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FLORENCE, SC – Junior point guard Carmella Thompson converted a rare four-point play with 14.6 seconds remaining to rally Francis Marion University to a 59-57 victory over Voorhees College, Wednesday evening (Nov. 23) in women's basketball action.

Francis Marion evened its season mark at 2-2 and improved to 33-6 all-time in home openers.  The Patriots will open Peach Belt Conference play on Wednesday, Nov. 30, when they host 15th-ranked Lander University at 5:30 p.m.

Sophomore guard Emilee Dunton led FMU with 16 points and four assists, while Thompson registered 12 points, seven assists, and five rebounds.  Senior forward Danielle Gibson came off the Patriot bench to tally eight points.

Guard Kierra Patterson paced Voorhees (4-6) with 13 points, while three Lady Tigers scored 10 points each: Amber Johnson, RaShonda Mayfield, and Daiveena Kemp.  Johnson also hauled down a game-high 15 rebounds. The loss spoiled a homecoming for Voorhees' head coach Edward J. Glover Jr., who was once a member of the Francis Marion men's basketball program.

With FMU trailing 57-55, Thompson set up her own game-winning shot by grabbing an offensive rebound of a missed Patriot free throw with 42 seconds left.  As the ensuing possession was about to end and the 30-second shot clock expire, Thompson drilled a 25-foot jumper and was fouled.  She made the following free throw putting the Patriots ahead 59-57.  Voorhees was unable to get off a potential game-tying shot before the final horn sounded.

Voorhees led 31-29 at halftime.  The second half featured nine lead changes and four ties.

The Lady Tigers led 38-33 early in the second stanza, but FMU went on a 9-1 run to grab a 42-39 advantage. Neither team held more than a three-point lead for the remainder of the contest.

A layup by Courtney McDuffie gave Voorhees a 57-54 margin with 2:14 left.  A free throw by FMU's Simone Trice trimmed the margin to 57-55 with just over a minute remaining. Thompson's heroics in the final 15 seconds then won the game for Francis Marion.

11-23-11 5:30 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 59, VOORHEES COLLEGE 57

VOORHEES COLLEGE (4-6)
PATTERSON, Kierra 5-20 0-0 13; MAYFIELD, RaShonda 3-14 2-2 10; KEMP,
Daiveena 5-8 0-1 10; JOHNSON, Amber 4-10 2-8 10; MCDUFFIE, Courtney 3-8 1-2
7; COOPER, Shaquetta 2-2 0-0 4; THROWER, Kenyetta 1-1 0-0 3; WOODS, Monieke
0-0 0-0 0; HOLLIN, Brittany 0-0 0-0 0; SPRINKLE, Lasherria 0-1 0-0 0. Totals
23-64 5-13 57.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (2-2)
Emilee Dunton 5-13 2-2 16; Carmella Thompson 4-8 1-3 12; Danielle Gibson 4-6
0-2 8; Hattie Harris 3-6 1-2 7; Kristen Dickerson 3-5 0-0 6; T.T. Belcher
2-5 0-2 4; Simone Trice 1-4 2-4 4; Chelsey Johnson 1-1 0-0 2; Jas.
Williams-Hayes 0-0 0-0 0; Ana Imani 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 23-50 6-15 59.
Halftime: Voorhees College 31 Francis Marion  29
3-point goals--Voorhees College 6-28 (PATTERSON, Kierra 3-15; MAYFIELD,
RaShonda 2-7; THROWER, Kenyetta 1-1; MCDUFFIE, Courtney 0-3; KEMP, Daiveena
0-2), Francis Marion University 7-18 (Emilee Dunton 4-11; Carmella Thompson
3-6; Ana Imani 0-1). Fouled out--Voorhees College-None, Francis Marion
University-None. Rebounds--Voorhees College 37 (JOHNSON, Amber 15), Francis
Marion University 33 (Simone Trice 10). Assists--Voorhees College 13 (KEMP,
Daiveena 4; MAYFIELD, RaShonda 4), Francis Marion University 17 (Carmella
Thompson 7). Total fouls--Voorhees College 14, Francis Marion University 11.
Technical fouls--None.  A-157