Like Francis Marion Athletics on Facebook!

PEMBROKE, N.C. - Francis Marion University was knocking on the door of a 15-point comeback on Wednesday night (Feb. 15), before falling just short in a 62-52 loss to UNC Pembroke at the English E. Jones Center in Pembroke, N.C.

Senior forward Simone Trice led Francis Marion (8-15, 3-12) with 12 points, while junior point guard Carmella Thompson contributed seven points, a team-leading 11 rebounds, and five assists.  Trice added seven rebounds of her own.

The Patriots fell behind to the Braves (12-11, 9-6) 12-2 after DeDe Cotton hit a three-point bucket at the 15:42 mark.  The UNCP lead ballooned to 15 points, 28-13, on a Jasmine Hairston tip-in at 5:26 before the Patriots started to work their way back into the game.

A quick 5-0 run by the Francis Marion duo of senior T.T. Belcher and junior Daphne Walker over the span of 44 seconds got the Patriots back to within 10.  A Thompson three-pointer with 20 seconds left helped the Patriots shrink the lead to seven at halftime, 32-25.

FMU used the first four minutes of the second stanza to chisel the lead down to three (33-30) after Belcher hit a jumper at 16:47.  The Braves extended their lead back out to nine points (41-32) on a run sandwiched between two more Cotton threes, the latter coming at 13:15.

A pair of Jazmine Kemp free throws at 7:26 helped UNC Pembroke build their lead back up to double figures at 11.  Kemp led all scorers and rebounders with 16 and 13 respectively. 

Five straight points from Trice, including a tip-in with 3:33 left in regulation, drew FMU back to within two points at 53-51, but that was as close as they would get before eventually falling.

The Patriots shot 34.7 percent from the field for the game as compared to the Braves' 34 percent.  A 59.1 percent clip from the free throw line (13-22) hurt Francis Marion, while UNCP was 21-of-29.  FMU held a 20-12 advantage in points in the paint.

Francis Marion returns home for a Peach Belt Conference match-up with Flagler College on Homecoming, this Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

2-15-12 5:30 p.m. at Pembroke, N.C./English E. Jones Center
UNCP 62, FRANCIS MARION 52

FRANCIS MARION (8-15, 3-12 PBC)
Simone Trice 5-7 1-1 12; T.T. Belcher 2-4 4-7 8; Daphne Walker 3-4 1-2 7;
Chelsey Johnson 2-8 3-4 7; Emilee Dunton 2-5 0-0 6; Brittany Christian 1-7
2-4 5; Carmella Thompson 1-8 2-4 5; Jas. Williams-Hayes 1-1 0-0 2; Kristen
Dickerson 0-5 0-0 0; Hattie Harris 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-49 13-22 52.
UNCP (12-11, 9-6 PBC)
DeDe Cotten 6-14 2-3 18; Jazmine Kemp 5-8 6-11 16; Amelia Partin 3-9 2-2 11;
Domonique Washington 1-4 6-8 8; Taylor Gallentine 1-5 3-3 5; Jasmine
Hairston 1-8 2-2 4; Haley Magee 0-2 0-0 0; T.J. Howell 0-0 0-0 0. Totals
17-50 21-29 62.
Halftime: UNCP 32 Francis Marion 25
3-point goals--Francis Marion 5-17 (Emilee Dunton 2-5; Carmella Thompson
1-4; Brittany Christian 1-5; Simone Trice 1-2; Kristen Dickerson 0-1), UNCP
7-25 (DeDe Cotten 4-12; Amelia Partin 3-8; Domonique Washington 0-2; Taylor
Gallentine 0-2; Haley Magee 0-1). Fouled out--Francis Marion-Simone Trice;
T.T. Belcher, UNCP-None. Rebounds--Francis Marion 37 (Carmella Thompson 11),
UNCP 36 (Jazmine Kemp 13). Assists--Francis Marion 8 (Carmella Thompson 5),
UNCP 10 (Jazmine Kemp 3). Total fouls--Francis Marion 22, UNCP 17. Technical
fouls--None. A-428