FLORENCE, SC – Junior forward Liki Turner scored a game-high 21 points and senior forward Simel Boyd posted his third double-double of the season with 18 points and 13 rebounds to lead a hot-shooting Francis Marion University squad to a much-needed 109-80 Peach Belt Conference win over Flagler College, Wednesday night (Feb. 23) in men's basketball action.

Francis Marion snaps a three-game slide and ups the its overall mark to 15-10 and its conference record to 8-9.  FMU is tied with both Armstrong Atlantic State University and UNC Pembroke for third place in the PBC's East Division standings.  Only two of those three schools can qualify for next week's PBC Tournament. 

A win for FMU in its season finale against AASU on Saturday would put the Patriots into the tournament.  Saturday's Homecoming and Senior Day contest will tip off at 3:30 p.m. in the Smith University Center.

Six Patriots scored in double figures on Wednesday as FMU only trailed once, at 3-2.  Following Turner and Boyd were freshman guard Evrik Gary with 17 points, senior forwards David Turner and Dominique Coleman with 14 points apiece, and junior point guard Shawn Greenfield with 11 points and five assists.

Liki Turner connected on 10-of-14 free throws to lead FMU to a 32-of-40 night at the charity stripe.  The Patriots also committed a season-low nine turnovers, held a 38-24 rebounding advantage, and led 18-3 in second-chance points.

Francis Marion connected on 13 of its first 22 field goal attempts to double up the Saints at 36-18.  FMU held a 49-31 lead at halftime.

In the second half, the Patriots made 18-of-31 shots (58.1%) from the floor and finished the game at 53 percent. Sixteen points was as close as Flagler got in the second stanza.  FMU's largest lead of 37 points occurred twice in the second half at 100-63 on a layup by David Turner and moments later at 102-65 on a lay in by Bryant Julious.

The game marks the third time this season Francis Marion has eclipsed the century mark.

The Flagler backcourt tandem of John Pietkiewicz and D.J. Ferguson combined for 44 points.  Pietkiewicz scored 24 points, while Ferguson, who is the nation's assists leader, posted a double-double with 20 points and 12 assists.

2-23-11 7:30 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 109, FLAGLER COLLEGE 80

FLAGLER COLLEGE (10-15 , 4-13 PBC)
Pietkiewicz, John 9-16 1-2 24; Ferguson, D.J. 8-12 3-7 20; Fowler, Eddie 3-8
7-11 13; July, Chad 3-8 1-3 7; Barnes, Ryan 1-4 2-2 5; McNeil, Jamal 2-3 0-0
4; Moore, Kenny 2-2 0-0 4; Clark, Dave 1-1 0-0 2; Branco, Jarrod 0-3 1-2 1;
Hammock, Jared 0-0 0-0 0; Stokes, Justin 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-57 15-27 80.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (15-10 , 8-9 PBC)
Turner, Liki 5-10 10-14 21; Boyd, Simel 8-11 2-2 18; Gary, Evrik 4-5 7-7 17;
Coleman, Dominique 5-12 3-3 14; Turner, David 4-6 4-4 14; Greenfield, Shawn
4-10 2-2 11; Smith, Andrew 3-6 2-2 8; Julious, Bryant 2-4 0-2 4; Petreikis,
Mindaugas 0-0 2-4 2; Todd, Matt 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 35-66 32-40 109.
Halftime: Francis Marion 49 Flagler College 31
3-point goals--Flagler College 7-20 (Pietkiewicz, John 5-11; Barnes, Ryan
1-4; Ferguson, D.J. 1-2; Branco, Jarrod 0-1; Fowler, Eddie 0-2), Francis
Marion University 7-19 (Gary, Evrik 2-3; Turner, David 2-2; Coleman,
Dominique 1-6; Greenfield, Shawn 1-4; Turner, Liki 1-1; Todd, Matt 0-1;
Julious, Bryant 0-1; Boyd, Simel 0-1). Fouled out--Flagler College-Stokes,
Justin, Francis Marion University-None. Rebounds--Flagler College 24 (July,
Chad 6), Francis Marion University 38 (Boyd, Simel 13). Assists--Flagler
College 17 (Ferguson, D.J. 12), Francis Marion University 18 (Greenfield,
Shawn 5). Total fouls--Flagler College 25, Francis Marion University 21.
Technical fouls--July. A.-710