Sports Editor
In the season opener for the F&M Men’s Basketball Team Friday, the team did not disappoint in taking down Penn State Harrisburg in a strong 66-37 victory in the Lancaster Rotary Tip-Off Tournament, at home in Mayser Gymnasium.
The team is now ranked number nine among Division III standings, and hopes to repeat their successes from last year in winning the Conference title. Last February the team took on Muhlenberg College in the championships, and won 71-55 with relative ease.
This weekend against PSU Harrisburg, the team had a commanding lead throughout the game and began the second half with a 21-31 lead.
In terms of individual play, Hayk Gyokchyan ’13 scored a game-high of 16 points. Matt Porter ’14 came in second for individual points on the board, scoring nine points. Max Brewer ’13, Ed Early ’14, and Devin Figueroa ’16 all tied for third, each scoring a total of eight points.
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This is the beginning of the three-month, possibly four-month season for the team, with their last game against Dickinson College Feb. 16. This is just the regular season. Playoffs begin Feb. 20 and the team is looking to make it back as they did last year, and are likely to maintain this success, with nine returning players on the roster this season.
Glenn Robinson, head coach of the men’s basketball team, will also be back this season, making it his 44th season with the F&M team. Robinson will go down in F&M history as one of the most influential coaches in F&M athletics, who now has acquired over 800 wins for the team.
In addition to Robinson, assistant coaches Brian Murphy and Dan Fahringer will be returning wearing F&M’s letters.
Nick Nichay and Fitzgerald Christophe were also added to the coaching staff this past October.
Additionally, the team also added five first-years to the team, Gordon Rogo ’16, Kaleb Faison ’16, Devin Figueroa ’16, Cedric Moune ’16, Shawn Hines ’16, and Matt Wilson ’16. This makes five of the 14 on the roster first-years, which could translate into great successes in future seasons.
The team will be facing strong conference competition, including Muhlenberg College on Feb. 2, Johns Hopkins University on Feb. 13, and Dickinson College on Feb. 16.
The team will face off against Washington College in the first Centennial Conference competition game at 8 p.m. Tuesday at home in Mayser Gymnasium.
Questions? Email Mark at mrossman@fandm.edu.