Trailing 63-60 with 2:18 remaining on the game clock following a lay-up and free throw by Jimmy O’Brien, the Diplomats pulled to within a point as Smith knocked down a pair of free throws with 1:57 to play. The Mules increased their margin to two points at 1:28 as Jeff Stewart made the front end of a one-and-one situation, but the Diplomats collected the rebound and drive down the court where forward Bryan Teschke (Jr., Pittsburgh, PA/Fox Chapel) was fouled with 57.9 seconds on the game clock.
Teschke missed the first and drained the second shot in a pair of free throws to cut the Mules’ lead to 64-63.
Hines and Stewart factored in the deciding three plays of the game as Stewart was whistled for an offensive hooking foul on Hines with 36.7 left on the clock. F&M was unable to convert on their possession as Stewart blocked Teschke with 9.2 seconds to play, but point guard Logan Outerbridge (Jr., Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock) fouled Muhlenberg’s Chris Strachan to put the Mule on the line in a one-and-one situation.
Needing a free throw to force F&M to make a basket to tie the game, Strachan’s attempt went off the rim and into the Diplomats’ hands.
Following a foul by Muhlenberg’s Brandon Mefford with 4.1 seconds left, the Diplomats pulled off the dramatic ending as Outerbridge inbounded the ball that was worked to Smith on the right side. Smith went up for a lay-up with less than three seconds remaining, but the shot rolled off the rim and into the left-hand of Hines who tipped the shot up and over Stewart for the winning basket.
Hines finished the game with 12 points 11 rebounds, including four points and five boards in the second half, while Smith added five rebounds and a game high 20 points as he connected on seven-of-17 from the field with four three-pointers on seven attempts.
Overall, four of the Diplomats starters reached double-digits in scoring in the game as Teschke tallied 15 points, six rebounds, three blocks and a pair of steals, while Outerbridge hit four-of-five from the field with four three-pointers on five attempts for 14 points.
Starting guard Adam Leonard (So., Muncy, PA/Muncy) added no points, but four assists which led to 14 points, including assists on three treys in the first half, while forward Evan Hamme (So., Falls Church, VA/George Mason) and Pat Pryzbylowski (So., Brick, NJ/Brick) came off the bench to add baskets to round out the Diplomats’ scorers.
Stewart led Muhlenberg with 19 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, while O’Brien added 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.
The game was a story of scoring runs as the two teams played to a five-to-five tie through the first 3:10 of action.
F&M began to pull away in the half as Hines hit a hook shot and Smith drilled a three-pointer to go ahead 10-5. The Diplomats pushed the lead out to 10 points at 24-14 left in first half with 11:07 left until halftime following a three-pointer by Outerbridge, but Muhlenberg chipped the lead down to 26-23 at the 7:36 mark.
Hines tipped in a missed shot at 6:08 and Teschke drained a pair of free throws at 5:30 to inch the lead back to seven points as the teams traded points to the horn for a 36-29 Franklin & Marshall lead at halftime.
F&M opened the second half with a lay-up and a jumper by Smith to push the margin back to 10 points at 40-30 with 17:43 to play, but O’Brien knocked down a trey at 16:47 to ignite a 10-4 Mules’ run to pull Muhlenberg to within 44-43 with 13:30 on the clock.
The teams traded baskets as O’Brien, Teschke, Tom Scott, Pryzbylowski, Mefford and Smith found the hoop with shots before Mike Bernardini canned a three-pointer with 8:47 to play to tie the game at 50-50.
Muhlenberg then took the lead as Stewart tallied three baskets and a free throw to give the Mules a 57-50 lead with 6:30 to play.
The Diplomats rallied behind Outerbridge who hit a three-pointer at 5:37 to cut the margin down to 57-53. Stewart responded by making the back end of a pair of free throws at 4:39 to put the lead at 58-53 before Teschke made a lay-up in the paint to set the score at 58-55 at 4:12.
Mefford made a pair of free throws at 4:00 for a 60-55 lead, but Hines hit a 10-foot jumper at 3:27 and Smith canned a trey at 2:34 to knot the score at 60-60 and set up the dramatic finish.
The win pulls the Diplomats (10-11, 5-9 Centennial Conference) to within a game of Muhlenberg (10-10, 6-8 CC), Haverford College (8-12, 6-8 CC) and McDaniel College (8-13, 6-8 CC) for fifth place in the Centennial Conference standings. Overall, F&M holds wins over all three teams as the Diplomats dropped Haverford (53-38 W on January 21 in Lancaster) and McDaniel (74-63 W on January 25 in Westminster) and fell at Muhlenberg (82-70 L on January 10) and at Haverford (74-70 L OT on December 10). The Diplomats and McDaniel will meet for the second and final time this season on February 15 in Lancaster.
Franklin & Marshall will continue the season on February 8 at Dickinson College. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.