Box Score CENTRAL, SC – Sophomore point guard Briana Robinson tallied 16 points and nine assists in her Patriot debut and keyed a late first-half run that propelled Francis Marion University to a 97-69 season-opening road win over Southern Wesleyan University, Friday night (Nov. 9) in women's basketball action.
FMU wins its season opener for the 28th time in 40 seasons with its highest point total to start a campaign in 15 years. The Patriots will play host to Claflin University on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Ten of the 11 Francis Marion players who dressed got into the scoring column, with six reaching double digits. Following Robinson was senior guard Kristen Dickerson with 12 points and 6-4 sophomore center Simone Johnson, senior forward Jasmine Williams-Hayes, junior forward Kim Roach, and senior guard Tiara Gause all with 10. Johnson hauled down a team-high seven rebounds.
Robinson, while directing the fast-paced Patriot attack, committed only one turnover. She had a hand in nine consecutive FMU points as the Patriots used a 12-0 run to expand a 29-28 lead to 41-28 with 2:16 left before halftime. Robinson scored on a lay-up and a three-pointer, while assisting on two other buckets.
The Patriots led 47-34 at intermission. FMU scored eight of the first 10 points of the second stanza to push the advantage to 55-36. The 28-point final margin equaled Francis Marion's largest lead.
FMU forced 24 Southern Wesleyan turnovers, while committing only 11 and FMU held a 60-28 advantage in points-in-the-paint.
Senior guard Lauren Johnson led the Warriors (1-2) with 25 points and six rebounds.
11-9-12 7 pm at Central, SC (Tysinger Gymnasium)
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 97, SOUTHERN WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY 69
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (1-0)
Briana Robinson 6-9 2-2 16; Kristen Dickerson 5-11 2-2 12; Kim Roach 4-5 2-4
10; Tiara Gause 5-10 0-0 10; Jas. Williams-Hayes 5-7 0-0 10; Simone Johnson
5-7 0-0 10; Hattie Harris 4-10 1-1 9; Dee Gray 4-11 0-1 8; Erin Pinkett 3-5
0-0 8; Camille Dash 2-4 0-0 4; DeAsia Toney 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 43-80 7-10 97.
SOUTHERN WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY (1-2)
Lauren Johnson 9-17 5-6 25; Michelle Anaya 5-8 3-4 13; Audra Cranston 3-6
1-2 9; Chelsie Waters 2-4 2-2 6; Ashley Cooper 2-8 1-4 5; Christiana Perkins
2-5 0-0 5; Shelby Gilbert 1-3 0-0 3; Caitlyn Wyatt 1-9 0-0 2; Jamese
Franklin 0-0 1-2 1; Lynn Strong 0-0 0-0 0; Ciara Walker 0-2 0-0 0. Totals
25-62 13-20 69.
Halftime: Francis Marion 47 Southern Wesleyan 34
3-point goals--Francis Marion University 4-8 (Briana Robinson 2-3; Erin
Pinkett 2-3; Camille Dash 0-1; Kristen Dickerson 0-1), Southern Wesleyan
University 6-15 (Audra Cranston 2-5; Lauren Johnson 2-4; Shelby Gilbert 1-2;
Christiana Perkins 1-3; Caitlyn Wyatt 0-1). Fouled out--Francis Marion
University-Tiara Gause, Southern Wesleyan University-None. Rebounds--Francis
Marion University 40 (Simone Johnson 7), Southern Wesleyan University 37
(Ashley Cooper 8). Assists--Francis Marion University 29 (Briana Robinson
9), Southern Wesleyan University 20 (Audra Cranston 6). Total fouls--Francis
Marion University 21, Southern Wesleyan University 11. Technical
fouls--Francis Marion University-None, Southern Wesleyan University-None.
A-111
