FLORENCE, SC - Junior swingman Simel Boyd scored a game-high 19 points and Francis Marion University used a 30-6 run to open the second half as the Patriots cruised to an 83-51 win over Flagler College, Saturday afternoon (Jan. 23) in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action.

The Patriots win for the fourth straight game, run their home mark to 9-0 this season, and improve to 15-2 overall while edging to within a half-game of the lead in PBC's East Division standings with a 7-1 record.

Whereas the previous three Patriots wins were all decided in the final minute of play, this game was not.  Leading 42-31 at intermission, a smothering FMU defense forced Flagler into missing 22 of its first 23 field goal attempts to open the second half.  The Patriots expanded their 11-point halftime lead into a 72-37 advantage with five minutes left to play.

Altogether, FMU held Flagler to 17.2 percent shooting (5-of-29) over the final 20 minutes, while the Patriots connected on 47.2 percent of their shots.  Flagler came into the contest averaging 85.1 points per game, but the Saints were held to their lowest point total in six seasons.

Boyd connected on 8-of-12 shots, including three dunks, while pulling down five rebounds, handing out three assists, and coming up with three steals.  Junior 6-8 forward Robert Faulkner came off the bench to score 16 points and grab six rebounds in his first action since Jan. 6.  Senior forward Kaylan Anderson added 13 points and six assists, while junior point guard Bryant Julious posted season-high totals of 10 points and seven rebounds.

Junior 6-6 forward Kenny Moore led Flagler (7-8, 2-4) with 14 points, 12 of which in the opening half.  Moore also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and blocked five shots. Point guard D.J. Ferguson added eight points while dishing out four assists.

The score was tied four times in the early going.  A layup by Moore with 13:56 left in the half gave the Saints a 12-9 lead.  Francis Marion responded with three straight inside hoops to take a 15-12 advantage.  The game was tied for the eighth and final time at 23-23 with six minutes left in the first stanza.  A pair of buckets by 6-9 sophomore center Andrew Smith helped fuel a 9-2 FMU spurt as the Patriots surged ahead 32-25.  That margin would expand to 42-29 after a three-pointer by Julious just 1:25 before halftime.

Francis Marion forced 22 Flagler turnovers and converted them into 30 points, while surrendering only six points off its own miscues.  The Patriots also held a 50-38 rebounding advantage.

The final 32-point margin was the largest for the Patriots in PBC play since an 87-49 win over USC Aiken on Feb.4, 2004, and equaled FMU's third-widest winning margin in 20 years of Peach Belt Conference play.

FMU will play its next three games on the road, starting with a PBC contest at Georgia College & State University on Friday night at 7:30 p.m.  Flagler hosts GC&SU on Monday at 7:30 p.m.

1-23-10 3:45 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 83, FLAGLER COLLEGE 51
FLAGLER COLLEGE (7-8 , 2-4 PBC)
Moore, Kenny 7-11 0-0 14; Ferguson, D.J. 1-7 6-8 8; Fowler, Eddie 2-10 2-4
6; Clark, David 1-3 2-2 5; Branco, Jarrod 2-4 0-0 5; Stokes, Justin 1-3 2-2
4; July, Chad 1-7 1-2 3; Pietkiewicz, John 0-6 2-2 2; Dixon, Adam 1-3 0-1 2;
McFarline, Andre 0-1 1-2 1; Shuffler, Cody 0-3 1-2 1. Totals 16-58 17-25 51.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (15-2 , 7-1 PBC)
Boyd, Simel 8-12 2-6 19; Faulkner, Robert 7-11 1-1 16; Anderson, Kaylan 5-10
3-4 13; Julious, Bryant 4-8 0-0 10; Smith, Andrew 4-8 0-0 8; Mains, Herman
3-4 0-0 6; Candelaria, Mike 1-5 0-0 3; Petreikis, Mindaugas 1-3 0-0 2;
Robinson, Kendrick 1-7 0-0 2; Gullatte, Edward 0-2 2-2 2; Peterson, Andy 1-2
0-0 2; Sinkler, Mark 0-0 0-0 0; Turner, David 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 35-74 8-13 83.
Halftime: Francis Marion 42 Flagler 31
3-point goals--Flagler College 2-13 (Clark, David 1-1; Branco, Jarrod 1-1;
Fowler, Eddie 0-3; Pietkiewicz, John 0-5; Shuffler, Cody 0-1; Ferguson, D.J.
0-2), Francis Marion University 5-19 (Julious, Bryant 2-3; Candelaria, Mike
1-5; Boyd, Simel 1-1; Faulkner, Robert 1-2; Robinson, Kendrick 0-5; Turner,
David 0-1; Mains, Herman 0-1; Anderson, Kaylan 0-1). Fouled out--Flagler
College-None, Francis Marion University-None. Rebounds--Flagler College 38
(Moore, Kenny 10), Francis Marion University 50 (Julious, Bryant 7).
Assists--Flagler College 10 (Ferguson, D.J. 4), Francis Marion University 26
(Anderson, Kaylan 6). Total fouls--Flagler College 9, Francis Marion
University 20. Technical fouls--None. A-1017