AIKEN, SC - Junior Shannon Singleton-Bates scored 14 points including a key late basket as 18th-ranked Francis Marion University edged USC Aiken 79-77 on Wednesday night (Jan. 13) to hand Patriot head coach Heather Macy her 100th career win.

Macy, in her third year at Francis Marion and her fifth overall as a collegiate head coach, needed only 136 contests to reach the century mark.  The Hamptonville, N.C., native was 40-20 in two seasons at Pfeiffer University before coming to FMU where she is 60-14.

FMU improves to 12-2 overall and 4-1 in the Peach Belt Conference.  FMU will host a pair of PBC opponents this weekend: Georgia Southwestern State University on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and Columbus State University on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

Senior guard Shana Franks led Francis Marion 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting, while senior guard Eboni Fields added 10 points.  Junior point guard Robin Colbert tallied seven points, 13 rebounds, three steals, two assists, and two blocked shots.

Catherine Cain paced USCA (6-9, 1-5) with 18 points and four blocked shots, while Kendra Chandler had 16 points and six rebounds.

The Lady Pacers took an early lead and stretched the margin to 22-10 at the midway point of the first stanza.  Trailing 30-20, Franks sparked a 16-3 FMU run that put the Patriots on top 36-33.  USCA responded with its own small spurt and led 39-37 at halftime.

Francis Marion immediately retook the lead to open the second half and the Patriots would extend the margin to 52-43 on a leaning jumper in the lane by Singleton-Bates with 15:43 left.  USCA answered with a 16-7 run to knot the game at 59-59 with 11:12 remaining.

Singleton-Bates contributed her late basket and Precious Tucker converted a three-point play to give FMU a 79-74 lead which USCA could not overcome.

Both teams made 21 free throws and four three-pointers, but FMU managed one more field goal than the Lady Pacers.  Francis Marion also committed a season-low 13 turnovers and shot a season-high 84 percent from the foul line (21-of-25).  The Patriots forced 23 USCA miscues that resulted in 18 points. 

1-13-10 5:30 PM at Aiken, SC (Convocation Center)
#18 FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 79, USC AIKEN 77
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (12-2, 4-1 PBC)
Franks, Shana 8-16 1-1 18; Singleton-Bates, Sha 5-10 4-4 14; Fields, Eboni
3-5 3-4 10; Mealing, Nicole 3-10 1-3 8; Colbert, Robin 2-8 3-4 7; Mann,
Monica 1-3 4-4 7; Bowens, Tiahana 2-3 2-2 6; Tucker, Precious 2-5 1-1 5;
Coleman, Dawn 0-1 2-2 2; Mealing, Courtney 1-5 0-0 2; Trice, Simone 0-0 0-0
0; Downs, Danelle 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-67 21-25 79.
USC AIKEN (6-9, 1-5 PBC)
Cain, Catherine 7-12 3-6 18; Chandler, Kendra 6-10 4-7 16; Pinkney, Nakia
5-11 2-2 14; Sundberg, Lindsay 4-8 2-3 11; Schirmer, Deandra 3-4 1-2 7;
Harris, Triahna 0-2 5-8 5; Tarailo, Daniela 0-1 2-2 2; DeGraffinreed, Hann.
0-0 2-3 2; Antoine, Mia 1-1 0-0 2; Friedrich, Tina 0-1 0-0 0; Crapps,
Cameron 0-0 0-0 0; Bowen, Brittany 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 26-53 21-33 77.
Halftime: USCA 39 Francis Marion 37
3-point goals--Francis Marion University 4-12 (Fields, Eboni 1-1; Mealing,
Nicole 1-2; Franks, Shana 1-4; Mann, Monica 1-2; Mealing, Courtney 0-1;
Colbert, Robin 0-1; Singleton-Bates, Sha 0-1), USC Aiken 4-15 (Pinkney,
 Nakia2-6; Sundberg, Lindsay 1-4; Cain, Catherine 1-3; Tarailo, Daniela 0-1;
Bowen, Brittany 0-1). Fouled out--Francis Marion University-Mealing,
Courtney, USC Aiken-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion University 40 (Colbert,
Robin 13), USC Aiken 38 (Schirmer, Deandra 6; Harris, Triahna 6; Chandler,
Kendra 6). Assists--Francis Marion University 6 (Fields, Eboni 2; Colbert,
Robin 2), USC Aiken 12 (Harris, Triahna 5). Total fouls--Francis Marion
29, USC Aiken 19. Technical fouls--None. A-1438

FMU head coach Heather Macy