FLORENCE, SC - Junior Shannon Singleton-Bates converted a three-point play with 19 seconds left and junior Robin Colbert added a pair of insurance free throws with four ticks left to rally 18th-ranked Francis Marion University past USC Aiken 69-65, Wednesday evening (Dec. 2) in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball action.

Francis Marion improves to 6-0 overall and 1-0 in the PBC, while capturing its seventh straight win over the Lady Pacers in Florence.

Senior Shana Franks led FMU with 14 points, while senior Nicole Mealing added 13 points and eight rebounds coming off the Patriot bench.  Singleton-Bates, who was a late game-time decision despite a leg injury, scored 11 points, five of which came in the final two minutes, and Colbert tallied 10 points, nine assists, and five rebounds.

Sophomore forward Hannah DeGraffinreed led USCA (4-2, 0-1) with 16 points, while guard Nakia Pinkney scored 13, guard Triahna Harris 12, and center Catherine Cain 10.  Harris also dished out six assists.

Singleton-Bates' three-point play came off a fast-break layup and foul that put FMU up 67-65.  DeGraffinreed then missed a potential game-tying layup with eight seconds left and FMU's Precious Tucker grabbed the rebound.  Colbert was then fouled and hit a pair of free throws to ice the win.

The Patriots missed 19 of their first 21 field goal attempts to open the game and watched as the Lady Pacers raced to a 17-7 lead.  FMU rediscovered its shooting eye, and with a 13-7 spurt, climbed back to within 24-20.  USCA would cling to that same four-point margin (29-25) as the two teams left the floor at halftime.

USCA shot 55 percent in the opening stanza compared to only 20 percent by the Patriots.  However, FMU stayed within striking range by launching 25 more shots than did the Lady Pacers.

Baskets by Franks and Singleton-Bates to open the second half quickly tied the score at 29-29.  USCA responded with a 6-0 spurt, and the Lady Pacers would gradually pull away to a 48-41 lead with 8:52 remaining.

A 9-2 rally by the Patriot knotted the score at 50-50 following a three-pointer by Mealing with 6:45 on the clock.  The score would be tied at 52, 54, and 56 before FMU took a 60-57 advantage with 3:22 remaining.  Franks gave FMU a 64-63 lead with a layup at the 1:12 mark, but DeGraffinreed answered with a layup with 24 ticks left to push the Lady Pacers ahead 65-64.  It only took the Patriots five seconds to inbounds the ball and for Colbert to find Singleton-Bates with a long pass that led to the go-ahead three-point play.  

USCA made half of its field goal attempts (24-of-48) for the game, but the Patriots attempted 32 more shots than the visitors and despite shooting only 32.5 percent, the Patriots claimed the win.  FMU forced 28 USCA turnovers and held a 23-6 advantage on the offensive glass.

Francis Marion will close out its season-opening seven-game home stand by hosting Barton College on Monday at 7 p.m.  USCA will play at NCAA Division I Winthrop University on Saturday at 4 p.m.

12-2-09 5:30 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 69, USC AIKEN 65
USC AIKEN (4-2 , 0-1 PBC)
DeGraffinreed, Hann. 8-12 0-1 16; Pinkney, Nakia 5-9 3-7 13; Harris, Triahna
4-6 3-4 12; Cain, Catherine 2-5 6-8 10; Schirmer, Deandra 2-5 2-2 6; Bowen,
Brittany 2-5 0-0 6; Tarailo, Daniela 1-2 0-0 2; Friedrich, Tina 0-0 0-0 0;
Sundberg, Lindsay 0-4 0-0 0; Crapps, Cameron 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-48 14-22
65.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (#18 6-0 ,1-0 PBC)
Franks, Shana 6-11 2-2 14; Mealing, Nicole 4-15 0-0 12; Singleton-Bates, Sha
4-12 3-4 11; Colbert, Robin 3-7 4-4 10; Fields, Eboni 3-10 0-0 8; Tucker,
Precious 3-6 1-2 7; Mealing, Courtney 3-7 0-0 6; Coleman, Dawn 0-6 1-2 1;
Trice, Simone 0-2 0-0 0; Downs, Danelle 0-2 0-1 0; Mann, Monica 0-2 0-0 0.
Totals 26-80 11-15 69.
Halftime: USCA 29 Francis Marion 25
3-point goals--USC Aiken 3-11 (Bowen, Brittany 2-4; Harris, Triahna 1-2;
Cain, Catherine 0-1; Sundberg, Lindsay 0-4), Francis Marion University 6-27
(Mealing, Nicole 4-9; Fields, Eboni 2-7; Colbert, Robin 0-1; Mealing,
Courtney 0-2; Coleman, Dawn 0-1; Trice, Simone 0-1; Mann, Monica 0-2;
Singleton-Bates, Sha 0-1; Franks, Shana 0-3). Fouled out--USC Aiken-None,
Francis Marion University-None. Rebounds--USC Aiken 39 (Schirmer, Deandra
10), Francis Marion University 43 (Tucker, Precious 9). Assists--USC Aiken
16 (Harris, Triahna 6), Francis Marion University 18 (Colbert, Robin 9).
Total fouls--USC Aiken 15, Francis Marion University 23. Technical
fouls--USC Aiken-None, Francis Marion University-Franks, Shana. A-1072