time vs. Haverford

All five F&M starters totaled double-digits for points, as the Diplomats completed the season sweep of Haverford 75-46 last January in Lancaster. Omar Nichols and Parra each had 15 points, while Seidman and Nowoswiat had 13 points. Nowoswiat converted a team-high three three-pointers.  Grauslys assisted a career-high nine times, while he also totaled three steals and 12 points. 

F&M never trailed in the game but held a narrow 10-9 lead through the first six minutes. A 5-0 run across the next minute gave them a platform to build on, as they soon posted an 8-2 run to lead by ten with nine minutes in the first half. A 1-of-8 spell for the Fords allowed the Diplomats to pull ahead by 18 and eventually carry a 35-22 lead into the halftime break.

The lead got no closer than 13 in the second half, and F&M pushed to a 20-point lead within the first six minutes. A 19-6 run later on pushed their lead to 31 with just a minute left before eventually winning 75-46. A full recap is available here.  

Haverford Team Preview

The Fords (5-10, 2-1 Centennial) split last week's Centennial Conference bouts, falling 81-59 hosting Ursinus on Wednesday before earning an 80-70 win hosting Dickinson on Saturday. Christian Uremovich led the team offensively in his 15 minutes from the bench, scoring ten points. Adam Strong-Jacobson had nine points, five rebounds, an assist, and a blocked shot, while Gaven Marr led the team in rebounds with six. Haverford erased an early 7-4 gap with a 5-0 run to lead 9-7 through four minutes. From there, Ursinus took control of the game with a 25-11 run over the next nine-plus minutes to lead 32-20 with 6:54 left in the first. The teams traded buckets to the end of the half, with the Bears holding a 43-31 lead at the break. Strong-Jacobson left Haverford in the first half with seven points. Ursinus swiftly expanded their lead with a 6-0 run to lead by 18 within two minutes. This stretch was followed by a 13-3 run for a 62-34 advantage for Ursinus with 14:28 to play. Ursinus closed the gap a bit over the middle of the second half via a 21-16 run before the contest ended with a final score of 81-59.

Marr and Strong-Jacobson led the Fords' offense in their win over Dickinson, as Marr posted 22 points with seven rebounds, and Strong-Jacobson collected 15 points. Marr was 9-of-18 on field goals and 3-of-7 on threes. Ali Kaan Bek led the team with five assists alongside nine points, while Logan Brown blocked two shots and totaled seven rebounds. Haverford built out a 13-5 lead in the first five minutes of the game, and a 7-0 run gave them a 20-10 margin with 11:39 to go. A later eight-point run from Dickinson tied the game at 27-27 with 4:20 left in the first half. The Fords were able to outscore their opponents 8-1 over the remaining four minutes for a 35-28 lead through 20 minutes. Dickinson was able to get within two points early in the second half, forcing a Haverford timeout at 39-39. Dickinson kept things close during the middle of the half, but a 9-0 run for Haverford brought their lead back to double-figures before winning 80-70. Haverford won the rebound battle 52-34 while posting 36 points from the paint. 

Haverford have the Centennial Conference's second-best scoring offense by averaging 77.9 points per game, although their scoring margin (4.8) and defensive record  (82.7) rank last. They are assisting the second most (15.33 per game), while they rank third in steals per game (7.33). Marr is tied for sixth in the conference in steals per game (1.4), ninth in points per game (15.6), tied for seventh in three-point field goals per game (2.1), and ninth in field goal percentage (41.7%). Kaan Bek ranks sixth in assists per game (2.9) and fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.3). Seth Anderson ranks eighth in blocked shots per game (1.0).

Last Time vs. Dickinson

A Parra layup with 1:52 proved the game-winner as the Diplomats secured a 52-51 win over Dickinson in the Centennial Conference Tournament First Round. The win moved F&M to its first tournament semifinal since 2018. Parra recorded a 18-point, 13-rebound double-double, while Grauslys totaled 11 points. 

F&M shot just 1-of-6 field goals in the opening spell, as Dickinson pushed ahead to an 11-4 lead. They eventually led 18-8 with 11 minutes to go, although F&M countered this with a 7-0 run. A Red Devils layup was then followed by 14 consecutive points from the Diplomats who now led 29-20. A pair of Dickinson three's brought the lead down to three before a Grauslys layup at the buzzer put the halftime scoreline at 33-26. 

Both teams shot a combined 6-of-26 in the first ten minutes of the second half, but Dickinson closed the gap to 38-36. A game-tying shot for Dickinson was followed by a 7-0 Diplomats run. Dickinson worked back within a point with six minutes to play before tying the game at 49-49 with 4:39 to go. A Seidman free throw gave F&M a lead for a minute, as Dickinson claimed their first lead since the first half on a layup. F&M retook the lead on a Parra layup a possession later, which proved to be the final scoring action of the game. A full recap is available here.  

Dickinson Team Preview

The Red Devils (6-9, 1-2 Centennial) begin the new week following two-straight losses on the road, falling at McDaniel on Wednesday, 65-58, before losing to Haverford, 80-70, on Saturday. Isaiah Edmond led the offense in the loss to McDaniel, posting 19 points and converting 7-of-12 field goals. David Petrusev totaled 15 points, while Juan Ruiz led the team with ten rebounds. Dickinson pulled ahead early via a 7-4 run to lead 11-8 through a low-scoring opening nine minutes. Two threes from Andrew Cerullo led an 8-2 run for the Red Devils who now held a 19-10 lead. McDaniel regained momentum over the next spell, as they went on a 13-4 run that tied the game at 23-each with 90 seconds remaining in the first half. Dickinson carried a 26-25 lead into the break. Dickinson were outscored 12-4 early on in the second half, giving McDaniel a 37-30 lead. Back-to-back jumpers from Edmond closed the gap to six, but back-to-back shots from McDaniel pushed their lead back out to double digits with seven minutes to go. The Red Devils soon got back into the game, using three balls down the stretch to trail 58-54 with 34 seconds left. Dickinson were forced to foul in the remaining time, as they eventually fell 65-58.

Ryan Leskauskas led the Red Devils in their loss to Haverford, as he totaled 18 points from the bench, shooting 5-of-10 on threes. Brandon Wiercinski collected 17 points, and he also shot five threes. Edmond led the team with eight assists and three steals alongside 13 points, while Joey Dopirak totaled 12 points and a team-best six rebounds.  Haverford built out a 13-5 lead in the first five minutes of the game, and a 7-0 run gave them a 20-10 margin with 11:39 to go. A later eight-point run from Dickinson tied the game at 27 each with 4:20 left in the first half. The Fords were able to outscore their opponents 8-1 over the remaining four minutes for a 35-28 lead through 20 minutes. Dickinson was able to get within two points early in the second half, forcing a Haverford timeout at 39-39. Dickinson kept things close during the middle of the half, but a 9-0 run for Haverford brought their lead back to double-figures before winning 80-70. Haverford won the rebound battle 52-34 while posting 36 points from the paint. 

Petrusev ranks fifth in the Centennial Conference in points per game (16.9), second in field goal percentage (55.0%), tenth in rebounds per game (5.9), and tenth in free throw percentage (77.0%). Edmond is third in both assists per game (3.8) and assist/turnover ratio (1.5), while he's fourth in steals per game (1.7).

F&M Among Centennial Conference Sides (As of 1/21/25)

1st in Scoring Margin (5.7)
2nd in Turnover Margin (0.73)
2nd in Steals Per Game (8.07)
3rd in Points Allowed Per Game (65.5)
3rd in Three-Point Field Goal Percentage (35.3%)
3rd in Opponent Three-Point Field Goal Percentage (30.2%)
3rd in Assists Per Game (13.07)
4th in Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.00)
4th in Opponent Field Goal Percentage (41.7%)
5th in Field Goal Percentage (44.2%)

F&M Individuals in the Centennial Conference Top 10 (As of 1/21/25)

Points Per Game
2. Kevin Nowoswiat (20.1)

Rebounds Per Game
3. Kevin Nowoswiat (7.3)
4. Josh Parra (7.2)

Field Goal Percentage 

4. Kevin Nowoswiat (53.5%)

Free Throw Percentage

8. Vakaris Grauslys (78.9%)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game
6. Dylan Cormac (2.1)
T9. Kevin Nowoswiat (2.0)

Assists Per Game
T4. Vakaris Grauslys (3.0)
T4. Vakaris Grauslys (3.0)
7. John Seidman (2.8)

Assists/Turnover Ratio
4. Vakaris Grauslys (1.5)
6. Kevin Nowswiat (1.1)

Blocked Shots Per Game
3. Josh Parra (1.2)

Steals Per Game
3. Vakaris Grauslys (2.1)
5. Josh Parra (1.4)
T6. Franklin Jones (1.4)

Minutes Per Game
3. Kevin Nowoswiat (32.9)
9. Vakaris Grauslys (31.5)