Lancaster Bible College 80, Franklin & Marshall 73
 
F&M Starters
Mathis, Nichols, Suchy, Parra & Seidman
 
LBC Starters
Seth Beers, Tyler Hilton, Grant Sareyka, Jordan Shewbridge & Adam Stoltzfus
 
How It Happened
The Lancaster Bible College men's basketball team won the William Marshall Tip-Off Tournament, holding off Franklin & Marshall's second half rally. The Chargers picked up an 80-73 win on Saturday, November 13.
 
The Chargers' offense got off to a strong start with Jordan Shewbridge opening the scoring by draining a 3-pointer. On the next possession, Tyler Hilton added a 3-pointer of his own, giving LBC the early 6-2 advantage. F&M would battle back, tying the game at seven. Adam Stoltzfus brought his teammates to their feet, slamming down a dunk off an offensive rebound. This sparked a 9-2 run capped off by a 3-pointer in transition by Grant Sareyka. LBC would take a 10-point lead off a jumper by Caleb Carpenter. The Diplomats fought back closing within five points midway through the first half.
 
Out of a Chargers' time out, LBC's defense would get a spark from Isaiah Mitchell whose efforts on the defensive end helped the Chargers get into transition. LBC would seize momentum, racing out on a 15-2 run. Jakari Wilkins would score a layup and then connect on a free throw to put LBC ahead 37-19. Jordan Praylow continued to push the advantage, draining a 3-pointer to put the Chargers ahead by 20 points. F&M would cut the deficit down to 17 points with only seconds remaining in the half, but Wilkins swished a 3-pointer with eight seconds remaining to send LBC into the break leading by a score of 50-30.
 
LBC's offense traded baskets with F&M early in the second half with Hilton and Stoltzfus driving to the basket and scoring contested layups. The Chargers would get into foul trouble, forcing Hilton and Stoltzfus to take a seat on the bench. F&M would take advantage, launching a 10-2 run, cutting LBC's lead in half. Maureon Tisdale-Couch ended the run by driving into the paint and finishing a contested layup. The Diplomats kept pushing and would pull back within six points with just over nine minutes remaining in regulation. Carpenter and Tisdale-Couch each scored layups to help slow F&M's rally. The Diplomats would pull within two, making the score 69-67 after Sam Davison drilled a 3-pointer. Wilkins would stretch the lead back to four points, knocking down a pair of clutch free throws. Leading by two with 2:32 remaining, Shewbridge converted a clutch layup, bringing the advantage back to four. Sareyka would get out in transition, scoring a layup with just over thirty seconds remaining off a great pass from Carpenter putting LBC ahead by five. The Chargers would hold to secure the 80-73 victory.
 
Inside The Numbers
- Grant Sareyka led the Chargers offense, scoring 15 points and dishing three assists
- Tyler Hilton came up just short of a double-double, scoring 13 points and pulling in 9 rebounds
- Adam Stoltzfus came up big for the Chargers in the paint, scoring 11 points and gathering 8 rebounds
- Jordan Shewbridge scored 10 points, and handed out five assists
- Jakari Wilkins and Caleb Carpenter both reached double figures, scoring 10 points a piece
- F&M was led by Mark Suchy who scored 18 points
- The Chargers' bench play was key, as the team scored 31 bench points
- LBC shot 49.2% from the field, including shooting 45.5% from beyond the arc
- This was LBC's first ever William Marshall Tip-Off Tournament Championship. The Chargers picked up the program's second win over cross-town rival F&M, having defeated the Diplomats by a score of 94-66 during the 2015-16 season.
 
Coaching Points
"A point of emphasis was that we wanted to stretch the floor against F&M's offense and defense," said head coach Jon Mack. "We wanted to prevent them from using their size against us. I thought our speed was key and we were able to be gritty, getting in transition and scoring 18 points. We attacked the space we created, which allowed us to shoot at a high percentage in the first half. I thought in the second half we didn't do that as well at that partly due to foul trouble, which allowed them to climb back into the game. During a timeout in the second half, I told our younger players in the game due to some of those foul issues to stop complaining and start leading. They had to create some winning plays and create some runs for us. Our freshman and younger players answered my challenge and never allowed F&M to retake the lead." Mack went on to say about his players performances, "Grant had an amazing tournament especially in the first half tonight, he was truly special. Jordan did so much well, dealing with a lot of extra attention and I thought he did a nice job playing within himself in our offense. Adam was tremendous for us rebounding, protecting the rim, and working in the paint all while dealing with foul issues."
 
All-Tournament Team
Jordan Shewbridge- 20.5 PPG, 40.7 FG%, 2.5 APG & 2.5 RPG
Grant Sareyka (Tournament MVP)- 16.0 PPG, 54.2 FG% & 2.5 APG
 
Who's Next
The men's basketball team will now take part in the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament hosted by Geneva College on Friday, November 19. The Chargers will face Geneva at 7:30 p.m.
 
Stay Connected
Be sure to follow LBC Athletics on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for the most in-depth coverage of Charger athletics.