Box Score
SAVANNAH, GA – Seven players scored at least eight points as Francis Marion University used a balanced attack to build a 19-point second-half lead and then held off a late Armstrong Atlantic State University rally to claim a 75-70 Peach Belt Conference win, Saturday afternoon (Feb. 5) in women's basketball action.
Francis Marion, now 15-5 overall and 8-4 in the PBC, collects its seventh straight win. The Patriots will play host to North Georgia College & State University on Wednesday night at 5:30 p.m.
Senior Shannon Singleton-Bates led FMU with 15 points, but she fouled out having played only 16 minutes. Junior T.T. Belcher registered nine points and nine rebounds, while senior center Danelle Downs came off the bench to contribute nine points and seven rebounds.
Four Patriots scored eight points: Robin Colbert, Monica Mann, Courtney Mealing, and Simone Trice. Colbert also recorded eight rebounds, four assists, and four steals.
Forward Mauri Wells led AASU (8-12, 4-8) with 18 points and 15 rebounds, while guard Ashley Slade also scored 18 points. Wells aided the Pirate rally over the final seven minutes as she registered a double-double in the second half alone.
Mealing opened the game by hitting a three-pointer, and although AASU tied the score moments later at 3-3, the Patriots never trailed. A 13-0 Francis Marion run over a three-minute span gave FMU a 23-8 margin with 12 minutes left before halftime. The Pirates gradually rallied to trim the margin to 36-30 at intermission.
FMU quickly pushed the lead back to double figures at 43-32 after a free throw by Singleton-Bates. The lead swelled to 19 points (60-41) after two free throws by Mann with 11:26 remaining. Four minutes later, Colbert converted a layup to keep the Patriot advantage at 18 points, 66-48.
However, AASU used a 12-2 spurt to cut the margin to 68-60 with 4:53 left. Trice and Belcher answered with baskets to extend the FMU advantage back to double-digits.
A pair of three-pointers by Slade in the final minute helped trim the deficit to five at the final horn. Earlier in that final minute, Mann hit three free throws to help seal the victory.
FMU committed only 14 turnovers and converted 24 AASU miscues into 30 points. The Patriot bench also held a 27-16 advantage over the Pirate reserves.
2-5-11 1:30 p.m. at Savannah, Ga. (Alumni Arena)
FRANCIS MARION 75, ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC 70
FRANCIS MARION (15-5, 8-4 PBC)
Singleton-Bates, Sha 6-15 3-4 15; Downs, Danelle 2-5 5-7 9; Belcher, T.T.
3-8 3-4 9; Trice, Simone 2-5 4-5 8; Colbert, Robin 4-8 0-0 8; Mann, Monica
1-5 5-8 8; Mealing, Courtney 3-12 0-0 8; Christian, Brittany 2-6 0-2 6;
Dickerson, Kristen 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 25-66 20-30 75.
ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC (8-12 4-8 PBC)
Wells, Mauri 6-12 5-7 18; Slade, Ashley 7-13 0-0 18; Long, Brooke 5-11 3-4
15; Walker, Jazmin 4-10 6-10 14; Amirkhanyan, Arpine 1-10 2-3 4; Rimbert,
Marissa 0-0 1-2 1; McFarland, Briana 0-0 0-0 0; Rogers, Skye 0-0 0-0 0;
Mitchell, Morgan 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-57 17-26 70.
Halftime: Francis Marion 36 AASU 30
3-point goals--Francis Marion 5-14 (Christian, Brittany 2-6; Mealing,
Courtney 2-4; Mann, Monica 1-2; Singleton-Bates, Sha 0-2), Armstrong
Atlantic 7-20 (Slade, Ashley 4-8; Long, Brooke 2-6; Wells, Mauri 1-3;
Mitchell, Morgan 0-1; Amirkhanyan, Arpine 0-2). Fouled out--Francis
Marion-Singleton-Bates, Sha; Downs, Danelle; Trice, Simone, Armstrong
Atlantic-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion 39 (Belcher, T.T. 9), Armstrong
Atlantic 47 (Wells, Mauri 15). Assists--Francis Marion 15 (Mann, Monica 5),
Armstrong Atlantic 12 (Walker, Jazmin 4). Total fouls--Francis Marion 25,
Armstrong Atlantic 22. Technical fouls—None.. A-189
