Franklin & Marshall's men's basketball team came within two-plus minutes Friday night of dancing its biggest dance since the 1991 season.

Grinding offense and gritty defense had the underdog Diplomats within reach of pulling a Final Four stunner here at Salem Civic Center and reaching the national title game for the first time in 18 years. But three turnovers in the final 2:21 allowed Richard Stockton College of New Jersey to wipe out a late deficit and steal both its 18th straight win and a berth in today's NCAA Division III championship game opposite reigning king Washington-St. Louis.

"Stockton was very quick, and all game long it was like holding back a dam burst so the thing wouldn't crack and swamp you," Diplomats coach Glenn Robinson said. "They just got a couple (of big plays) at the biggest times."

"All season long we took care of the ball," F&M forward James McNally said. "Just a few turnovers at the end. But you can't really blame it on anybody. It's a team game. Give credit to Stockton."

F&M (26-6) faces Guilford (25-6) today in the 12:30 p.m. consolation. The Quakers were routed by the Bears, 77-58, in the first game of Friday's national semifinal doubleheader.

Washington-St. Louis (28-2) looks to become just the fourth Division III team since 1975 to repeat as national champ when it faces Stockton (30-2) for the title at 3. North Park (1978-80), Wisconsin-Platteville (1998-99) and UW-Stevens (2004-05) are the only repeat champions.

In a game that featured nine lead changes, Stockton guard Michael Farrow's steal of a Georgio Milligan pass and follow-up layup put the Ospreys in front for good at 57-56. Farrow then swiped a Steve Tolliver pass with 51 seconds left.

"I saw the trend that they were doing, the point guard would come back to the top of the key and I just played the passing lane," said Farrow, whose two steals were part of the uncharacteristic 17 turnovers F&M committed. "The ball came and I made a play."

Forward Omar Smith clinched the win with 20 seconds to go when he stepped in front of a pass in the paint intended for forward Mike Baker.

"I tried to close up the lane so they couldn't get the ball to the big man," said Smith. "Fortunately, I was in the right place at the right time."

Smith sank 3-of-4 free throws in the final seconds to deny the Diplomats their upset bid.

"When we got in the hole we sucked it up and came back," said veteran Stockton coach Gerry Matthews, who was reduced to near tears by the emotional victory. "We've been on a heck of a ride. We'll try to do it one more time."

Farrow scored 11 points for Stockton, which was led by 20 points apiece from the inside-outside combination of Smith and guard Kai Massaquoi. Forward Jerome Hubbard, whose 13.2 season average led the Ospreys, was held to 7 points by Anthony Brooks' sterling defensive effort. Hubbard was 0-for-10 from 3-point range before splashing a huge corner trey that cut F&M's lead to 56-55 with 2:35 remaining.

"I had help from my teammates, especially Georgio, but mostly (Hubbard) was my responsibility to keep him below his average," Brooks said. "For the most part, I did that."

The Diplomats were paced by Milligan's team-high 16 points and 13 each from Brooks and McNally. Baker added 10 points and grabbed a game-best 11 rebounds. F&M suffered a setback when it lost Clay Scovill for the final 3:08. The junior swingman was forced to leave the game for good after re-injuring his ankle.

F&M matched its largest lead of the game when it went up 52-44 on a steal and layup by Brooks and a tip-in by Milligan with 6:17 to go.

"I did think with about four minutes to go we were going to be able to pull it off," Robinson said. "But Stockton really rose to the occasion."

An 8-0 run by the Ospreys tied the game for the 11th and final time, but F&M regained the lead one last time on buckets by Baker and Tolliver.

F&M outplayed Stockton throughout the first half but was forced to settle for a tie at 26 heading into the break. The Diplomats' largest lead of the half was 24-16 following Baker's rebound and lane jumper at the five-minute mark. But in a scenario that would mirror the end game, the Ospreys rallied behind a series of turnovers.

"You have to tip your cap to Stockton," Robinson said. "They did a great job."

E-mail: egruver@lnpnews.com