Juniors Propel Garnet Over Diplomats
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Swarthmore junior center Ian McCormick (above) scored 10 points in the final nine minutes, leading the streaking Garnet past visiting Franklin & Marshall 73-64.
McCormick was dominant down the stretch, making four of five shots from the field, controlling the glass (four rebounds) and contributing on defense with two blocks and two steals after re-entering the game with 8:59 to go. The junior was saddled with foul trouble for much of the afternoon, seeing only five minutes of action to that point.
Garnet junior forward Steve Wolf kept his team in the game while both teams got off to sluggish starts. Wolf made his first three shots from the floor and first five from the line while scoring the team's first 11 points. Freshman Matt Turner, who was active on both ends in his first start of the season, hit a 15-footer with 10:03 to play in the first half for the Garnet's first non-Wolf points of the afternoon, making the score 15-13 in favor of the Dips.
F&M would hold their narrow edge into the halftime, never leading by more than five. Diplomats' star forward Derek Hines missed six of his first eight shots but finished the half with a flourish, scoring seven points in the final 2:31 including a three-pointer just before the buzzer extending the Dip lead to 28-23. Hines went into the break with team-high totals of 14 points and seven rebounds.
The Dips took advantage of McCormick's absence, grabbing 10 offensive boards before the break, leading to eight second-chance points. Swarthmore junior guard Matt Kurman, who hit a pair of triples, and Turner had six points each at the half.
Swarthmore wasted no time in evening the score. Turner hit from beyond the arc and Wolf made a hook shot within a minute's time, forcing a Dip timeout. A minute later, a McCormick put-back lay-up gave the hosts their first lead in over 14 minutes. The lead was short-lived, though, as Hines hit on two straight possessions and Mitch Rhyner put the Dips back on top with a three-pointer with 16:09 left. F&M would extend the lead to five at 41-36 with 13:25 left but then went without a field goal for 8:38. Senior guard Dillon McGrew put the Garnet back in front at 43-41 with a trifecta with 10:53 remaining.
Two free throws each by Hines and Evan Hamme put the Dips back in front, but McCormick's emergence sparked the Garnet's biggest run of the game. Kurman scored six straight points to make the score 49-45 and Swarthmore would wind up scoring 13 straight while holding the Dips scoreless for 4:18.
F&M made things interesting down the stretch by hitting three triples in a 27-second span, cutting the Garnet lead to 67-60 lead with 1:35 to play, but Swarthmore was clutch from the line in crunch time. Freshman guard Matt Allen went 4-4 and the squad as a whole went 8-10 in the final two minutes.
Kurman finished 4-7 from beyond the arc on his way to a team- and season-high 20 points, equaling a career-high set exactly one year ago vs. Wisconsin Lutheran in St. Louis, MO. Wolf finished the game with 17 points and McCormick added 14. Turner grabbed four offensive rebounds on his way to a team-high total of six boards. Senior captain Chris Casey dished out a team-high five assists; Allen added four dimes.
Hines finished with 29 points and 12 rebounds, using a right-handed hook shot to great effect all afternoon long. Logan Outerbridge dished out eight assists for F&M (2-4, 1-1 CC).
The Garnet (2-4, 1-1 CC) will look to make another statement win on Wednesday when the Muhlenberg Mules come to town for a 7:00 p.m. Centennial contest.