Box Score Like Francis Marion Athletics on Facebook!
FLORENCE, SC - Senior forward Dwight Tolbert converted a three-point play with 24.9 seconds left in the second overtime period to lift Lander University to a thrilling 95-94 Peach Belt Conference win over Francis Marion University, Wednesday night (Nov. 30) in men's college basketball action.
Francis Marion slips to 4-3 overall and 0-1 in the PBC, while Lander improves to 3-1 and 1-0. The Patriots will play host to Augusta State University on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
Senior guard Marcus Wright and sophomore guard Evrik Gary each scored 21 points to lead the Patriots, while senior forward Liki Turner added 20 points and nine rebounds. Wright's point total was a career high as was Gary's nine rebounds. Junior forward Zamarius McLendon came off the bench to register his third double-double of the season with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
It was the Patriots' first multi-overtime game in 17 seasons dating back to 1995.
Tolbert scored a game-high 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Bearcats. He connected on 9-of-19 field goals, including 6-of-12 three-pointers, and 7-of-9 free throws. Guard Corey Wright added 23 points and eight assists in the victory, while Jermel Kennedy tallied eight points and 11 rebounds.
After Tolbert's three-point play put Lander up 93-91, he blocked McLendon's layup at the other end and also hauled down the rebound and was fouled. Tolbert added two more free throws with 2.6 seconds left to up the margin to 95-91 and seal the victory. The Patriots' Clayton Williams netted a 30-foot three-pointer at the final buzzer.
The game featured 22 lead changes and 19 ties.
Lander took an eight-point lead at 26-18 midway through the first half. FMU responded with a 9-1 run to knot the score at 27-27. The Patriots took a 40-39 advantage into the locker room at intermission thanks to McLendon's stick-back at the halftime horn.
Francis Marion led by as many as five in the second stanza, and two Turner charity tosses put the Patriots up 79-78 with 37 ticks left in regulation. Wright made one of two free throws at 0:14 to tie the score, but Lander claimed the offensive rebound after his miss. Wright then missed a layup at the horn to force overtime.
Wright opened the first overtime period with a three-pointer to give Lander an 82-79 lead and then stretched the margin to 83-79 when he added a free throw 49 seconds later. FMU answered with an Andrew Smith bucket, but Lander countered with a Tolbert triple to take an 86-81 advantage at the 3:01 mark.
With 2:42 left, Turner's trey cut the deficit to 86-84, and then he forced a second overtime with a pair of free throws with 1:03 left that knotted the score at 86-86. Lander turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, but Gary and Lorenzo Williams both miss-fired on potential game-winning shots before the buzzer.
The Bearcats struck first in the second overtime on Kennedy's layup for an 88-86 advantage. McLendon made the second of two free throws to cut the lead to 88-87 at 2:55. Darion Canty sank two free throws at 2:30 to give the Bearcats a 90-87 lead, only to have Wright counter with a layup at 2:07 to make it 90-89.
Turner's tip-in on Mi'Kyel Nero's missed shot put the Patriots back on top at 91-90 with 49 seconds to go setting the stage for Tolbert's game-winning three-point play on the following possession.
The Patriots were 31-of-77 from the field for 40.3 percent, including 10-of-20 from beyond the three-point line, and FMU made 22-of-30 foul shots for 73.3 percent. Francis Marion outrebounded the Bearcats 54-43, but Lander committed only nine turnovers for the entire contest.
Lander connected on 33-of-77 floor shots for 42.9 percent, including 8-of-24 three pointers. The Bearcats were 21-of-31 at the stripe for 67.7 percent.
11-30-11 7:45 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
LANDER UNIVERSITY 95, FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 94 2OTs
LANDER UNIVERSITY (3-1 , 1-0 PBC)
Dwight Tolbert 9-19 7-9 31; Corey Wright 8-12 6-11 23; Dennis Rumph 4-7 1-3
9; Darion Canty 3-7 2-2 8; Jermel Kennedy 4-10 0-0 8; David Pruett 2-9 2-3
6; Michael Lowe 1-3 3-3 6; Darius Carrier 2-7 0-0 4; Patrick Powell 0-1 0-0
0; Mac Mitchell 0-1 0-0 0; Scott Elder 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 33-77 21-31 95.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (4-3 , 0-1 PBC)
Evrik Gary 6-11 6-6 21; Marcus Wright 8-15 0-0 21; Liki Turner 5-19 9-10 20;
Zamarius McLendon 6-9 5-6 17; Andrew Smith 3-6 0-2 6; Mi'Kyel Nero 2-9 1-4
5; Clayton Williams 1-2 0-0 3; Marcel Williams 0-2 1-2 1; Darryn Frazier 0-2
0-0 0; Lorenzo Williams 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 31-77 22-30 94.
Halftime: Francis Marion 40 Lander 39.
3-point goals--Lander University 8-24 (Dwight Tolbert 6-12; Michael Lowe
1-3; Corey Wright 1-3; David Pruett 0-5; Patrick Powell 0-1), Francis Marion
University 10-20 (Marcus Wright 5-8; Evrik Gary 3-4; Clayton Williams 1-2;
Liki Turner 1-4; Darryn Frazier 0-2). Fouled out--Lander University-Dennis
Rumph; Corey Wright, Francis Marion University-Marcus Wright.
Rebounds--Lander University 43 (Dwight Tolbert 11; Jermel Kennedy 11),
Francis Marion University 54 (Zamarius McLendon 13). Assists--Lander
University 17 (Corey Wright 8), Francis Marion University 17 (Evrik Gary 6).
Total fouls--Lander University 22, Francis Marion University 20. Technical
fouls--None. A-1000
