COLUMBUS, GA – Senior point guard Robin Colbert grabbed an offensive rebound and converted a three-point play with 25 seconds left to help rally Francis Marion University to a 77-72 win over Columbus State University, Sunday afternoon (Jan. 16) in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball action.

With its second last-minute road win in as many days, Francis Marion is now 10-5 overall and 3-4 in the PBC.  The Patriots will not play again until next Saturday at Flagler College.

Sophomore guard Courtney Mealing led FMU with 24 points, her fifth 20-point game of the season.  Senior Shannon Singleton-Bates scored 17 points, and in the process passed former Patriot forwards Jeannette Alston and Mary Jackson to move into eighth position on the FMU career scoring list with 1,521 points.

Colbert added 12 points, while junior forward T.T. Belcher registered her first double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Dominique Gilbert led CSU (9-4, 2-2) with her own double-double (19 points/10 rebounds) and Nakia Holt scored 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting.

CSU broke a 66-66 tie with five straight points to go ahead 71-66 with 1:18 left.  Singleton-Bates hit a three-pointer with 1:07 on the clock to bring the Patriots to within two at 71-69.  Following a missed shot by CSU with 40 seconds left, senior guard Monica Mann grabbed the rebound.

Following an FMU timeout, Mann was fouled with 26 ticks left.  She hit the first of her two attempts, but Colbert hauled down the miss, scored, and was fouled.  She was successful on the free throw to give Francis Marion a 73-71 advantage. 

On the ensuing possession, Mealing came up with a steal and was fouled.  Her two charity tosses put FMU up 75-71 with 15 seconds remaining.  CSU hit the first of two free throws with six seconds on the clock, but FMU junior center Hannah Jones grabbed the second-attempt miss and sealed the victory with a pair of free throws.

Francis Marion completed its come-from-behind win by hitting 6-of-11 three-point attempts and 13-of-17 free throws over the final 20 minutes.

After Francis Marion scored the game's opening basket, CSU ran off six straight points and eventually raced to a 17-point lead at 32-15 with 6:21 left in the first half.  The Patriots managed to trim the deficit to 11 at intermission, 37-26.

Mealing and Singleton-Bates combined for seven straight points to open the second stanza and pull the Patriots to within 37-33.  After the Lady Cougars scored six straight to widen the margin back to double digits, Francis Marion put together a 14-4 run that knotted the contest at 47-47 after two free throws by Mealing near the midway point of the half.