LANCASTER, Pa. – The Albright men's basketball team was unable to recover from a late run by Franklin & Marshall as they fell 71-65 in non-conference action on Wednesday.
With the loss, the Lions fall to 2-2 overall while the Diplomats improve to 2-2.
Three Lions scored in double-figures with Seniors
Sidney Brown and
Corey Simmons leading the way with 13 points apiece. Brown shot 5-for-10 from the field and a near perfect 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. Simmons shot 6-for-8 from the field and added five rebounds. Senior
Troy Smoot followed with ten points on 3-for-5 shooting. Junior
Sean Miller posted a team-leading six assists and added six points and five boards. Seniors
Isaiah Harris and
Deion Booker added six points each off the bench for the Lions.
Albright used speed to their advantage in the first half with 13 points in transition. The Lions opened up the game with a 7-2 run sparked by Simmons. The Diplomats responded with an 11-3 run to take the lead at 13-10 at the 14:32-mark. The teams traded leads three more times throughout the first half, but Albright took control at the 9:15-mark with a layup from first-year
Eric Chamberlain that jump started a 9-0 run. The Diplomats answered with back-to-back baskets to cut their deficit to 28-23 with 4:30 left in the half. The Lions took a double-digit lead following a bucket from Simmons and a three-pointer from Brown at the 2:24-mark. The Diplomats closed out the half with seven unanswered points to cut their deficit to 33-30 at the half.
Franklin & Marshall took a 35-33 lead after scoring on back-to-back possessions to open up the second half. The teams traded baskets but the Lions took back the lead with a pair of free throws from Smoot. The Lions got built their lead up to nine twice and was ahead 53-44 with 9:39 left to play. The Diplomats remained persistent and climbed back in the game with an 8-0 run to get within one at the 6:51-mark. The Lions responded with a 6-2 run featuring back-to-back threes Booker to put the Lions ahead 59-54. The Diplomats then took a 66-61 lead with just under two minutes left after going on an 11-2 run. Harris was able to put a stop to the run with the final baskets for the Lions, but the Diplomats sunk three-of-four free throws to close out the contest and solidify the 71-65 victory.
Albright shot 27-for-58 (46.6%) from the floor, 6-for-15 (40%) from beyond the arc, and 5-for-9 (55.6%) from the charity stripe. The Lions tallied 32 points in the paint and saw 20 points off the bench. Franklin & Marshall shot 27-for-65 from the field, 4-for-18 (22.2%) from the three-point line, and 13-for-17 (76.5%) from the charity stripe. The Diplomats tallied 34 points in the paint and won the battle on the glass 41-30.
Albright will return to action on Tuesday, Nov. 23 as they open up MAC Commonwealth action at Messiah at 8 p.m.
