(Carlisle, Pa.) – The Dickinson men's basketball team almost rallied to complete a thrilling comeback, but visiting Franklin & Marshall held on for a, 77-75, win at the Kline Center on Wednesday night.
Sophomore Mike Hinckley (Bryn Mawr, Pa./Episcopal Academy) came up with a steal, buried a three-pointer, and was fouled as he pulled the Devils within two, with just 18 seconds remaining. Dickinson trailed by seven with 37 seconds on the clock and came up just short after a remarkable surge.
Jared Wright converted a pair of free throws to give F&M a 77-73 lead with 14 seconds left to play. Hinckley grabbed a rebound and hit a jumper at the buzzer for the final of 77-75.
The Red Devils scored the first two baskets of the game but the Diplomats answered and the teams played to a 9-9 tie at the 13:01 mark.
Hinckley and sophomore Jule Brown (Ardmore, Pa./Lower Merion) connected on back-to-back three-pointers to give Dickinson a 17-11 advantage at the midpoint of the first half.
First-year Bryce Allen (Albany, N.Y./The Hill School) knocked down a three-pointer and junior Sam Lorenzo (Sterling, Va./St. Anne's Belfield) scored to put the Devils up, 30-25, with just under two minutes to play.
Matthew Tate led the Diplomats on a 7-0 run to close out the half with a 32-30 advantage at the break.
F&M broke an early tie in the second half with a 13-4 run to lead by nine with just over 15 minutes to play in the game. The built the margin to 16, leading 59-43, with 9:10 on the clock.
J.C. McGrath gave the Diplomats a 71-60 lead, with just over two minutes remaining in regulation. Justus Melton (Charlotte, N.C./Covenant Day) and Moses Romocki (Creedmoor, N.C./Cardinal Gibbons) led the charge as Dickinson pulled within six, with under a minute to play.
Elijah Wright (Orange, N.J./The Pennington School) traded free throws with Jared Wright before Hinckley's four-point play gave the Devils new life in the final seconds. F&M would hold on, however, as they improve to 17-7 overall and 11-6 in the Centennial Conference.
Melton led the Red Devils with 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists on the night. Romocki finished with 13 points, three steals and a pair of rebounds while Wright reached double-figures with 12 points, two rebounds and two assists.
Hinckley hit 4-of-6 shots from the floor, scoring 11 points to go with a pair of steals. Allen dished out four assists, scoring eight points and controlling four rebounds. Brown added five points, four rebounds and two assists as well.
The Red Devils slip to 14-10 overall and 11-6 in the conference. They close out the regular season schedule on Saturday, celebrating senior day before a 4:00 pm tip-off with Washington College.