FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University junior forward Liki Turner hit two free throws with 2.5 seconds left, just moments after the University of Montevallo missed out on a chance to tie the game, and the Patriots held on for a 74-70 victory over the Falcons, Sunday afternoon (Jan. 30) in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action.

Francis Marion improves to 13-5 overall and 6-4 in the PBC with its fourth straight win.  The Patriots, now second in the Peach Belt's East Division, will conclude a three-game home stand when they play host to local-rival UNC Pembroke on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Montevallo was making its first-ever trip to Florence and the loss drops to the Falcons to 12-6 and 5-4.

Freshman guard Evrik Gary led FMU with 19 points and seven rebounds, while Turner and senior Simel Boyd each scored 14 points.  Junior 6-10 center Andrew Smith added 11 points and seven rebounds.

Miles Beatty came off the Montevallo bench to score 17 points, while guard Tyrell Coleman chipped in 10 points and junior 6-5 forward DeMarcus Catchings tallied 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Trailing by only three points with 11 seconds left and owning possession of the ball, Montevallo's Beatty missed a three-pointer, but the Falcons' Antoine Davis grabbed the offensive rebound.  Davis then fed Coleman who was fouled on a three-point attempt with 2.7 seconds remaining.  A 78 percent free throw shooter for the season, Coleman made the first shot, missed the second, and was then forced to intentionally miss the third attempt.  Following that miss, the Falcons fouled Turner during a wild scramble for the rebound and Turner made both of his free throws with 2.5 ticks left to seal the win.

The Patriots started the game by connecting on 12 of their first 19 field goal attempts and claimed a 29-12 lead after Boyd made two free throws with 7:37 remaining before halftime.  Montevallo responded by scoring the game's next 13 points to draw within 29-25 following a jumper by Coleman.

However, FMU outscored the Falcons 8-3 over the final 2:40 of the half to leave for the locker room holding a 42-33 advantage.

Two free throws by Smith pushed the Patriot lead to 56-46 with 13:23 left in the contest.  The Falcons gradually rallied and eventually two free throws by Ryan Westbrooks trimmed the margin to one point at 68-67 with 1:25 on the clock.  Gary extended the lead to 70-67 with a pair of free throws with one minute left.

Over the next three possessions, single free throws by Boyd and David Turner offset two free throws by Davis to leave the margin at three points entering the fateful final 11 seconds.

Francis Marion outrebounded Montevallo 38-30 and held a 13-7 advantage in second-chance points.  Both teams shot 43 percent from the floor, but the Patriots managed three more three-pointers than did the Falcons.

1-30-11 3:40 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 74, UNIV. OF MONTEVALLO 70

UNIV. OF MONTEVALLO (12-6 , 5-4 PBC)
Beatty, Miles 5-13 6-6 17; Coleman, Tyrell 3-11 3-7 10; Catchings, DeMarcus
4-8 2-2 10; Westbrooks, Ryan 2-3 4-4 9; Davis, Antoine 2-6 4-8 8; Jackson,
Jervan 3-4 1-4 7; Severtsgaard, Ronald 2-3 2-2 7; Brown, Jonas 1-3 0-0 2.
Totals 22-51 22-33 70.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (13-5 , 6-4 PBC)
Gary, Evrik 6-13 3-4 19; Turner, Liki 6-8 2-2 14; Boyd, Simel 4-9 6-8 14;
Smith, Andrew 4-4 3-5 11; Coleman, Dominique 2-8 2-3 8; Turner, David 1-5
3-4 5; Julious, Bryant 1-8 0-0 3; Todd, Matt 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-56 19-26 74.
Halftime: Francis Marion 42  Montevallo 33
3-point goals--Univ. of Montevallo 4-19 (Coleman, Tyrell 1-4; Severtsgaard,
Ronald 1-2; Beatty, Miles 1-8; Westbrooks, Ryan 1-2; Brown, Jonas 0-2;
Davis, Antoine 0-1), Francis Marion University 7-23 (Gary, Evrik 4-10;
Coleman, Dominique 2-6; Julious, Bryant 1-5; Turner, David 0-1; Todd, Matt
0-1). Fouled out--Univ. of Montevallo-Jackson, Jervan, Francis Marion
University-Boyd, Simel. Rebounds--Univ. of Montevallo 30 (Catchings,
DeMarcus 13), Francis Marion University 38 (Gary, Evrik 7; Smith, Andrew 7).
Assists--Univ. of Montevallo 12 (Severtsgaard, Ronald 2; Jackson, Jervan 2;
Brown, Jonas 2; Catchings, DeMarcus 2), Francis Marion University 20 (Boyd,
Simel 6). Total fouls--Univ. of Montevallo 25, Francis Marion University 21.
Technical fouls--Francis Marion bench. A-211