Men’s Basketball Upsets #13 Franklin & Marshall

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) - The Carnegie Mellon University men's basketball team led from wire-to-wire and upended the 13th-ranked Diplomats of Franklin & Marshall College on Wednesday, December 30, 74-54, on the hardwood of Skibo Gymnasium.  The win improves the Tartans' record to 6-3 while Franklin & Marshall is now 7-2.

Junior Jack Serbin (New Albany, Ohio) connected on his first four shots of the game, including two from long range, to help Carnegie Mellon open the game with a 12-9 lead at the 15:21 mark.  The Tartans stayed in control and pushed the score to 23-13, thanks to a three-point bucket off the hands of sophomore Thomas Cook (Gwynn Oak, Md./Carver Arts & Tech.), which ended a 14-4 run for the home team.

Franklin & Marshall's Lior Levy cut the score to seven at 32-25 with 3:25 to play in the half, but the Tartans answered with seven straight points to grab their largest lead of the first 20 minutes of play.  Senior Blake Chasen (Chevy Chase, Md./Phillips Exeter (N.H.)) accounted for five of the Tartans' points during the stretch, including a trey and a transition basket off an assist from sophomore Ryan Maha (West Mifflin, Pa.).

The Tartans led 40-29 at the break after shooting 55.2% from the floor and converting on 4-of-7 from behind the arc.  The Diplomats shot 32.4% and were 3-of-9 from long range.  Carnegie Mellon took advantage of Franklin & Marshall's foul trouble in the first frame, scoring 24 points inside the paint to the Diplomats' 10.

Carnegie Mellon continued its momentum in the second half and never surrendered a double-digit lead the rest of the way.  Maha connected on back-to-back three-point baskets at the 6:28 mark of the second half to put a halt to any comeback bid for Franklin & Marshall. The two long range jumpers put the Tartans in front 63-46, as they went on for the upset victory.
 
The Tartans improve to 6-1 this season when out-rebounding their opponent, as they held a 47-35 advantage over the Diplomats.  Carnegie Mellon ended the game shooting 47.5% from the floor while holding Franklin & Marshall to 27.7%.   

Three Tartans scored in double figures with Serbin leading the way with 16 points.  Maha finished with 15 points while freshman Patrick Ehland (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) had 10 and recorded his second double-double of the season with 10 rebounds.  Junior Chris Shkil (Mentor, Ohio/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin) led all players on the glass with 11 rebounds and also chipped in with nine points. Senior Jason Sebak (New Kensington, Pa./Kiski Prep) dished out a game-high 11 assists in the win.
The Diplomats were led by Brandon Federici who scored a game-best 19 points.  Cedric Moune and Levy each finished with eight points.

The Tartans will return to the hardwood on Monday, January 4 when they travel to La Roche College for a 7:00 p.m. tip.