PEMBROKE, NC - Despite getting a career-high 23 points from reserve guard Bryant Julious, Francis Marion University could not overcome numerous second-half turnovers and the Patriots dropped an 89-80 Peach Belt Conference game at UNC Pembroke, Wednesday night (Feb. 3).

FMU, ranked third in the latest Southeast Region poll, drops to 16-4 overall and 8-3 in the Peach Belt.

 Juliousconnected on 8-of-15 shots, including 5-of-8 from beyond the three-point arc, in only 23 minutes.  Junior swingman Simel Boyd scored 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting and senior Kaylan Anderson added 12 points.  Both Boyd and Anderson also grabbed six rebounds.

Freshman guard Shahmel Brackett led UNCP (7-14, 3-9) with 29 points. 

Brackett scored nine points in the opening four minutes as UNCP took an early 13-7 lead.  FMU then scored 14 of the game's next 17 points to go up 21-16.  Julious scored 12 of FMU's opening 18 points.  The two teams traded the lead for the next two minutes, until a 7-1 Patriot spurt helped FMU claim a 31-24 lead.  The Braves trimmed the margin to 37-35 at halftime.

The Patriots came out of the locker room sharp and quickly raced to a 47-39 lead early in the second stanza.  UNCP then answered with a 15-5 run to retake the lead at 54-52 with 11:30 left.

A basket by Robert Faulkner gave Francis Marion a 63-60 lead with nine minutes remaining.  The Patriots would go cold and UNCP put together a 15-2 run to take a 75-65 lead with 3:42 on the clock.  Altogether, FMU went more than six minutes without a field goal as the Braves eventually forged a 79-67 lead.

 FMUcommitted 25 turnovers, with 14 coming in the second half.

 FMUwill play its first home contest in two weeks when the Patriots host Armstrong Atlantic State University on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

2-3-10 7:41 pm at Pembroke, NC - English E. Jones Center
UNC PEMBROKE 89, FRANCIS MARION 80
FRANCIS MARION (16-4, 8-3 PBC)
Julious, Bryant 8-15 2-2 23; Boyd, Simel 6-8 4-9 16; Anderson, Kaylan 4-9
2-3 12; Faulkner, Robert 3-7 0-0 6; Petreikis, Mindaugas 2-3 2-5 6;
Robinson, Kendrick 1-8 4-5 6; Gullatte, Edward 2-7 1-2 5; Mains, Herman 2-3
0-1 4; Turner, David 1-6 0-1 2; Candelaria, Mike 0-3 0-0 0; Smith, Andrew
0-2 0-0 0. Totals 29-71 15-28 80.
 UNCPEMBROKE (7-14, 3-9 PBC)
Brackett, Shahmel 7-15 12-14 29; Thomas, Brandon 6-11 4-7 16; Heath, Marcus
4-10 6-6 15; Hargrove, Chris 5-8 2-2 13; Blakeney, George 3-7 2-6 8; Priest,
Nate 2-3 0-4 4; Egli, Tyler 1-3 0-0 3; Robinson, Mike 0-1 1-3 1; Hukill,
Taylor 0-0 0-0 0; Cooper, K.J. 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 28-62 27-42 89.
Halftime: Francis Marion 37 UNC Pembroke 35.
3-point goals--Francis Marion 7-25 (Julious, Bryant 5-8; Anderson, Kaylan
2-4; Faulkner, Robert 0-1; Robinson, Kendrick 0-3; Gullatte, Edward 0-1;
Mains, Herman 0-1; Turner, David 0-3; Candelaria, Mike 0-3; Boyd, Simel
0-1), UNC Pembroke 6-15 (Brackett, Shahmel 3-9; Egli, Tyler 1-2; Hargrove,
Chris 1-2; Heath, Marcus 1-2). Fouled out--Francis Marion-Smith, Andrew, UNC
Pembroke-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion 49 (Boyd, Simel 6; Faulkner, Robert
6; Gullatte, Edward 6; Anderson, Kaylan 6), UNC Pembroke 41 (Blakeney,
George 10). Assists--Francis Marion 11 (Gullatte, Edward 3), UNC Pembroke 14
(Heath, Marcus 5). Total fouls--Francis Marion 27, UNC Pembroke 18.
Technical fouls--Francis Marion-TEAM. A-895