Game Notes

Following a week-long break, the Franklin & Marshall men's basketball team (4-0) will travel to Gettysburg on Tuesday night before staying on the road to face Haverford on Saturday afternoon. After their win over Ursinus last week, the Diplomats have gotten out to their best start to a season since 2017, which was the last time the team appeared in the NCAA tournament. 

Last Week

In its final game before Thanksgiving break, F&M defeated Ursinus 71-59 to improve to 4-0 on the year. After getting out to a 17-9 advantage in the first 10 minutes of the contest, the Diplomats pushed the lead to 23-12 with just over eight minutes left to go in the first half. The Bears then rallied to get to within five, trailing 25-20, but a 6-0 F&M lead put the Diplomats up by double-digits again. Taking a 38-31 lead into halftime, F&M allowed just one field goal in the first seven minutes of the second half and went up 48-34 lead with 13 minutes remaining. However, the Bears scored 12 unanswered over the next four minutes to get to within two. Josh Parra then broke a six-minute scoring drought with a free throw before three straight layups gave the Diplomats a nine-point lead with less than six minutes left to go. Ursinus was unable to close the gap as F&M closed out its fourth win of the season. It was also the first defeat of the Bears since 2020. Read the full recap here. 

Last Time vs. Gettysburg

Matched up with Gettysburg in the first round of the 2023 Centennial Conference tournament, the Diplomats fell to the Bullets 71-51. In a back-and-forth start to the game,, F&M trailed 14-13 at the 10-minute mark of the first half. However, the Diplomats failed to register a bucket over the next five minutes as Gettysburg outscored them 13-1 to take a 27-14 advantage. The Bullets ended the final five minutes of the half on a 13-4 run and took a 40-20 lead into the half. The difference remained above 16 for the entire second frame, as Gettysburg moved on the conference semi-finals. Read the full recap here.  

Last Time vs. Haverford

Playing host to the Fords, F&M defeated Haverford 71-61 to complete the season series sweep for a second year in a row. The Diplomats' lone lead of the first half came after the first basket made by Josh Parra, as F&M fell behind 22-13 by the 10-minute mark. Shooting 4-of-15 for the remainder of the frame, the Diplomats trailed 31-23 at the break. Within the first five minutes of the second half, F&M outscored Haverford 10-3 to cut the deficit to one. Later trailing 41-39, a Jaylen Green layup tied the game for the first time since the score was 0-0. Haverford then took a 48-43 edge before a 9-3 Diplomats run gave F&M its first lead in over 30 minutes of play. With the score tied 55-55, the Diplomats went on a 14-2 run to take the lead for good. Over the final seven minutes, the Fords shot 1-of-4 from the floor and turned the ball over seven times. Read the full recap here. 

Gettysburg Team Preview

The Bullets have gotten out to a 4-1 start to the season, with their latest win coming over No. 12 Johns Hopkins. After falling to Muskingum in its season opener, Gettysburg won four straight before heading into Thanksgiving break. Prior to defeating the nationally ranked Blue Jays, the Bullets eked out an 88-87, double-overtime win over York.

 Three players have been averaging double-figures for Gettysburg, led by Jordan Stafford with over 15 points per game. The junior was tabbed to the second team All-Conference last season and has shot 46.7% from long range this season. Additionally, the team's leading rebounder, Ryan McKeon, has nearly been averaging a double-double, with 9.8 points per game to go along with 8.4 rebounds per game. 

As a team, the Bullets lead the conference in rebounding with 42 boards a game, and out-rebound their opponents by an average margin of 3.8. Gettysburg is also the conference's best defender against the three, allowing a shooting percentage of just 24.8% from beyond the arc. 

Haverford Team Preview

Beginning the 2023-24 campaign with a 3-2 record, Haverford's latest contest ended in a 68-53 win over Washington College. The Fords opened the season by participating in the Hochberg Family Tip-Off Tournament, in which they defeated SUNY Purchase before falling to Vassar in the championship game. Haverford has been led by Nick Klaiber in scoring, averaging nearly 13 points a game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Additionally, Logan Brown is averaging a team-best 5.8 rebounds per game, including three offensive boards a game, which is good for third in the conference. The Fords have taken good care of the ball as a team, allowing a conference-best 10.6 turnovers per game. However, they rank near the bottom in scoring offense and rebound margin.