For the men’s basketball team, the week was filled with a couple extra practices and a crucial Centennial Conference win.
While the Diplomats were expected to take on the Mules from Muhlenberg on Saturday in the Mayser Center, the snowstorm that blasted Lancaster over the weekend prevented the game from going forward. The game has been rescheduled for Monday night at 8 p.m.
Even though their schedule didn’t go as planned on Saturday, F&M appeared to be in full control on Wednesday night in Collegeville, PA, as the Dips pasted Ursinus 70-62 in a pivotal game that helped clear the air with regards to the Centennial Conference standings.
As of Saturday, the Dips sat atop the conference standings with a 17-3 record (11-2 in the Centennial), with Muhlenberg sitting in second and Ursinus not far behind, holding steady in third.
In addition to holding the top spot, the Dips are the only team to date that has clinched a playoff spot in the Centennial Conference postseason tournament.
The win over the Bears in Collegeville extended F&M’s recent hot streak. The Dips are currently on a six-game tear through the Centennial, and they have a 12-1 record since they beat Gettysburg back on Dec. 9. Their lone loss during that time period came against visiting Washington over the Winter break.
Over the course of the tear, the Dips have not only cemented themselves as a Top 25 team, but also established themselves as one of the premier defensive teams in the nation.
F&M has reached lofty heights in several crucial defensive categories. Through the end of January, the NCAA had the Dips ranked second overall in scoring defense (56.2 points per game), second in field-goal percentage defense (opponents have converted a paltry 36% of their shot attempts against the Dips), and third in blocked shots per game with nearly six per game.
In addition, F&M also ranks in the top ten in scoring margin and three point field goal defense.
All of this defensive proficiency has led the Dips to a 17-3 record and their lofty rankings in the Centennial Conference and the national polls (F&M is currently ranked 15 in the D3Hoops.com Top 25 poll).
So far offensively, F&M has shown the ability to score efficiently, despite their lack of a three-point shooting threat.
The offensive stats are far less flattering, as F&M ranks 203 in scoring offense, 145 in field goal percentage, and 392 in three-point field goals per game.
While the numbers may not be gaudy on the offensive side of the ball, their stingy defense more than makes up for it. To this point in the season, F&M has held fourteen of their opponents below 60 points, and six of those opponents were held to 50 points or less.
Four of those opponents came during a five-game stretch against McDaniel, Dickinson, Haverford, Johns Hopkins, and Swarthmore before Ursinus was finally able to post 62 on F&M on Wednesday.
F&M will look to continue their defensive dominance against Muhlenberg on Monday. The Mules have a solid hold on second place in the conference, making this another pivotal Centennial Conference matchup.
Earlier in the season, F&M traveled to Allentown and creamed Muhlenberg 80-58. At home in the Mayser Center, the Dips will be looking for a repeat performance.
Following their showdown with Muhlenberg, F&M will hit the road for a two game road trip, traveling to Gettysburg on Wednesday and then trekking on down to Maryland to avenge their heartbreaking overtime loss to Washington.
The Dips will return home to host the Blue Jays of Johns Hopkins in what will likely be another important showdown in the battle for the top spot in the conference.
F&M concludes its season with a home game against Dickinson on February 20, and the Dips will then begin conference tournament play.
If F&M can continue to apply the same defensive pressure that they have displayed over the past several weeks, it is likely that the Dips will be able to secure the top spot in the conference, which would allow F&M to host the Centennial Conference postseason tournament for the second season in a row.
Last year, F&M made it to the finals before losing to Gettysburg for the third time that season.
Let’s just say that the Dips will be looking for a difference outcome this time around.
