AUGUSTA, GA – Eleventh-ranked Augusta State University rallied from an eight-point deficit over the final 3:50 to pull out a 66-64 Homecoming victory over Francis Marion University, Saturday afternoon (Feb. 19) in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action.

The second agonizing loss for Francis Marion to the Jaguars this season, drops FMU to 14-10 overall and 7-9 in the PBC.  Earlier this season in Florence, ASU scored the game's final 13 points to eke out a 62-61 win.

Francis Marion will play host to Flagler College on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

With the victory, the Jaguars (24-3, 14-3) clinched the Peach Belt regular-season championship for the fourth time in the last five seasons.  ASU has now won 45 straight at home and 33 straight at home in the PBC.

Senior swingman Dominique Coleman came off the FMU bench to score 16 points, while reserve point guard Bryant Julious netted 13 points, handed out six assists and grabbed four steals, and Simel Boyd added 11 points.  In the process, Boyd become only the seventh Patriot to place in the school's Top 20 for  career points (950), rebounds (570), and steals (109).

FMU's leading scorer Liki Turner was held to six points on 1-of-6 shooting.

The Jaguars were led by senior guard George Johnson with a game-high 23 points, including six three-point buckets. Junior point guard O'Neal Armstrong notched 16 points, grabbed six rebounds, and handed out six assists.

ASU led 36-28 at the half after shooting 46.4 percent for the period. The Patriots battled back in the second half, taking the lead at 7:21 on a three-pointer by Coleman, 49-48.  The Patriots built an eight-point advantage over the next two minutes capped by a three-point basket by Julious at the 5:25 mark for a 58-50 advantage.  The margin remained at eight, 61-53, after a three-pointer by Coleman with 4:17 on the clock.

The Jaguars countered when Armstrong found Johnson for his final three-pointer to pull ASU within 61-56.  FMU missed a shot on their ensuing possession and Franck Ndongo scored his first field goal of the game with a jumper at 2:41 to pull within three, 61-58.

Armstrong's steal and subsequent fast break basket pulled the Jags within 61-60.  Brown grabbed his 12th rebound on a miss by FMU's Julious and Armstrong was fouled. Armstrong tied the game at 61-61 by hitting 1-of-2 at the charity stripe.

Turner then connected on a three-pointer to regain the lead for FMU 64-61 with 1:10 left. ASU answered on a layup by Brown, pulling within 64-63 with 55 seconds left.

The Jaguars scored the rest of their points from the line, hitting on 3-of-6 from the charity stripe, with Armstrong providing a two-point cushion with 24 seconds remaining.  FMU freshman Evrik Gary had his game-tying three-point attempt miss with three seconds left, and Johnson grabbed the rebound as the clock expired much to the delight of the 1,903 fans at Christenberry Fieldhouse.

FMU converted 19 ASU turnovers into 24 points, but overall FMU shot 37.7 percent from the floor compared to 46.9 percent for the Jaguars.

2-19-11 4:10 p.m. at Augusta, Ga. (Christenberry Fieldhouse)
#11 AUGUSTA STATE 66, FRANCIS MARION 64

FRANCIS MARION (14-10, 7-9 PBC)
Coleman, Dominique 6-16 0-0 16; Julious, Bryant 5-8 1-1 13; Boyd, Simel 4-10
3-6 11; Greenfield, Shawn 3-7 0-0 7; Turner, Liki 1-6 3-4 6; Smith, Andrew
2-3 0-0 4; Gary, Evrik 1-7 2-3 4; Turner, David 1-4 0-0 3; Petreikis,
Mindaugas 0-0 0-0 0; Todd, Matt 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-61 9-14 64.
#11 AUGUSTA STATE (24-3, 14-3 PBC)
Johnson, George 8-16 1-2 23; Armstrong, O'Neal 5-9 6-8 16; Keels, Travis 5-8
0-1 10; Brown, Howard 3-3 1-3 7; Ndongo, Franck 1-6 4-4 6; Brown, Caleb 1-4
2-4 4; Armour, Kyle 0-0 0-0 0; Beal, Tye 0-2 0-0 0; Purser, Ben 0-1 0-0 0.
Totals 23-49 14-22 66.
Halftime: Augusta State 36 Francis Marion 28
3-point goals--Francis Marion 9-25 (Coleman, Dominique 4-9; Julious, Bryant
2-5; Turner, Liki 1-3; Turner, David 1-2; Greenfield, Shawn 1-4; Gary, Evrik
0-2), Augusta State 6-15 (Johnson, George 6-10; Armstrong, O'Neal 0-3;
Brown, Caleb 0-1; Purser, Ben 0-1). Fouled out--Francis Marion-Turner,
David, Augusta State-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion 30 (Gary, Evrik 6),
Augusta State 42 (Brown, Howard 13). Assists--Francis Marion 13 (Julious,
Bryant 6), Augusta State 12 (Armstrong, O'Neal 6). Total fouls--Francis
Marion 22, Augusta State 14. Technical fouls--None. A-1903