FLORENCE, SC - Junior forward Edward Gullatte scored the go-ahead basket on a slashing drive to the hoop with 1:01 remaining and Francis Marion University survived a last-second potential game-tying three-point attempt that narrowly missed as the Patriots claimed a 65-62 win over Columbus State University, Sunday afternoon (Jan. 17) in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action.

Francis Marion improves to 14-2 overall and 6-1 in the PBC and continues its third-best start in program history.  FMU won three games this past week, all by single digits, and all decided in the final minute of play.

Senior guard Kendrick Robinson led the Patriots with 13 points, including 5-of-6 free throws in the final four minutes that helped FMU pull out the come-from-behind win. The 6-2 guard also pulled down a team-high and career-high equaling eight rebounds.  Junior forward Simel Boyd added 12 points and six rebounds, while 6-9 sophomore center Andrew Smith registered 10 points and seven rebounds.

In addition to his go-ahead bucket, Gullatte eight points and handed out five assists.  Guards Mike Candelaria and Herman Mains each scored nine points.

Junior guards Lamar Williams and Donta Ridley paced Columbus State (8-6, 2-3) with 14 points apiece.  Senior 6-4 forward Chris Telesford added seven points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Gullatte's basket put Francis Marion up 63-62 entering the final minute.  Following misses by both teams at both ends of the floor, Columbus State's Blake Zamudio missed a three-pointer with 14 ticks left and Francis Marion was awarded the ball when a CSU player corralled the offensive rebound but his foot was on the baseline.  Robinson then connected on a pair of free throws with 7.4 seconds left to lengthen the Patriot advantage to 65-62.  Columbus State's Williams took the inbounds pass, dribbled up the floor, and launched an off-balance 25-foot three-point attempt that rolled around the rim before falling off as the horn sounded.

Behind 10 points from Ridley and a defensive effort that held FMU to 9-of-32 shooting in the opening 20 minutes, the Cougars claimed a 35-25 lead at halftime.

Francis Marion, which entered the game shooting 31.3 percent from beyond the three-point arc, missed its first 14 long-distance shots.  Kaylan Anderson finally broke the string and Candelaria followed with three-consecutive three-point makes as the Patriots erased the halftime deficit and forged ahead 45-39 with 11:56 left.

CSU responded with an 8-0 run, capped by a three-point play by Ridley, and regained the lead at 47-45.  An inside basket by Williams kept the Cougars up 57-54 with six minutes on the clock.

A pair of free throws by Robinson knotted the game at 60-60 at the 3:40 mark.  A Williams' jump shot in the lane put CSU up 62-60 with 3:03 remaining, but Robinson trimmed the margin to 62-61 with 1-of-2 charity tosses with 1:53 left.  That set the stage for Gullatte's go-ahead basket with 1:01 remaining.

Columbus State missed its final five field goal attempts and did not score over the final 3:02.  After the dismal first half, FMU connected on 48.3 percent of its shots in the second stanza, while holding CSU to 31.3 percent after intermission.

With no midweek games this week, FMU will return to action on Saturday when the Patriots play host to PBC newcomer Flagler College at 3:30 p.m.  Columbus State entertains Georgia College & State University on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

1-17-10 4:05 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 65, COLUMBUS STATE UNIVERSITY 62
COLUMBUS STATE UNIVERSITY (8-6 , 2-3 PBC)
Ridley, Donta 5-13 4-8 14; Williams, Lamar 7-14 0-0 14; Zamudio, Blake 3-9
0-0 8; Grimball, Jeremy 2-3 3-5 7; Bland, Brandon 3-10 1-1 7; Telesford,
Chris 2-7 2-4 7; Thomas, Bryant 2-3 0-0 5; Smith, Darius 0-0 0-0 0; Gagnon,
Nick 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-60 10-18 62.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (14-2 , 6-1 PBC)
Robinson, Kendrick 4-12 5-6 13; Boyd, Simel 6-13 0-1 12; Smith, Andrew 3-9
4-6 10; Candelaria, Mike 3-6 0-0 9; Mains, Herman 3-7 3-5 9; Gullatte,
Edward 3-7 2-2 8; Anderson, Kaylan 1-2 0-0 3; Petreikis, Mindaugas 0-1 1-5
1; Peterson, Andy 0-0 0-0 0; Julious, Bryant 0-1 0-0 0; Turner, David 0-3
0-0 0. Totals 23-61 15-25 65.
Halftime: Columbus State 35  Francis Marion 25
3-point goals--Columbus State University 4-16 (Zamudio, Blake 2-7;
Telesford, Chris 1-3; Thomas, Bryant 1-1; Williams, Lamar 0-5), Francis
Marion University 4-20 (Candelaria, Mike 3-6; Anderson, Kaylan 1-2; Mains,
Herman 0-2; Gullatte, Edward 0-1; Julious, Bryant 0-1; Turner, David 0-2;
Boyd, Simel 0-1; Robinson, Kendrick 0-5). Fouled out--Columbus State
University-Ridley, Donta; Grimball, Jeremy, Francis Marion University-Smith,
Andrew. Rebounds--Columbus State University 40 (Telesford, Chris 12),
Francis Marion University 43 (Robinson, Kendrick 8). Assists--Columbus State
University 8 (Ridley, Donta 3), Francis Marion University 16 (Gullatte,
Edward 5). Total fouls--Columbus State University 22, Francis Marion
University 18. Technical fouls--Columbus State University-None, Francis
Marion University-None. A-505