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FLORENCE, SC - Francis Marion University connected on only 26.3 percent of its field goal attempts and visiting Augusta State University scored the game's final six points to claim a 49-42 Peach Belt Conference victory over the Patriots, Saturday afternoon (Dec. 3) in women's college basketball action.

Francis Marion drops to 2-4 overall and 0-2 in the Peach Belt, while ASU moves to 3-3 and 1-0.

Junior point guard Carmella Thompson and sophomore guard Brittany Christian led the Patriots with eight points each.  Thompson also registered 10 rebounds, seven assists, and six steals.  Senior forward T.T. Belcher chipped in six points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

Guard Brittany White came off the ASU bench to score a team-high 12 points, including four points in the final two seconds.  Forward Tiffany Jaecks added nine points.

Two free throws by Thompson with 1:02 left in the contest brought the Patriots to within 43-42.  One free throw by ASU's Amber Peterson extended the lead to 44-42 with 28 seconds left.  On the ensuing possession, Francis Marion had two opportunities to tie the score, but missed on a jump shot and then on the front-end of a one-and-one free throw.

A single free throw by Laci Schreiber pushed the Jaguar advantage to 45-42 with 12 ticks left, but Christian missed on a two-point jumper with four seconds remaining and White grabbed the rebound and was fouled.

She made both free throws with two seconds left and then stole the inbounds pass and scored on a layup to extend the margin to 49-42.

Cold shooting by both teams in the opening 20 minutes resulted in a contest that produced six ties and seven lead changes.  The largest margin was a four-point FMU lead (19-15) with 1:54 left before intermission.  The Patriots led 20-19 at halftime.

The game remaining close throughout the second stanza.  ASU used a 6-0 run to take a 43-38 lead with 2:48 remaining.  Four free throws by the Patriots – including three by Thompson – closed the margin to 43-42 entering the final minute.

In addition to the cold field goal shooting, Francis Marion hit only 9-of-20 free throws and committed 21 turnovers.  ASU also struggled at the foul line (7-of-15), but the Jaguars connected on 37.7 percent of their field goal attempts.

Francis Marion will now take a break for exams before returning to action on Dec. 17 with a PBC contest at Armstrong Atlantic State University.

12-3-11 1:30 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
AUGUSTA STATE UNIV. 49, FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 42

AUGUSTA STATE UNIV. (3-3 , 1-0 PBC)
Brittany White 5-6 2-3 12; Tiffany Jaecks 4-8 0-0 9; Becky Newhouse 2-4 1-2
6; Laci Schreiber 1-6 3-4 5; Jemimah Ashby 2-5 0-3 4; Eryka Menzies 2-7 0-0
4; Ashley Vickers 2-5 0-0 4; Brooke McCants 1-2 0-0 2; Marina Fox 1-8 0-1 2;
Amber Peterson 0-2 1-2 1. Totals 20-53 7-15 49.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (2-4 , 0-2 PBC)
Carmella Thompson 2-9 4-9 8; Brittany Christian 2-8 2-2 8; Simone Trice 3-8
1-2 7; T.T. Belcher 2-8 2-7 6; Daphne Walker 2-5 0-0 4; Kristen Dickerson
2-9 0-0 4; Emilee Dunton 1-6 0-0 3; Chelsey Johnson 1-2 0-0 2; Danielle
Gibson 0-0 0-0 0; Hattie Harris 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 15-57 9-20 42.
Halftime: Francis Marion 20 Augusta State 19
3-point goals--Augusta State Univ. 2-12 (Tiffany Jaecks 1-3; Becky Newhouse
1-2; Eryka Menzies 0-4; Brooke McCants 0-1; Amber Peterson 0-1; Brittany
White 0-1), Francis Marion University 3-14 (Brittany Christian 2-6; Emilee
Dunton 1-4; Kristen Dickerson 0-1; Carmella Thompson 0-3). Fouled
out--Augusta State Univ.-None, Francis Marion University-None.
Rebounds--Augusta State Univ. 38 (Marina Fox 7), Francis Marion University
47 (T.T. Belcher 13). Assists--Augusta State Univ. 9 (Brittany White 3;
Eryka Menzies 3), Francis Marion University 14 (Carmella Thompson 7). Total
fouls--Augusta State Univ. 19, Francis Marion University 17. Technical
fouls--None. A-227