AUGUSTA, GA - Freshman Courtney Mealing and senior Nicole Mealing combined for 29 points, including 15 in a late game-deciding run, as 15th-ranked Francis Marion University beat Augusta State University 86-62, Saturday evening (Jan. 9) in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball action.

Courtney Mealing scored a career-high 15 points on five three-pointers in only 17 minutes of action, while older sister Nicole, who played her first three seasons at Augusta State before transferring to FMU this past summer, added 14 points.  The Mealings hail from nearby North Augusta, S.C.

The Patriots improve to 11-2 overall and 3-1 in the Peach Belt.  FMU junior Shannon Singleton-Bates tallied 11 points, five rebounds, and five steals, while 6-0 junior reserve center Tiahana Bowens had 10 points and seven rebounds.  Junior point guard Robin Colbert recorded eight points, eight assists, and seven rebounds. 

Forward Stacey Lampkin led ASU (1-13, 0-5) with 14 points and six rebounds.

Francis Marion scored the game's initial six points and never trailed in the contest.  The lead would stretch to 29-16 following a three-pointer by Nicole Mealing with 4:27 left in the half.  Augusta State scored eight straight points to cut the lead to 29-24, but the Patriots would extend the margin to 37-29 at intermission.

FMU scored the first five points of the second stanza to go up 42-29.  ASU would cut the lead to eight points on three occasions, the final time at 62-54 with 7:05 remaining.  The Mealing sisters then combined for 15 points in a decisive 24-5 Patriot run over the next six minutes that produced an 86-59 advantage.

The Patriots shot 50 percent from the field and hit 8-of-20 three-point attempts, while holding the Lady Jaguars to 37 percent shooting, including only 29.2 percent after halftime.  FMU also forced 31 ASU turnovers that resulted in 35 points.

Twelve of the 14 Patriots scored and the FMU bench outscored the ASU reserves 55-28. 

FMU and the Mealings will again return to the CSRA area on Wednesday to play at USCA in a 5:30 p.m. tip-off.

1-9-10 5:30 p.m. at Augusta, Ga. (Christenberry Fieldhouse)
#15 FRANCIS MARION 86, AUGUSTA STATE 62
FRANCIS MARION (11-2, 3-1 PBC)
Mealing, Courtney 5-10 0-0 15; Mealing, Nicole 6-9 0-0 14; Singleton-Bates, Sha 5-9 1-2 11; Bowens, Tiahana 4-11 2-4 10; Fields, Eboni 4-9 0-0 9; Colbert, Robin 4-6 0-1 8; Mann, Monica 2-3 2-2 6; Tucker, Precious 2-3 0-0 4; Franks, Shana 1-4 1-2 3; Trice, Simone 1-3 0-0 2; Coleman, Dawn 0-0 2-2 2; Dickerson, Kristen 1-1 0-0 2; Imani, Ana 0-0 0-0 0; Downs, Danelle 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 35-70 8-13 86.
AUGUSTA STATE (1-13, 0-5 PBC)
Lampkin, Stacey 4-7 6-7 14; Evans, Briyana 3-7 6-8 12; Egardo, Blaire 3-8 3-4 11; Harris, Breanna 3-7 4-9 10; Stallings, Kirsten 2-4 1-1 5; Nixon, Jenny 2-6 0-0 4; Davis, Eboni 0-4 3-4 3; Gwynn, Asha 0-2 3-5 3; Woods,  Jarquella0-1 0-2 0; Jarrard, Brittany 0-0 0-0 0; Aifuwa, Tracy 0-0 0-0 0; Brown, Ashley 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-46 26-40 62.
Halftime: Francis Marion 37 Augusta State 29.
3-point goals--Francis Marion 8-20 (C.Mealing 5-8; N.Mealing 2-5; Fields 1-5; Franks 0-2), Augusta State 2-8 (Egardo 2-4; Harris 0-1; Davis 0-3). Fouled out--None. Rebounds--Francis Marion 39 (Bowens 7; Colbert 7), Augusta State 36 (Gwynn 6; Lampkin 6). Assists--Francis Marion 22 (Colbert 8), Augusta State 9 (Stallings 3). Total fouls--Francis Marion 28, Augusta State 11. Technical fouls--None. A-1033

    Courtney Mealing                      Nicole Mealing