The Final Four is a distant memory for Franklin & Marshall now, though more distant for some than others.

On Friday night the Dips took the first small step on what they hope will be a return trip, drubbing New York City Tech 102-40 in a Rotary Tip-Off Tournament first-round game in Mayser Gym.

F&M, a loser in last year's national semifinals, will attempt to defend its title in this event tonight at 8 against Gwynedd-Mercy. The Griffins beat St. Lawrence 87-77 in Friday's other first-rounder.

"We're basically picking up where we left off," said junior forward Mike Baker, one of the Dips' four returning starters. "Everybody's still hungry from last year."

Especially Baker. He is from the St. Louis area, and knows a lot of the guys who play for Washington (Mo.) University, which won the title. He even played alongside them over the summer.

"Seeing all the players get their rings and celebrate the championship," he said, "made me even more hungry."

Others, like junior forward James McNally, have filed last year away for future reference. And that means everything — the 26-7 finish, the come-from-ahead 62-58 loss in the semis to Richard Stockton, all of it.

"We try not to think about it too much," said McNally, who led the Dips with 17 points Friday.

The goal this year, he said, is to "win the conference and do as well as we can, and NCAAs will pan themselves out."

Freshman guard Brandon Beckford added 15 points in his first college game, as F&M put five guys in double figures. It was the first time the Dips exceeded 100 points since a 105-78 victory over Southern Virginia on Jan. 7, 2007, their largest margin of victory since a 108-43 victory over Bethany on Dec. 14, 2002.

They scored the game's first 19 points, and 25 of the first 27, and held the Yellow Jackets without a field goal until 6:44 remained in the first half. In all F&M shot 54.8 percent from the field while limiting City Tech to 22.7 percent marksmanship (10-for-44) and forcing 32 turnovers.

And still, veteran coach Glenn Robinson said, "I don't think we're playing that well."

He noted that because of injuries, he only had his starters together for three days during preseason drills.

"There are a lot of things we're capable of doing," he said, "that you're not seeing yet."

Because they have those four starters back, and because eight of the top 10 players return, there were very few questions about roles. Steve Tolliver, last year's sixth man, started at the wing spot occupied last year by the departed Clay Scovill. And the first big man off the bench, replacing the graduated Danny Selig, was sophomore Dave Balderston — though freshman Kevin Henry wasn't far behind, and another freshman postman, Hayk Gyokchyan, is trying to catch up after a preseason knee injury.

Beckford was the first wing sub, and another freshman, Justin Driver, also saw some early action.

So when McNally said everybody was able to get "the first-game jitters" out of their system, he was referring primarily to the newcomers.

But as he also noted, it's one thing to produce in a one-sided game, quite another to do it when it's a nail-biter.

"When it comes down to the wire," he said, "guys play differently."

But so far, he said, the freshmen have met every challenge — in practice, in scrimmages and obviously on Friday.

"And hopefully," he added, "they can keep doing stuff like that."

It's a long season, after all. And the Dips hope it's longer than most.

Notes: Tolliver scored 11 points, and Baker and Georgio Milligan added 10 apiece for the Dips, who have won this tournament 21 of the previous 29 times it has been held. … F&M beat Gwynedd-Mercy for the title in 2005.