Game Notes

With league play now concluded, the Franklin & Marshall Men's Basketball team (19-6, 14-4) has clinched the number three seed in the Centennial Conference Tournament and will take on Dickinson at home in the opening round. With its regular season finish, the Diplomats beat out their preseason projection by three places, having been slotted to place sixth in the standings as voted on by the conference's coaches. Searching for its first conference championship since 2016, the path to a potential title would include Gettysburg in the next round, followed by the winner of Johns Hopkins and its opponent in the championship game. 

Centennial Conference Tournament Ticket Information

• Adults - $10

• Students (Age 6 through High School) - $5

• Senior Citizens - $5

• College Students, Faculty & Staff of Centennial Schools - FREE

• Children 5 and Under - FREE

Last Week

With a pair of home matchups to close out the season, F&M first welcomed Dickinson to the Mayser Center on Wednesday night, and defeated the Red Devils 78-57. After Dickinson began the game with a 9-8 edge, an 8-2 run by the Diplomats put them ahead for good. Later ahead 18-15, F&M scored nine unanswered points to build its lead to 12. The Red Devils then shot 3-of-10 from the floor in the final four minutes of the half as the Diplomats led 33-22 at the intermission. Less than two minutes into the second frame, Dickinson got to within six but immediately went back down 13 after a 7-0 F&M run. Three minutes later, the Red Devils once again made it a five-point game, trailing 45-40, before the Diplomats outscored them 19-4 over the next five minutes to take a 20-point advantage. Staying in front by at least 13 for the rest of the contest, F&M secured its first win in over a week. Read the full recap here. 

Staying at home for their regular season finale, the Diplomats downed Washington College 66-55 on Saturday afternoon. Tied 12-12 early in the first half, F&M separated itself with a 21-4  run to take a 17-point advantage. However, the Shoremen ended the final four minutes of the frame on a 10-3 run to make it a 36-26 game at the break. With the Diplomats leading 45-33 in the second half, Washington College cut the deficit to six after an 8-2 run. Later leading 56-49, F&M outscored the Shoremen 10-2 over the course of two minutes to take a 15-point advantage and put the game out of reach for Washington College. Read the full recap here. 

Last Time vs. Dickinson

In their two meetings this season, the Diplomats defeated the Red Devils by double-digits in both contests, winning 56-42 on the road and 78-57 at home. Notably, F&M held Nate Ogbu to just two points on 1-of-14 shooting from the floor in the first game, and allowed six field goals made in the entire second half. In the backend of the season series, the Diplomats had one of their most efficient shooting nights from the perimeter this season, knocking down 11 of their 23 attempts from deep. Between both tilts, Josh Parra dominated the glass, averaging 11.5 rebounds a game, including 4.5 offensive boards per contest. 

Dickinson Team Preview

After finishing the regular season tied with Muhlenberg for sixth place in the conference standings, the Red Devils knocked off the Mules 70-67 to claim the final spot in the Centennial Conference Tournament. Two seasons removed from its last playoff appearance, Dickinson hopes to advance to the semi-finals for the first time since 2017, when it made the championship game but ultimately fell to Swarthmore. 

Averaging team-highs of 12.3 points and 8.0 boards per game, Nate Ogbu has been one of the best big men in the league this season. He ranks second in the conference in both rebounding and total double-doubles with eight. In the final three games of the season, Ogbu recorded 17.3 points per tilt, including a season-high 21 points against the Diplomats. Nationally, Dickinson ranks top-15 in division III in scoring defense, allowing 62.4 points per game. In 10 contests this season, the Red Devils have limited their opponents to under 60 points, highlighted by a season-low 38 points allowed against Haverford less than four weeks ago. At the free throw line, however, Dickinson has struggled significantly, shooting a conference-worst 63.2%.