February 9, 2008
Diplomats Edge Shorewomen, 60-58
Conway Equals School Record for Steals in Season in Loss

CHESTERTOWN, MD – Sarah Meisenberg scored the go-ahead lay-up with 39 seconds to play and assisted on a game-clinching bucket with 10 seconds to go as visiting Franklin & Marshall topped hosted Washington College, 60-58, in a Centennial Conference women's basketball game this afternoon in Cain Athletic Center. The Diplomats improved to 15-6 overall and 10-4 in conference play with the win. Washington senior guard Elise Conway (Silver Spring, MD/Paint Branch) matched the school record for steals in a season in the loss for the Shorewomen, who fell to 9-13 and 6-9.

F&M scored 12 of the final 18 points of the first half to take a 32-26 lead into halftime. The Diplomats opened up a 12-point lead on a lay-up by Meisenberg with 14:51 remaining that made it 41-29, but the Shorewomen then reeled off 15 unanswered points to take a 44-41 lead on a pair of free throws by junior guard Brianne Slizofski (Collegeville, PA/Pius X) with 11:00 to play. Minutes later, five straight points by Meisenberg - a lay-up and free throw with 9:07 left, followed by a pair of free throws at 8:51 - put the Diplomats ahead, 48-46. Freshman forward Jessycka Wilson (Severna Park, MD/Severn School) evened the score for Washington with a put-back at 7:59, but Meisenberg found Beth Holt for a three-pointer on F&M's next possession to give the Diplomats a 51-48 lead with 7:42 left.

F&M remained in front until a Slizofski three-pointer with 1:55 left knotted the score at 56-56. Each team squandered opportunities to take the lead on the next two possessions before Meisenberg drove the lane to make it 58-56 in favor of the Diplomats with 39 seconds left. Conway missed a potential game-tying shot with 16 seconds to play and F&M's Cara Landolfi grabbed the rebound. Following Washington's sixth foul of the half, F&M inbounded the ball. Meisenberg was able to evade Washington's attempts to foul in the backcourt and found Alison Menna on the other end for a lay-up with 10 seconds left to make it a two-possession game. A jumper by WC sophomore guard Jessica Jamrogowicz (Marlton, NJ/Bishop Eustace) at the buzzer provided the final margin.

Meisenberg finished with 20 points, seven assists, and nine rebounds in the game, while Holt added 13 points and five assists and Landolfi tallied 12 points and eight boards. Holt was 4-of-6 from three-point range.

Slizofski led the Shorewomen with a career-high tying 20 points. Sophomore guard Jane O'Donnell (Cape May Court House, NJ/Wildwood Catholic) added 17 points, making five three-pointers in the game. Conway dished out eight assists, blocked two shots, and swiped three steals. Her third steal of the game matched Washington's single-season school record of 68 set by Karen Sieger during the 1994-95 season.

The Shorewomen return to action one week from today with a 1:00 p.m. Centennial Conference game at McDaniel.

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