Center Valley, PA, (January 17, 2005) – Franklin & Marshall junior Brandon Smith scored a career-high 36 points and added 17 rebounds to lead the Diplomats past the DeSales University men’s basketball team, 85-76, in non-conference action on Monday evening in Billera Hall.

 

        The loss is the second of the season for the Bulldogs (11-4 overall) to the Diplomats (11-3 overall) after DSU lost the season opener, 81-67, at the Mayser Center in Lancaster, PA.  F&M shot 52.5 percent from the field in the game and DeSales committed a season-high 21 turnovers.  The Bulldogs also shot just 42.6 percent from the field.

 

        Franklin & Marshall threatened to run away with the game early as they went on a 14-0 run after the score was tied at seven to take a 21-7 lead with 11:44 left in the half.  Smith scored 11 of the 14 points during the spurt.  DeSales answered right back with an 18-4 run to tie the game at 25 as senior Kyle Koch (Lehighton, PA/Lehighton) and Kevin Welsh (Havertown, PA/Haverford) totaled 14 of the Bulldogs 18 points during the run.

 

        Another tie and three lead changes saw the Dips leading 31-30 before they ended the half on a 7-2 run to take a 38-32 lead into the locker rooms.

 

        A lay-up by Koch and a trey by senior Michael Venafra (Belmont Hills, PA/Lower Merion) out of the locker rooms cut the deficit to just one point, 38-37, with 18:25 left.  F&M went on a quick 5-0 run to push the lead back up to six points, 45-39. 

 

        The Bulldogs made several mini runs over the last 17 ½ minutes getting within two, 49-47, at the 12:56 mark and within three points twice but could never get any closer as the Dips used a 6-0 run late in the game to extend a four point edge into a 10-point lead at 75-65 and never looked back.

 

        Koch recorded his first career double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds and Welsh added a career-high 13 points on the strength of three treys.  Venafra added 11 markers and junior Drew Christman (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) totaled 14 tallies off the bench.

 

        The Diplomats were led by Smith who recorded the first career Dip double-double that included a 30-point game in F&M history.  Bryan Teschke added 16 points and six rebounds and Jackiem Wright totaled 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting.