FLORENCE, SC  – Senior point guard Robin Colbert scored a career-high 21 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and handed out six assists to lead Francis Marion University to an 86-64 win over Augusta State University, Saturday afternoon (Jan. 8) in Peach Belt Conference women's basketball action.

The win snapped a two-game skid for Francis Marion (8-4, 1-3) and was the team's seventh consecutive win over the Lady Jaguars.  The Patriots will conclude their three-game home stand by entertaining 22nd-ranked USC Aiken on Wednesday night at 5:30 p.m.

Colbert connected on 7-of-11 field goal attempts and was 7-of-8 at the free throw line.  Her six assists moved her past Jennifer Puckett and into 11th place on FMU's all-time list with 327.

Senior Shannon Singleton-Bates scored 20 points for FMU and drew to within nine points of 11th place on the Patriot career scoring list with 1,458.  Sophomore guard Courtney Mealing added 11 points, while senior reserve point guard Monica Mann aided the Patriot offense by dishing out a career high 10 assists.

Sophomore forward Waneta Carlisle led ASU (6-6, 0-5) with 19 points and nine rebounds, while freshman forward Jemimah Ashby chipped in 11 points.

Francis Marion scored the game's opening five points and never trailed.  The margin gradually grew to 19 points at 38-19 following a three-pointer by freshman Brittany Christian.  The Patriots settled for an 18-point margin at halftime, 43-25.

The Lady Jaguars kept the game interesting by pulling to within 12 points on several occasions in the second half.  The final time came at 59-47 after a basket by Briyana Evans with 10:32 left.  Colbert then scored consecutive baskets, off assists from Mann, to push the margin to 16 points and the Patriots were never seriously threatened after that point.  FMU's largest lead was 23 points on four occasions late in the contest.

Francis Marion forced 32 ASU turnovers and converted those miscues into 26 points.  The Patriots also held a 24-7 advantage in fast-break points.

Francis Marion was 23-of-30 at the foul line to offset a 39.5 percent shooting performance from the field.  Interestingly, the two teams combined to make 25 consecutive free throws over the first 16:47 of the second half.

1-8-11 1:30 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 86, AUGUSTA STATE UNIV. 64 

AUGUSTA STATE UNIV. (6-6 , 0-5 PBC)
Carlisle, Waneta 7-10 4-6 19; Ashby, Jemimah 5-7 1-1 11; Egardo, Blaire 3-13
0-0 9; Evans, Briyana 2-4 2-2 6; McCants, Brooke 1-4 3-4 6; Menzies, Eryka
3-5 0-0 6; Woods, Jarquella 1-7 0-0 3; Gwynn, Asha 1-4 0-0 2; Weathers, Jac'
1-3 0-0 2; Foster, Candace 0-0 0-0 0; Goss, Morgan 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-57
10-13 64.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (8-4 , 1-3 PBC)
Colbert, Robin 7-11 7-8 21; Singleton-Bates, Sha 8-22 4-5 20; Mealing,
Courtney 2-8 6-6 11; Belcher, T.T. 3-7 2-4 8; Christian, Brittany 3-5 0-0 8;
Jones, Hannah 3-7 1-2 7; Mann, Monica 2-6 1-2 5; Dickerson, Kristen 1-4 1-2
3; Trice, Simone 1-6 1-1 3; Imani, Ana 0-0 0-0 0; Bothof, Kendra 0-0 0-0 0;
Williams-Hayes, Jasm 0-0 0-0 0; Downs, Danelle 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-76 23-30 86.
Halftime: Francis Marion 43 Augusta State 25.
3-point goals--Augusta State Univ. 6-18 (Egardo, Blaire 3-9; Woods,
Jarquella 1-4; Carlisle, Waneta 1-1; McCants, Brooke 1-2; Weathers, Jac'
0-1; Menzies, Eryka 0-1), Francis Marion University 3-7 (Christian, Brittany
2-3; Mealing, Courtney 1-1; Mann, Monica 0-1; Singleton-Bates, Sha 0-2).
Fouled out--Augusta State Univ.-None, Francis Marion University-None.
Rebounds--Augusta State Univ. 36 (Egardo, Blaire 10), Francis Marion
University 47 (Belcher, T.T. 8; Colbert, Robin 8; Singleton-Bates, Sha 8).
Assists--Augusta State Univ. 19 (Evans, Briyana 4; Egardo, Blaire 4;
McCants, Brooke 4), Francis Marion University 24 (Mann, Monica 10). Total
fouls--Augusta State Univ. 22, Francis Marion University 12. Technical
fouls--None. A-289