FLORENCE, SC -- Seniors Nicole Mealing and Shana Franks posted season-high totals of 20 and 19 points respectively and 17th-ranked Francis Marion University connected on 13 three-pointers to record a 77-65 Peach Belt Conference win over UNC Pembroke, Saturday afternoon (Jan. 2) in women's basketball action.

Showing some rust from a 12-day layoff for the holidays, FMU improved to 10-1 overall and 2-0 in the PBC, while beating the Lady Braves for the fifth straight time.  FMU will play at 21st-ranked Lander University on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in an early-season PBC showdown.

Mealing connected on 6-of-10 three-point shots and grabbed six rebounds, while Franks hit on 8-of-10 shots and scored 14 points in the second half.  Senior guard Eboni Fields hit five three-pointers en route to 15 points.  Junior 6-0 center Danelle Downs scored only two points, but pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, recorded three steals, and drew three charges at the defensive end.

As a team, FMU hit on 13-of-36 shots from behind the three-point arc, four shy of the team record.

Junior forward JaToya Kemp led UNCP (6-6, 0-3) with 21 points and nine rebounds.  Junior guard Chevoya Jackson added 14 points, six rebounds, and four assists.

Francis Marion missed its first seven field goal attempts and the Lady Braves took an early 7-1 lead. A pair of free throws by UNCP's Talena Faison gave the Lady Braves a 16-11 advnvatage with 10:58 left in the opening stanza.  FMU responded with a 12-3 run to go ahead 23-19.  UNCP then scored seven straight points to go up 26-23 following a layup by Kemp at the 4:37 mark.  A pair of three-pointers by Fields triggered a 14-7 Patriot run to end the half that gave Francis Marion a 37-33 lead at intermission.

Following a layup by Jackson to open the second half, FMU scored 10 of the game's next 12 points, helped by a trio of three-pointers by Mealing within a span of only 1:41.  A layup by Kemp trimmed the Patriot lead to 47-42 with 14:40 remaining, but FMU answered with an 11-0 run to go up 58-42 with 10:12 left.

A free throw by UNCP guard Illya Hunt trimmed the margin to 59-48, but Shannon Singleton-Bates converted a fast-break bucket and Franks tallied nine straight Patriot points to give FMU a 70-52 lead.  Another Franks' jumper stretched the Patriot margin to 23 points (75-52) with 4:24 left.

Francis Marion forced UNCP into 34 turnovers, which resulted in 24 points.  The long-range shots helped FMU overcome a 35.4 overall shooting percent for the game.   The Patriots also held a 44-35 rebounding advantage, including a 26-9 edge on the offensive glass.

1-2-10 1:30 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
#17 FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 77, UNC PEMBROKE 65
UNC PEMBROKE (6-6 , 0-3 PBC)
Kemp,JaToya 8-12 5-5 21; Jackson,Chevoya 4-9 5-6 14; Knower,Anya 1-2 4-4 6;
Hobbs,Kristen 2-2 0-0 5; Hunt,Illya 1-3 2-3 4; Locklear,Porcha 1-2 0-0 3;
Hairston,Jasmine 1-2 0-0 2; Ray,DayDay 1-1 0-0 2; Faison,Talena 0-3 2-2 2;
Zimmerman,Jodi 1-1 0-1 2; Delk,Marquena 1-6 0-0 2; Stanton,Briana 1-1 0-1 2;
Cotten,DeDe 0-2 0-0 0; Siddens,Casey 0-0 0-0 0; Bolton,Courtney 0-0 0-2 0.
Totals 22-46 18-24 65.
#17 FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (#17 10-1,2-0 PBC)
Mealing, Nicole 7-14 0-0 20; Franks, Shana 8-10 2-4 19; Fields, Eboni 5-18
0-0 15; Tucker, Precious 2-7 3-6 7; Bowens, Tiahana 2-4 0-0 4;
Singleton-Bates, Sha 2-7 0-0 4; Mealing, Courtney 1-3 0-0 3; Downs, Danelle
0-2 2-5 2; Coleman, Dawn 1-6 0-0 2; Colbert, Robin 0-3 1-2 1; Imani, Ana 0-0
0-0 0; Mann, Monica 0-2 0-0 0; Dickerson, Kristen 0-1 0-0 0; Trice, Simone
0-2 0-0 0. Totals 28-79 8-17 77.
Halftime: Francis Marion 37 UNC Pembroke 33
3-point goals--UNC Pembroke 3-13 (Jackson,Chevoya 1-4; Locklear,Porcha 1-2;
Hobbs,Kristen 1-1; Faison,Talena 0-1; Delk,Marquena 0-4; Cotten,DeDe 0-1),
Francis Marion University 13-36 (Mealing, Nicole 6-10; Fields, Eboni 5-16;
Mealing, Courtney 1-1; Franks, Shana 1-2; Coleman, Dawn 0-1; Colbert, Robin
0-1; Mann, Monica 0-2; Dickerson, Kristen 0-1; Singleton-Bates, Sha 0-2).
Fouled out--UNC Pembroke-Stanton,Briana, Francis Marion University-None.
Rebounds--UNC Pembroke 35 (Kemp,JaToya 9), Francis Marion University 44
(Downs, Danelle 8). Assists--UNC Pembroke 14 (Hunt,Illya 4; Jackson,Chevoya
4), Francis Marion University 16 (Colbert, Robin 4). Total fouls--UNC
Pembroke 18, Francis Marion University 24. Technical fouls--None. A-503